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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think my community midwives don't know their arses from their elbows

43 replies

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:00

This might be long but I need to know if I am having unfair expectations or if I'm justified in feeling I dunno what I'm feeling but pissed off is one of the emotions.

I was just over 15 weeks pregnant my waters suddenly went catastrophically so I lost the whole lot within 45 mins.
I was In and out of hospital ( baby still had a heartbeat given a 1% chance of survival ) on the Sunday I had a sudden massive haemorrhage at home.
Got home on Tuesday when baby was 16 weeks when his heart stopped was given an oral tablet to kick off labour.
It worked and the baby was born at home within 6 hours, rather unexpected as I was told it would take at least 36 hours to kick in. But it worked out well it was a beautiful moment and I will cherish the memory forever.
There was placenta drama that ended up with me kicking the anesthesiologist (a whole other thread really were she went mental when i used the word fuck within her hearing) out the room, the midwife and I worked together and eventually after 9 hours the placenta turned up with the aid of a Dr with a speculum and mini forceps, lot bigger and very swollen than expected. I lost a lot of blood during this and the midwife was concerend but it was clear that I was physically coping well.
I just couldn't get out of bed much for about 6 days.

The hospital midwives were first class I was so impressed with the care I received that instead of having my dreamed for homebirth I will consider a hosptial birth next time.

I was told the community midwives would probably want to visit me at home or I their office that I would have a chance to talk to them and ask questions.
A few days later a community midwife called DH but he was at the office they said they would call back in a few days but I could make an appointment before then. DH and I discussed it a lot over the weekend realising we had a lot of questions about my pregnacy plus we were keen to discuss what type of care I would recive if I conceive again.

I called yesterday. It was a difficult phone call for me I had just came off the phone to them trying to make my 16 week appointment when my waters broke it took me right back to the moment I realised my baby was in danger.

Anyway the receptionist was confused why I called, I had to be really clear that NO I didnt want a 16 week appointment that my baby had DIED at 16 weeks. She passed me onto a midwife who was equally confused again had to point out that my baby had died. I pointed out that they called ME to make this appointment originally. The midwife said she would go find out what was going on and call me.
An hour later I got a call, another midwife again had to repeat the whole NO MY BABY IS DEAD. FFS I wanted to really scream at them does anyone take notes when they take a phone call! But I didn't.

She then said the hospital will talk to me in 6 weeks after the post mortem results I pointed out again they called me this was to discus other results and in general to talk about my pregancy.
She then put me on hold, I could hear her discus me with others ( seemed to be in the reception area of the clinic) saying she had no idea why I was calling.
I hung up called DH who is furious they would call him wanting to speak to me only for them to then be confused.

They called DH today he made it clear he felt we had been let down, that he was concerned that no one had yet enquirer about my health and that we would no longer deal with them. He said midwife was unapologetic and repeated the hosptial will speak to us when the post mortem results are ready.
On and still no reason given why they called us.

Am I justified they don't know their arses from their elbows and to make sure that in any future pregnancies I never have to deal with any of them?
Or am I being unfair that really the services are for pregnant woman which I am no longer.

Please be honest.

OP posts:
ddubsgirl · 12/12/2012 11:06

so sorry for your loss,you could contact PALS and make a complaint.

IneedAgoldenNickname · 12/12/2012 11:09

I'm so sorry for your loss x

I agree, contact pals

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:09

I though PALS only dealt with hospitals the community midwifes work out of a separate clinic.

OP posts:
ddubsgirl · 12/12/2012 11:11

www.nmc-uk.org/General-public/

ddubsgirl · 12/12/2012 11:11

www.nmc-uk.org/General-public/

MissCellania · 12/12/2012 11:19

Sorry for your loss.

I think the relevant point here though is that the hospital midwives told you that the community midwives may want to speak to you. It would seem they don't offer a service to someone in your situation, so they didn't know what you were calling about?

TremoloGreen · 12/12/2012 11:19

Littlebairn, I was on the May antenatal thread with you but I have stopped following it because it was difficult to keep up. I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope time and faith is a healer for you.

In the first instance I would contact the practice manager of your GP surgery (or surgery where you see the community midwives). Keep it brief, perhaps ask your DH to call if you are finding it too difficult, but let them know what it relates to and that you want to make a complaint and you need to know how to do this.

Would changing GP surgeries allow you to access a different community midwife team for your next pregnancy?

featherbag · 12/12/2012 11:20

This isn't a matter for the NMC (unless you think one or more individual registered practitioners have behaved consistently in a manner incompatible with remaining in their profession) but do consider writing to the supervisor of midwives at the hospital. In most places the community midwifery teams also rotate through the hospital and all come under the leadership of the supervisor.

So sorry for your loss, and that it's being compounded by poor communication on the part of those who should be looking after you!

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:21

misscelia I would have agreed it was the hospitals mistake if the community midwives hadn't already called and offered the appointment.

OP posts:
TremoloGreen · 12/12/2012 11:22

MissCellania, the community midwives called her though, asking her to call in. My concerns would be: why are they calling your husband and not you? And why would they deal with you so insensitively when you did call, even if they didn't know what you were calling for?? Angry Sad

sandberry · 12/12/2012 11:23

I'm sorry you lost your baby, I hope you are recovering well and I'm sorry you had to deal with this as well.

The community midwives will almost certainly be employed by the hospital so you can complain via PALS and I would, it is their system which is not working so I would complain via their manager. To be fair to them it would be unusual for community midwives to be able to speak to you about your loss, usually this would be the role of a bereavement midwife who could support you as long as you needed and/or a consultant midwife who would be better placed to discuss care plans for your next pregnancy. When you complain, I would ask them to improve their systems for women who have suffered a late loss and ask to speak to bereavement midwife/consultant midwife or a supervisor of midwives so you can ask anything you want to. I assume you already have an appointment with a consultant obstetrician to review as well.
I hope all goes well for you

TeaBrick · 12/12/2012 11:25

I am so sorry for the loss of your son. You can make a complaint about the community midwives through PALS. I have done so myself. I wish you all the best at this terrible time x

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:28

Tremolo We were wondering if we changed GPs( I've never actually met my GP as I'm new to the area) would we come under different midwives but it seems they see everyone at this central clinic for our region.
The problem does seem that they are very unorganised we noticed this even during the pregancy sometimes you are seen at the clinic other times at your GPs surgery you just never know where so you have to ring both places until someone remembers you.
When I called for my 16 week appointment, when my waters broke, they had no idea why I was calling them I was told to phone GP surgery but I was told by my community midwife to call them for that appointment.

There is a possibility I could change my care to a large teaching hospital in our nearest city where I would receive all antenatal appointments. It has a good reputation and brand new birth facilities. But now I have experienced the excellent care our local hospital has to offer I'm reluctant to change from them.

OP posts:
LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:31

I was wondering myself why they called my DH too, they have my number I even gave it to them again yesterday yet today the called him again.

Maybe the think it's the 1950's Hmm when I said I wanted a homebirth the midwife said I would need my husbands permission! Even DH was shocked at that, unlucky for them DH totally backed me in my choice.

OP posts:
LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:34

sandberry we have no appointments as yet once the post mortem results are ready in 6 weeks we will be given an appointment.

OP posts:
MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 12/12/2012 11:35

If you have had difficulties this pregnancy, as you have, then you can request to be put under obstertrician led care. I don't know what impact that would have on who you would see routinely though.

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 12/12/2012 11:36

You would need your husbands permission? wtaf?

sandberry · 12/12/2012 11:44

You should definitely complain, they need to improve their systems. Community midwifery services are often just not set up to handle situations which fall outside their norm.
In many hospitals now you would have a phone number of a bereavement midwife who could offer you support when you needed it, so you would have access to someone with questions before the six week appointment. If they are a small hospital that can't offer this,then they need to make sure their community midwifery services are able to provide support instead. If you don't feel up to complaining now you can do so anytime. It would especially be worth doing so if you had issues with antenatal care. It sounds like they need to sort themselves out.
It is unlikely that the community midwives are employed by the GP practices, they are most likely employed by the hospital and see people in either GP or clinic, so changing GP practices probably wouldn't help. What you could do next time is ask for consultant led care and have most of your antenatal appointments in the hospital antenatal clinic with the consultant and midwives there.

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 11:49

maggie I am assuming at the moment ( hospital drs said it as well) that it's likely I will be under consultant care but I am unsure if general appointments will be with community midwifes. This was one of the questions we wanted to ask as we would like to TTC as soon as possible.
We aren't even sure if having sex is advisable at the moment I know you have to wait 6 weeks but what about an early birth?
I forgot to ask how dilated my cervix was during the placenta delivery.
I even forgotmtomask wtf is in the pessaries I think I had 5 shoved up me.

DH I did have a good laugh at the idea of me ever asking DH for permission for anything in life never mind childbirth!

So I take it I just make a GP appointment now to discus my still dodgy hips and why my heart keeps giving deep/hard beats even when I'm totally rested?

Think DH was confused that community midwives visit for 10 days after a normal birth but they don't bother even once to check everything is as it should be even if it was just a tiny baby.

OP posts:
Lilicat1013 · 12/12/2012 12:33

I am so sorry for your loss. You deserve so much more support than you have had the lack of any support is really appalling.

I don't have much advice for regarding the midwives however I can answer one of your questions, I am under consultant led care for his pregnancy and for my last. I do attend all the usual midwife appointments and I assume that would be the case for all women under consultant led care.

For every midwife appointment I also have one with the consultant so I just have double the normal amount of appointments due to be considered high risk.

I don't think there is an option on the NHS to not see a midwife at all it is just the consultant is in charge of your care and can book you in for things like extra scans.

Hopefully you will be able to change to a different team of midwives and receive much better support and care than you have this this time.

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 13:11

lillicat thanks that's at least one question answered.
Hopefully they will agree to me seeing hospital midwives, if not its looking like I will have to change to the city hospital.

OP posts:
OodKingWenceslas · 12/12/2012 13:41

You can just be under hospital care here. I have been for two pregnancies due to complaining about the community one. At the appts I do the general stuff with a MW then see the consultant.

Complain to PALS about the community team and compliment the hospital team ( theres not a lot of praise out there! )

LittleBairn · 12/12/2012 14:03

odd I am intending to write to someone somewhere making it clear how fantastic the hospital care was even down to the midwives listening to DH concerns and even putting me as far away from labouring women and crying babies as possible (very last room on the last maternity ward) and reserving that room to be left for me.

Funny enough the only community midwife I did meet and like ( she is off till next week) was up until recently a midwife at this hospital. Maybe someone at the hospital is giving exceptionally good trainning to the midwives.

OP posts:
MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 12/12/2012 15:48

Ok, the heart beating fast ( are you breathless as well) would suggest anemia to me.
When where the pessarys given? If before labour that is something called misterol, contains prostaglandins, stimulates the cervix. Qwla

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 12/12/2012 15:49

Five does sound excessive though.

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