A new mother recently shared her emotional ordeal, recalling the terrifying moment she feared she might have been sent home with the wrong baby due to a hospital mix-up.
Brianna, aged 22, welcomed her daughter, Willow, at Maitland Hospital located in the NSW Hunter region on August 21.
Shortly after birth, Willow experienced breathing issues and was quickly transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit before being moved to the recovery room.
Days later, when Brianna returned home with her newborn, she was horrified to find that the identification bracelets on Willow’s ankles were labeled with the name of a baby boy—Bentley.
In a panic, Brianna contacted the hospital and was even more distressed when she was told there was no record of her daughter.
“It was incredibly distressing to experience this as a first-time mom,” she shared with A Current Affair, as she struggled to hold back tears.
‘The wrong name bands were put on Willow. There was a boy’s name band that was put on her and different mother’s details that were put on her as well.
‘They actually told us over the phone that Willow’s information was put in somebody else’s profile at the hospital.’
New mother Brianna (pictured) made a mortifying discovery after taking her baby girl home
Young mums Brianna (left) and Kirra-Lea (right) gave birth at Maitland Hospital several days apart in August
Brianna later requested a copy of her paperwork, which showed that Willow’s hospital bracelets had been checked and signed off by three different staff.
She reached out to Bentley’s mother after finding her details on the bracelet.
Kirra-Lea Warby gave birth at Maitland Hospital three days before Brianna.
Like baby Willow, her son Bentley had also spent time in the neonatal unit.
She had no idea about the mix-up involving her son’s hospital bracelets until she received a call from Brianna.
‘I didn’t think it was real,’ she recalled.
‘I am very lucky to this day to have a nice person to actually reach out to me, because the hospital did not reach out to me once to tell me what had happened.
‘It should never have happened at all.’
Kirra-Lea Warby (pictured) was shocked to learn that her son Bentley’s hospital bracelets were placed on another baby while he was in the neonatal intensive care unit
Brianna added: ‘What makes it worse is that the name band that got put on her (Willow) was from three days earlier.
‘I don’t understand why bands had been sitting around for three days.’
Ms Warby also requested her hospital paperwork, but is still waiting to receive a physical copy eight weeks later.
Despite a personal apology from the hospital, Brianna says it’s not good enough.
‘There needs to be change in the public health system,’ she said.
‘There’s policies and procedures there that need to be followed.
‘I could have taken home somebody else’s baby. They could have immunised her with the wrong immunisation.
‘Make sure you double check all of your information and speak up if you feel something is wrong, because most likely something is wrong if you’ve got instincts about it.’
Maitland Hospital (pictured) in the NSW Hunter region has apologised for the terrible mix-up
Ms Warby added: ‘I’ve been left traumatised. I won’t be going back to that hospital if I have another baby’.
Maitland Hospital general manager Jenny Martin has extended apologies to both families.
‘We have thoroughly reviewed this serious incident and can confirm both babies received appropriate care, always remained with their own families, and there have been no adverse outcomes,’ she said in a statement.
‘However, we have reinforced with the staff involved and across our services the need to adhere to the processes and procedures in place that should have prevented this from occurring.
‘All patients and carers are able to request access to their medical record.’
