Midwife question

beks

Glad you got seen by the PN today. I hope your urine was checked aswell?

It does seem to be that once you have had one pregnancy you are expected to just get on with your second but this is wrong, particularly when there are pre-existing medical conditions which makes you an increased risk.

Have you asked the GP surgery for a contact number for your midwives? I would just say that you have a few concerns you want to discuss with them but that you dont want them to have to come out for an appointment. It is really important that you can at least touch base with them if, and when it is needed.

Anyway, I am glad someone is keeping an eye, at least you are in the system but it is still not acceptable not to be able to get hold of your midwife.

emsywoo123

beks wrote: »

Glad you got seen by the PN today. I hope your urine was checked aswell?

It does seem to be that once you have had one pregnancy you are expected to just get on with your second but this is wrong, particularly when there are pre-existing medical conditions which makes you an increased risk.

Have you asked the GP surgery for a contact number for your midwives? I would just say that you have a few concerns you want to discuss with them but that you dont want them to have to come out for an appointment. It is really important that you can at least touch base with them if, and when it is needed.

Anyway, I am glad someone is keeping an eye, at least you are in the system but it is still not acceptable not to be able to get hold of your midwife.

Thank you, I was told inititally that this pregnancy would be monitored as a first pregnancy would be as it was a different partner, but not turned out that way
As for contact, I have to leave message with GP surgery (opening hours only) and one will call me back. I asked what happened outside these hours, and was told if I was in labour go to hosp, anything else could wait til Mon-Fri 9-5 :eek:

ginvzt

emsywoo123 wrote: »

I asked what happened outside these hours, and was told if I was in labour go to hosp, anything else could wait til Mon-Fri 9-5 :eek:

That is shocking!!!!! Maybe ask for this in writing and sent it to your local PCT or NICE or somewhere similar?

Ok, I was never pregnant (ttc for 2.5 years), but I would be very upset with this. It is making me worried about possible care during my pregnancy when it happens.

beccam

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Thank you, I was told inititally that this pregnancy would be monitored as a first pregnancy would be as it was a different partner, but not turned out that way
As for contact, I have to leave message with GP surgery (opening hours only) and one will call me back. I asked what happened outside these hours, and was told if I was in labour go to hosp, anything else could wait til Mon-Fri 9-5 :eek:

That really is ridiculous!! So what happens if you were to bleed, collapse, swell up like a big balloon etc etc??

Is there a day obstetric unit at the hospital? Surely the midwives are on call over the weekend too? Thats just awful...I feel quite lucky now that I've had the care I have so far and there was me complaining!!

tiamai_d

No, you call your maternity hospital. Regardless of what you are told (hold it in till 9am Monday, only not then cos we're awfa busy) anything happens, you call your maternity hospital.

inkie

There is midwifery cover available 24 hours per day for both the community and inpatients. If a community midwife is days off/holiday/off sick - whatever, then their work will be picked up by someone else.When I worked as a community midwife, I picked colleagues work up and vice-versa.
If you have a mobile number for the midwife, then it stands to reason that this will be switched off it they are not on duty (as this will be a business number). If in any doubt whatsoever - you can call labour ward 24 hours per day to speak to a midwife, and if you require a visit, then they will contact the person who will be covering your area.

emsywoo123

inkie wrote: »

If in any doubt whatsoever - you can call labour ward 24 hours per day to speak to a midwife, and if you require a visit, then they will contact the person who will be covering your area.

Thank you, this is good to know, and I assume what I would have done in a real emergency. This was procedure with the team when I was pregnant with DD, but things seem to have changed!:eek:

I have no alternative means to contact MW other than via GP who gets her to call me, but as they pointed out so delightfully to me.....9-5!!

As my dad says, stop making a drama and think of the women working in the rice fields who only have 5 minutes before they are back at work.......and I say....how many babies have you been pregnant with exactly dad :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: He's only teasing

sp1987

My community midwife was awful. She was rude, uncaring and unreliable. In the end I was so fed up with her (lack of) care I just went to my (male) GP. It comes to something when a man seems a better bet than a midwife (who I can only assume has some kids of her own).

She seemed to only really care about whether either of us were part african/indian (as she was obsessed with sickle cell anaemia). Maybe less of a worry except we are both so pale you can almost see through us. Oh, and her questioning every single time about whether we were ''closely related'' was also a source of much anger! It happened literally EVERY time. Our respective families come from hundreds of miles apart. She also ticked the box for ''do you feel threatened visiting this woman'' when she had not even met or spoken to me prior to her first visit. Notwithstanding she ruled that a blind old jack russel was a potential savage (another tick box for ''dangerous dog'' positively filled).

Any woman who takes your urine test and tips most of it onto her ''apointment sheet'' doesn't inspire confidence. Thank god I was first on the list and not last.

Thank god I got to go to the hospital and not the maternity unit she was based in. I think I would have had heart failure.

Molly41

Im sorry you have had had such a bad experience with your midwife. However as a retired midwife now due to ill health I always said to the women I cared for that you could never tell by looking at someone if they carried the sickle cell or thalasaemaia genes. I always said anyone could carry them even me! That always caused a giggle as Im translucent some days- whiter than white. I had my kids a few years ago before the nationwide campaign was introduced so wasn't tested. When I became ill I had a whole range of tests and was found to be a carrier for alpha-thalasaemia. Now I was lucky as my kids dad is obviously not a carrier but he has very dark skin so could just have easily been. Its not always clearcut when you meet your midwife and she is always under pressure - too many women and not enough hours. I always ran over on my clinics as i took time to speak to women but it was always on my own time and that of my family. I never got paid for the extra hours as i had to manage my own time effectively and running over wasnt allowed and my own kids had to look after themselves on clinic nights!! Thats why midwives become tired and burn out!

pixieface_3

samandona wrote: »

Yeah...my midwife is stretched....STRETCHED OUT ON AN EFF'ING BEACH SOMEWHERE SUNNING HERSELF.

Sorry. It just stresses me out. Does anyone know the intervals you are supposed to have midwive appointments? After the booking in one that is x

Comments like that really annoy me!!! try working as a midwife doing 12 hour shifts and dangerous levels of staffing, busy antenatal clinics that run over all the time, dealing with not only women who think pregnancy is an illness but with drug/alcohol dependant women..... oh and not forgetting the high risk cases and then you can comment!! MIDWIVES ARE HUMANS TOO AND DESERVE TO BE STRETCHED OUT ON AN EFFING BEACH AT TIMES!!!!! :mad::mad::mad: