Maternity nursing / care staff

[NorthernGirlie]

Hi All
Just an observation - normally I have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who works in nursing / any kind of health care - I could never do their job and think that most should be paid much more than they are...
... but... I've had 2 occurences lately where I've been surprised (to say the least) at the attirude of people working within the maternity area of healthcare and wondered if I'm expecting too much / am being overly picky:
1 - my midwife asked at my booking in appointment if I'd had any thoughts on feeding - I said that I hope to try to bf but have friends who've not been able to and have been devastated by the amount of pressure put on them. My midwife smirked and said 'yeah, that pressure was probably from us'. I know they have targets to meet but openly admitting to pressurising hormonal new Mums...

1. We went for our dating scan yesterday and whilst waiting overheard a nurse complaining to the receptionist that she'd had 'a right stroppy woman in' she went on to say that this woman was 12+4, was bleeding and had suffered 2 miscarriages in the past. Woman had turned up begging for a scan but the nurse had told her to go to EPU - woman had said it was shut and that she thought EPU was for women under 12 weeks. Nurse said 'I've sent her away but she's not happy - I always get the stroppy ones'
   

I know that dealing with pregnancy is just their job but I'd expect them (especially in the 2nd case - mine was just prob me being touchy!) to be a bit nicer!

Any thoughts?? xx

[milkyways]

I think alot of the time we tend to forget that nurses/mw's are humans too. In the first case, I don't think that the mw's comment was bad - I know some comments that mw's make about bf-ing can be mistaken for preaching or pressurising - maybe she was admitting they get the blame for pressurising? TBH, all my midwive's with DD were great. They never shunned me for bottle feeding the first 2 days of DD's life - they were just happy she was settled and putting on weight nicely.

The second case was probably a mix of the nurse having a hard day and being a bit of a cow. What the woman who came in for the scan must have been going through I can completely imagine and empathise with. You can't really stop people from backbiting, but talking about a patient like that in a professional environment infront of other patients is completely injustifiable. If it were me sitting there listening, I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet and would have confronted the nurse. No patient who is worried should be called "a stroppy one", especially when it is a matter of life and death of the child inside them.

[madeindevon2]

I had an unpleasant experience at Epu. I was bleeding. I'm not one to panic or see medical professionals for no reason. After 4 days I called surgery. Couldnt get app for Mw for few days. Anyway eventually saw Mw 5pm on a Wednesday. I was a few days short of 15 weeks. She wasn't that helpful. Couldn't find hb either so referred me to epu. It was closed by then so told me to go when they open the next morning.
So I drive 45 mins to the hospital Epu next morning. At Epu I'm met my a nurse who wasn't very pleased to see me to say the least! I told her Mw sent me. And had said she would be leaving message on answerphone. I have her mw letter and explained bleeding.mw couldnt find hb. She basically barked at me. Well I got no message.... Tutting. Then said well you not getting a scan?!?!? U might see confidant but noone here yet. Who mentioned scan?! I didnt. Tbh I was disgusted with they way she spoke to me. I had been bleeding a week. I was meant to be at work. I was worried of course as Mw could find hb before.
The 2 consultants saw were fantastic and found hb and took swabs but couldn't see why bleeding and had anti d injection as I'm rhes neg. But before this I had to endure this rude nurse ranting to her colleague about me while I was waiting outside her office to see consultant.
I was disgusted. Havent made complaint but thinking i should to save someone else having to endure similar... Think I should say something or leave it?