Midwife question

emsywoo123

xmaslolly76 wrote: »

Mine are on the front cover of the green notes given to you by the midwife not sure if everyone gets the same notes though and they have to be filled in by the midwife so if they are blank then contact the doctors surgeyr and ask for them or even the hospital switch board :-) x

HA ha just seen mine and it gets worse.........can only contact my midwife mon-fri 8.30-3.30, so lost more hours :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Still, local hospital numbers are in there

delain

I just ring Bournemouth maternity unit (my midwife does shifts there) and if she's not there to give advice there is another one who will! Also after my GP mucked me about re appointments because they failed to understand I couldn't do 3pm, and apparently booking in is only done at 3pm?! I went and waited at her clinic and she arranged to see me for my booking in that night at the hospital and she gave the receptionists hell for not giving me her mobile numer

ladybez

Many maternity units now have triage units, my own included. I and my team are happy to deal with any queries which any pregnant ladies have, once they reach 16 weeks. Before this we will help but sometimes issues are of a gynae nature rather than obstetric, but we will still give guidance. I take the view that if something is worrying you it is better to phone up and be reassured rather than sitting worrying and if it something you need to be seen for we will do that, although there is sometimes a queue. I see it as our job to do this and your right to expect it. Our service has just gone 24 hour, to relieve pressure on our Delivery Suite and our ladies seem to appreciate it. Will come off soapbox now!!

ajaney

I am 33 weeks pregnant & have had good care throughout. The only complaint I would have is the 20 week scan, it was a trainee who didnt seem very competent.

On the front of my hand held notes, there is the phone number for the team I am under at the hospital. Have a look to see if it is on yours & ring them if you are worried.

I was give the NICE guidance booklet - http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11947/40111/40111.pdf
If you are not getting care in accordance with this, perhaps contact your pct or mention it when you do see your midwife. I have had appiontments & tests exactly as set out on pages 4 & 5 up to now.

Best of luck to you.

sp1987

Molly41 wrote: »

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!

Thank you for the reply. I'm sorry your career was cut short as you seem like one of the genuine characters who one would expect to be representative of the vast majority of midwives.

Sadly the rudeness, lack of care, lack of compassion of my midwife and her absolute need to belittle me and treat me like an idiot probably contributed to my absolute hatred for the woman. She offered no help with regards to a birth plan, would not help me see the consultant I needed to see, etc. In fact 2 weeks before I delivered I had to tell her I had seen my consultant after a referral from my GP and was booked in for my section. God knows I might still be waiting now had she been in charge. I forgot to mention her absolute lack of care and consideration early in my pregnancy. I found out that I was pregnant (after 6 years solidly on the pill), during my university finals, and spent a few weeks considering my options. At my first appointment she made a big hoo ha about how I had ''left it late'' to get my first scan in. I was mortified at the lack of compassion as I had explained the circumstances.

At the end of the day, putting your child's life in the hands of a healthcare professional is a massive trust commitment to make. I will say that the two midwives I had in hospital (one midwife and one trainee) were absolutely fabulous. They could not do enough and really went above and beyond. Midwives really seem to be either perfect or truly awful.