They showed up announced?!

Does seem quite shocking behaviour from the midwives. Sadly I've experienced some appalling treatment from midwives, so you are not alone. I had a team leader midwife reduce me to tears with her attitude and behaviour - I would have refused to see her again, but fortunately went into labour instead! One of the midwives on the ward was also appalling, clearly hadn't read my notes and reduced me to tears. I discharged myself (as wasn't in full blown labour!)

You don't think the midwives might have had a bit of an attitude problem too?

I can't abide it when healthcare professionals lecture and scold people as if they were naughty children. YANBU OP.

There is nothing wrong with turning up unannounced the midwives have a responsibility to you and your baby and were concerned enough to visit you.
You have potentially got a high risk pregnancy , have not been taking your blood sugars and then had missed an appointment. They don't know that you are not unwell, depressed or just feckless.
Having visited they should not have been rude or patronising.

@Snowedon I can understand why you weren't amused at this unexpected visit and their condescending tone and overstepping behaviour (your phone). Therefore, you should put in a complaint in writing about their behaviour, and state that those two midwives are not to provide any further appointments booked or otherwise (date and time is enough, if you don't have their names), and that in future you will see other midwives instead.

Remind them that maternity care is not mandatory in the UK, and that they are not allowed to use emotional blackmail or coercion in their roles. They have overstepped their professional duties by their behaviour here.

State in writing the contact you have had with the hospital etc. and that you have not been refusing any care. Make it clear that you have simply been unwell with the flu and that the one missed appointment was completely accidental due to illness.

You have to be firm to show that you won't tolerate unprofessional behaviour. In my experience, firm letters/emails asserting your knowledge of your legal birth rights is usually enough to make them get back in their lane.

Nobody needs permission to knock on your front door surely? Gestational diabetes can be really serious if not managed properly so they probably wanted to check you weren’t collapsed at home unable to get help.

If they didn’t come round and something awful happened then everyone would be blaming the NHS for not caring and not keeping you safe.

You said next you might pretend to be out. That's a lie

Honestly , professionals can't win.

Hi OP, I had GD in my pregnancy and it can be difficult to get the readings at first, but as someone has already said, there is a knack to it. If you haven’t already I strongly recommend joining the GDUK Facebook Group - there is SO much support on there and I promise you will encounter plenty of people with similar concerns as you.

If it is really impossible to get the readings by finger pricking, you can speak to your GP or your GD consultant about getting a continuous glucose monitor installed - they’re not as accurate but can give you an idea at least.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy - it’s hard!

Maternity care in the UK is optional. Not mandatory. Your "under the radar" bullshit regarding a pregnant woman making decisions for herself over her own body is astounding.

do you mean unannounced? Not trying to be pedantic, I wouldn't pick up on it if it seemed like it was just a typo in your title but then you specified they turned up announced in your paragraph as well. Whether they told you they were coming or not is pretty key to what you are complaining about.

If they showed up announced (i.e. told you they were coming and then did), I don't see what the issue is?

Heavily pregnant means they don't care about you. They care about the unborn baby. And that means they want you to be healthy.

Always test out things you say by adding "your honour" to the end and imagine how it'll be in a coroners court.

"Oh course I didn't feel like going and making sure I was well, your honour"
How's that sound?

You said you'd tried to do some readings since Christmas and have failed miserably which I took to mean that you haven't done any proper blood sugar readings in over 2 weeks - is this right? If you're in late pregnancy then this is when it's most important to get your blood sugar managed. Did you ask anyone for a CGM since the readings are causing you so many problems?

I don't blame them for showing up unannounced to check you and the baby were ok but it does sound like their attitude was uncaring and unsympathetic and more likely, as it indeed has done, to rile you. As hard as it might be try not to let it as that isn't good for you both either.

Yabu

Isn't the phrase 'show up UNannounced'?

That's besides the point. They have a duty of care. Imagine they didn't check on you and you were found dead or something.

Well they're taking it seriously too and have saved you the effort of a trip to them.
I'd have quite liked to say "no, bloody come here" to the midwife rather than dragging out - although it was because it was too hot rather than icy rubbish weather.

They have a duty of care. They believed you'd gone off the radar for 3 weeks. It seems like different departments don't talk to each other. This is an issue but at least they made the call. However, rudeness not required!

There's a knack to it - make sure you've drank loads of water, make sure your hands are warm and try pricking the side of your finger pads rather than the tip, then squeeze it fast. A lot of us struggled to get this right at first but you do have to keep trying.