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AIBU?

To ask about your 6 week check...

23 replies

pizzafrenchfries · 26/02/2017 12:03

I have yet to meet someone who would describe their six week check as 'good'. Mine was horrendous- I had relocated back to the uk half way through my pregnancy so I had a new doctor... I'd had hg throughout my pregnancy and it was quite a difficult time emotionally and physically.
Anyway my new doctor told me I needed to lose 20 kilos because that was the last weight they had on record for me (which was when I weighed a tiny amount due to various issues) at this point I weighed 70 kilos. when I explained that before my pregnancy I hadn't weighed 50 kilos she basically just completely ignored me.... I asked a few questions about my baby being constipated and she basically ignored me! Then for the weigh in- she got annoyed that the baby wouldn't stay still on the scales and actually wrote the amount down wrong (which my hv picked up when she asked about the fact she'd lost a pound in 3 days)

She asked about the baby smiling and when I said not yet she told me I'd have to bring him back in a week if he wasn't smiling yet (he was 5 weeks 5 days) and lastly I said I'd been feeling a bit down and she jumped in and said 'oh you don't want to hurt your baby do you?' Before essentially rushing me
Out the door! The whole thing was bizarre!

Speaking to friends and they all have had something negative to recall from their experiences - from being told to get in quick with vaccinations because gypsies were coming to town (!) to the constant rushing over of pnd questions etc. I just wondered is this a common occurrence? Do gps have training in 6 week checks? I'm not gp bashing I know how hard they work etc but I'm more just a bit gobsmacked that not one mother I know can recall a positive experience!

OP posts:
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FreshStart2017 · 26/02/2017 12:10

Where I live the six week check doesn't involve baby being check too, it's only for the mother. I've got 4 DC's and never left a check feeling like it was a bad experience but all my births were straight forward so really I was only needing the gp to write my a prescription for birth control.

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CatsCantFlyFast · 26/02/2017 12:20

Both of my 6 week checks were excellent. Thorough check of baby and a good chat with the doc for me.

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RainyDayBear · 26/02/2017 12:22

Mine was good, the doctor (who I'd seen a few times and she was generally excellent) checked DD thoroughly, was suitably sympathetic to my horrendous labour and EMCS, and answered all my many queries. No complaints at all, I'm glad they do it routinely.

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EyeStye · 26/02/2017 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Somehowsomewhere · 26/02/2017 12:23

Mine was fine. Checked baby over, asked how I was feeling, talked about contraception... job done.

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Somehowsomewhere · 26/02/2017 12:25

Oh I should have mentioned I had been feeling pretty low, which we chatted about. Dr talked me through my options (talking therapies, AD's etc) and we agreed to leave it a few weeks before making any decisions. She booked me a follow up appointment then and there.

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Llanali · 26/02/2017 12:27

Yep mine was fine; didn't examine me which I thought they might, but no concerns and lovely with baby.

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Llanali · 26/02/2017 12:29

I wonder whether There's an element of the mind in it, in that at six weeks post partum many women feel sensitive, tired and emotional, and as such sometimes might take a simple sentence as having underlying meaning etc.

Not talking about you op, just a general musing.

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EdmundCleverClogs · 26/02/2017 12:33

Mine was fine as well. Doctor took more time with baby than me, but that wasn't an issue. Physically I was fine (no c-section or stitches), and luckily apart from Day 5 hormone crash, I'd been coping well. My surgery is a specialist in pre/post natal care though, so didn't expect any less. I don't think my old surgery would have been as good. A couple of doctors there would think you were wasting their time if you walked in with a limb hanging off Hmm.

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dylsmimi · 26/02/2017 12:34

They don't do it in our area. Apparently haven't done for years when I queried it. The gp checks baby before injections but they don't give a woman's one. They said that If there are problems to go to see the gp but the checks were taking up too many appointments to just ask well women how they were and if they remembered contraception
In a previous area I didn't go to my first one as I found it too difficult to go out and my second was fine

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Birdsgottaf1y · 26/02/2017 13:10

Just asked my DD about hers.

