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Original poster

Why won't anyone look at my vag?!?!

21 replies

OhToBeASeahorse · 30/09/2020 11:52

I'm a week and a half away from due date with baby number 2. In the last couple of months I've not been feeling right down below, had some odd swelling and then got thrush and it got much worse. Dr said I would be examined but only if necessary.

Midwife appt yesterday said bump hadnt grown so referred me to a scan. I mentioned the swelling and she said she would include it in the referral (I didn't really understand why!?). Sonographer was lovely and asked me to wait. An hour later a midwife saw me and said they wouldnt be able to investigate - maybe I should call the birth centre where I'm booked at?

My care last time was shocking and I'm feeling stressed after all this. Why will no one just have a look?!?!?!?

OP posts:

Horsemad · 30/09/2020 12:37

Speak to your GP.

IsolationQueen · 30/09/2020 12:40

Sorry I can’t be of much help but I just wanted to say that towards the end of my first pregnancy, I had lots of swelling down below. Almost felt like lumps on either side (sorry tmi). I went to the GP and they said it was perfectly normal for some people at that stage of pregnancy. It didn’t happen with my subsequent pregnancy. Hopefully it’s something similar for you.

StarCat2020 · 30/09/2020 13:14

I am sorry that you have been "treated" in an absolutely disgusting manner.

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Coldnights · 30/09/2020 14:12

I would contact your gp again.

Original poster

OhToBeASeahorse · 02/10/2020 08:44

This morning I have got a letter for a hospital appointment for Monday. No one told me I was going to be referred, I have my toddler on mondays and they arent allowed in so I cant even make it.
This is all so silly - I live half a minute's walk from my GP and surely it would have been within my midwife's remit to check me?!?!

OP posts:

Diadora30 · 02/10/2020 09:01

Why wouldn’t your GP examine you?

Ridiculous. Hope you get some treatment, or at least an examination soon.

jessycake · 02/10/2020 09:08

Is it a varicose vein ? they are lumpy and uncomfortable but go after pregnancy

Horsemad · 02/10/2020 09:35

What a faff for you. Try calling the surgery and explaining you can't make the hospital appt and ask for a midwife appt instead.

Original poster

OhToBeASeahorse · 02/10/2020 13:19

Hospital are insisting on me keeping the appointment. The doctor is only available on mondays and I've explained I cant do that as I have my toddler and they wont let him in.

So their solution is a phone call appointment.

This is so stupid I'm actually speechless.

OP posts:

Horsemad · 02/10/2020 13:27

How ridiculous, talk about making life difficult! Can you ask someone to have the toddler?

Tentativesteps133 · 02/10/2020 13:39

I've recently has a similar experience - I was having symptoms of prolapse after my second delivery and couldn't get anyone to examine me. GP refused at 6 week check and just said he'd refer me to a women's health physio after a verbal description of my symptoms - then said that it's only phone appointments for that service at the moment. I'm unconvinced that any rehab I would be given would be effective without an examination to determine location and grade of any prolapse. I ended up going private as we're luckily covered through work.

A friend who delivered in March with a 3B tear was having phone appointments with NHS physio (again, no physical exam) who told her to just keep doing pelvic floor exercises. She then went to a private physio who examined her and discovered the problem was that her muscles were too tense (opposite of what was diagnosed over the phone) and gave her relaxation exercises to do which have almost eliminated her symptoms. I'm shocked and disappointed that other women who aren't able to access private care may be doing themselves harm because of the service scale-backs.

Original poster

OhToBeASeahorse · 02/10/2020 13:45

It's really scary

OP posts:

Horsemad · 02/10/2020 13:48

What I find shocking is that it depends on which surgery you're with. Some are seeing patients, others not!
It's not really fair and I appreciate the concerns with Covid but people still become unwell in pandemics!

Original poster

OhToBeASeahorse · 02/10/2020 13:50

I know! It's also just all the unnecessary cost to the NHS and the faff. This has now had referrals, phone calls and letters. They even put the wrong hospital's phone number on the letter.

It's not like I'm saying 'I demand a 2nd opinion, this isnt normal'. It could have been resolved by a one minute examination.

OP posts:

WankPuffins · 02/10/2020 13:53

I gave birth at the end of August and my experience was shocking to be honest.

I had the same issue. Was so badly swelled that o couldn’t close my legs properly. No one would look. GP said to see midwife. Midwife said to ask consultant. Consultant said to ask midwife.

Went to triage with reduced movements, told them and they wouldn’t look as I was booked in for a section

It went away within a few days of birth.

WankPuffins · 02/10/2020 13:54

Luckily it was my 3rd child though - had crap care for the previous two so sadly wasn’t expecting much.

ChavvySexPond · 02/10/2020 13:56

What a flipping nightmare. In your shoes I'd ask someone for help and go to the appointment. You don't seem to have many other options.

DPotter · 02/10/2020 13:59

Take a breath

It's Friday so you have time to arrange things.

Is there anyone who can have your toddler on Monday? Can you swap a nursery day / call in a favour. You must have someone on standby for toddler care if you're only 1week away from your due date - can they help?

Ring back to hospital and say you'll keep the physical appointment, even if you haven't quite sorted the toddler care, yet.

It's much better you see one of the obstetricians, rather than your GP. And the midwife wanted to refer you due to lack of growth which is important, so she did tell you you were being referred.

picklemewalnuts · 02/10/2020 13:59

Ten days off due date, can't you get s9me9ne to have your tot for an hour while you do the appointment? I don't think it's unreasonable for them to assume you'd have someone available by this stage.

I'm not disagreeing, your treatment's been poor.

MummytoCSJH · 02/10/2020 13:59

Can you get an emergency gp appointment maybe? Just act like it's a completely unrelated issue and the on call doctor could look at it? Apologies if you've already tried/thought of this, you're being treated horrendously :( x

Original poster

OhToBeASeahorse · 02/10/2020 14:26

We have back up, I could ask them - I'm not being argumentative but the hospital is a 40 min drive away, it will be a lot longer than an hour. The lady on the phone didnt realise I was so close to my due date- when I said I couldnt do mondays she said 'how about Monday 19th?'.which is 9 days after my due date!

When I left I thought they said that unless it got worse I didnt need to see anybody. The lady on the phone said it would be about the scan which I said was a bit worrying as I was told all was ok (especially if they are then suggestion an appointment 2.5 weeks time...)They also said my midwife hadnt referred me for the swelling in the proper way which is why they wouldnt see me.

I'm going to phone my GP again I think. My care last time was shocking (e.g given iron tablets rather than anti biotics) and contributed towards PND. I'm so afraid of it happening again.

OP posts:

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