Hi my name is April, and unfortunately last year I was a victim of obstetric violence in Portugal.

In brief as I’m unsure how much I can legally share at this present time.

I gave birth to my baby accidentally at home, she arrived from 0 contractions to her exit within 4hours.

I was then transferred to my local hospital where my placenta was forcibly removed with explicit non-consent. The doctor just laughed at me as I screamed in pain. I was alone at this point and the father of the baby was not allowed with me, nor my best friend, or the medics who brought me to hospital.

I was denied seeing my placenta and again laughed at for such a request.

I was then sutured up without any anaesthesia or numbing because of an extremely mild penicillin allergy (vomiting and a rash, not life threatening , no EpiPens required). At the time I was not told the grade of the tear. I requested medication repeatedly only to be denied. The doctor started but as I was screaming, and crying in pain, wriggling away up the treatment table, the father of the baby was asked into the room so he could hold me down in place. He too argued for medication and again was denied. I continued to scream in agony, wishing I would pass out.

Half way through, as I was still trying to get away up the treatment table and my screams were escalating, the baby was brought into the room, and I was told to be quiet so as not to distress the baby. The baby was placed in eyesight, but not within reach. This was the first time I’d seeing the baby since arriving at the hospital.

I am wanting help to fund legal action against those involved so that women’s rights in labour and birth of both mother, baby and placenta are protected in the future.

Staying silent is not an option, when I think this could easily happen to other women, and possibly my own child in the future. If I don’t make a stand now, nothing will change and the barbaric actions that I suffered will continue.