Hers was about her, she had the coil fitted at the same time. She was starting with Mastitis and got good advice.

She had been going to the baby weigh clinic, though, so the baby had been seen regularly.

The checks used to be about checking healing and making sure that there were no signs of a retained placenta.

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SparklyLeprechaun · 26/02/2017 13:17

Mine were both very good. Baby checked properly, minor concerns addressed, my csection checked, discussed breastfeeding, mental health and contraception. All good.

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Nicketynac · 26/02/2017 13:30

Mine was fine, baby was weighed by HV at separate appointment but GP did strip her down and do full examination. Not sure GP asked me any PND related questions but HV did at every visit to see baby.
GP did not weigh me or examine me except BP. She asked about bleeding and pain from stitches but said they now only look if you report problems. Not sure if that would vary between health boards.

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2014newme · 26/02/2017 13:33

Mine were fine.
Never heard any negative feedback from anyone else about theirs either

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PingaPenguin · 26/02/2017 13:40

No mine was fine, saw usual GP. She checked over the baby very thoroughly, asked me how I was and possibly took BP. She did not mention weight or weigh me despite me being about 4 stone too heavy!

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HarlotLipstick · 26/02/2017 13:47

Never heard of it and didn't get any follow up here despite having been stitched up for 3rd degree tearing...
Hmm maybe they are a good idea Hmm but yours sounds awful!

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Woobeedoo · 26/02/2017 13:55

Mine was utterly pointless.

GP checked over my son and then asked me "Feeling ok?" whilst scrolling through his PC screen. Keeping in mind a week after giving birth I had to visit that very GP and actually order him to check my stitches as on a HV check I told her they still felt sore and it transpired one had un-ravelled and it looked like I had the beginnings of an infection down there (niiice), I thought he may wish to re-check the healing, etc, but nope. Clearly the sight of it traumatised him enough the first time to venture back down there!

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Hgmother · 26/02/2017 14:03

My 6 week check was ok enough, the hv sounded abrupt because she had broken english but it wasn't really a problem until she talked to me like I was a moron because I didn't know about newborn girl periods.. Nothing was asked about me at all, I had a bad tear and lots of stitches but no one ever asked about that, ever. Baby wise it was fine though. Sorry you had an experience like that, it's not the first time i've heard of it happen though :/.

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Feilin · 26/02/2017 14:07

Mine and bubs check up was great aprt from the doctor being angry with the midwives for saying to book a 6 week check up and the receptionist for booking it when i called. Apparantly in Belfast they no longer do 6 wk checks..... i felt very uncomfortable. Gp was furious.

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musicalmama · 26/02/2017 14:13

Mines was....
How are you?

Fine.

Everything healing okay?

I think so?

Okay see you later.

But I was happy with how everything was going and doc could probably sense that so didn't dig any deeper. Or so I would hope!

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MillieMoodle · 26/02/2017 14:28

Mine was a waste of time. He asked how I was. I said ok but my stitches were still quite uncomfortable, I went dizzy every time I stood up and I was still bleeding quite a lot. He said ok then and told me to make another appointment if I was still bleeding in two weeks. Didn't check my stitches. Didn't check my blood pressure.

I was still bleeding 10 weeks later and finally got referred for a scan in case of retained placenta. All was ok but I was a bit worried I was going to have no blood left.

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Underbrella · 26/02/2017 14:43

First was ok - a good chance to chat to my lovely GP who had been so supportive prior & during pregnancy but clinically pointless but I didn't really know what to expect. With my second there was a last minute change of GP & he didn't seem all that comfortable. Didn't bother after my 3rd pregnancy as everything was OK & the previous 6 week checks seemed pointless. Our baby checks are carried out separately at 8 weeks.

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yorkshapudding · 26/02/2017 15:52

Mine was fine. She checked baby's weight etc, seemed interested in both my well-being and that of baby. Asked if I was still bleeding (I wasn't) and whether I had any concerns about how I was healing (had a couple of stiches) and that was that. Pretty much what I expected.

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