IN the drug-hazed and confusion-filled aftermath of giving birth, it’s practically impossible to remember little details.

There’s no time to dwell on the trauma of labour once it is, thankfully, over. More often than not, it’s something most women actively try to forget.

It’s only weeks, or even months later, worn-out new mums may begin wondering. What exactly happened during my labour? Why did I have that procedure? And, did I really swear at my husband?

Most times, it’s not until women are expecting their second child they begin thinking in depth about the first childbirth experience and pondering those little questions.

Now Basildon Hospital’s maternity unit is launching a new scheme aimed at helping women to understand more about their labour and delivery.

Birth Afterthoughts will involve every woman, who gives birth at Basildon Hospital, receiving a card with a phone number and e-mail address before she is discharged.

They can then call the number or send an e-mail and speak to a dedicated midwife, days, weeks, months or even years after giving birth to ask any questions, raise an issue or simply have a chat about their labour or delivery.

The scheme, a kind of post natal debriefing, is also open to the partners and families of women who have given birth at the hospital.

Although a simple idea, hospital chiefs hope it will be a powerful way for women and their families to come to terms with anything playing on their minds – from dealing with an unpleasant birthing experience to simply trying to piece together the details of what happened during those lost hours.

Jennie Ponting, maternity matron at Basildon Hospital, said women have always had the right to seek answers after their birth, but the scheme will now allow the hospital to formalise the service and make it easier for mums to ask questions.

She said: “We are often very reactive within the maternity department, but I want us to be more proactive and ask mums, how they feel, rather than to wait for them to come to us.

“So many times a woman might have questions about why she was given a certain drug or procedure, why she had pain relief at a certain time or whether her birthing plan was followed.

“It can be very hard to remember clearly if you have pain relief, such as pethidine, during labour or have a difficult birth.

“So this is what Birth Afterthoughts is about.

“They can get in touch and will receive a response within 48 hours.

“Someone from the maternity team will ring them back and, if needs be, get them in for a face-to-face chat – whatever is best for the caller.

“The midwife on the other end of the phone will have access to the woman’s records and will be able to go through their labour and delivery experience in detail and talk them through it.”

Jennie, who has been a midwife since 1979, has delivered thousands of babies. She said: “I don’t know why but there’s always been a kind of attitude that women shouldn’t have access to their notes once they have given birth and I’ve never understood this.

“Of course, the hospital ultimately has to keep them, but the mum had a right to see them.

“They are her notes. You cart them around for nine months, after all!

“So at Basildon we are doing something to change this attitude and give women the chance to ask whatever they like about their birthing experience.

“We think this will be particularly beneficial to women who are having their second or third child and who may be starting to think about giving birth again.

“More often than not that is where questions start popping up in the mind and, by going through their notes with them, we can give them some reassurance.”