Alan, you could probably believe some of the comments I have heard. The worst and most common is when people call me a 'baby'. No one seems to understand that there is a very real, and very dangerous phobia against medical needles. My XHs mother was feral about it for months until she saw my legs give way under the blood pressure low after I was jabbed by a needle for a barium meal. I have had it since my first barium meal when the assistant that did the injection collapsed a vein in my left arm. They cant use that arm now because the vein is so very small now.

The PPH was severe. It went undetected for over an hour because my sister was there with the two older children to see the new baby. It was her (an AIN) that worked out there was something very wrong and ushered the kids out after she hit the panic button. I lost 3l of blood and was transfused overnight. I remember they tried the Syntocin first and then when I woke up I had the canula. I remember the last canula vividly, it was like a straw. The two before that were small, but I arrived at the hospital only a few minutes before baby was born so they just got someone to put one in.

I will discuss it with them, but from the sounds of things I am going to have to work with them with the phobia. Its really not helping that my support network went from dozens of people to 1 person in the last 2 years, but my mum and another sister are planning on coming down from QLD around then to give Phil a hand with the kids. Just wish it was my older sister (the AIN) as she has been the one that was always with me when I had to have a blood test.

Thanks for your advice, I will certainly talk to them about all my options. Guess I am just lucky I have never had a tear!