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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse this.

114 replies

Stripedtights · 02/08/2018 10:27

I have my 12 week scan today and at my booking appointment I had a carbon monoxide test at my booking appointment which was all fine think my reading came back at around 2 or 3 which the midwife explained would be down to environmental factors, fair enough I thought. Midwife then went on to tell me that they do this again at the 12 week scan. I didn't like how I told her I'm a non smoker yet still still made me do the test like I was some sort of teenager telling lies I never had to go through this when pregnant with Dd.

What makes me angry is when I was last in having my dd I saw quite a few ladies in because their babies had been born early addicted to drugs or wirh fetal alcohol syndrome.

I've got nothing to hide with regards to the cm test I haven't touched a ciggarette since I was 16 and I thought it was big and clever but the idea of being forced to test is making me quite cross. Wibu to refuse the test I was under the impression this test was mandatory I could be wrong though but I feel like asking why the hell aren't they testing for drugs and alcohol? Yes smoking whether you're pregnant or not is a very bad choice for your health but I happen to think drugs and alcohol are far worse I just think if they are going to shame women who smoke they should be doing the same wirh the other 2 categories.

Basically if I smoke a ciggarette before i go in il get a telling off but if I sniff a line of coke nobody will know. How the hell is that right? (Obviously I wouldn't do either of these things)

What the hell is it with healthcare professional's not believing their paitents?

OP posts:

CantankerousCamel · 02/08/2018 10:29

They do a drug test for everything else with the bloods

SevenOf1981 · 02/08/2018 10:31

But if it's raised it could indicate an issue in your home!

I'm happy to take the test as a total non-smoker, ever just in case I have high levels which I can then take measures to avoid or control or fix.

VeryHangryCaterpillar · 02/08/2018 10:31

They don’t do it to catch you out in a lie, they are doing it to ensure the health of your baby. Many other reasons it could be high that you might not be aware of eg gas leaks in the home, occupational exposure, second hand cigarette smoke etc. You can decline if you don’t want it but it’s not really a big deal is it?

Monoblock67 · 02/08/2018 10:33

If healthcare professionals believed that everything their patients told them was the truth, the whole country would be overrun with even more healthcare problems

You seem to have a real issue with taking the cm test, why are you taking this so personally? It’s for everybody, I don’t know why you’re taking such offence.

And drugs and alcohol are detected in the blood tests. Even if they are detected, the professionals can hardly kidnap their patients and force them to stop what they’re doing, all they can do is give guidance and advice.

Monoblock67 · 02/08/2018 10:34

Also what would you have them do - demand pregnant women submit for blood and drug testing every day of their pregnancy?

Original poster

Stripedtights · 02/08/2018 10:34

Do they? I've never been told their testing my bloods for drugs nor have I ever had any results back from these tests. Not that id have an issue.

Just annoyed that it's like they think I'm going to take up smoking in 4 weeks. If your initial test comes back saying you're a non smoker surely they wouldn't be trying to shove one of these tests in your mouth. Shame I was looking forward to my appointment today but the principle of this really annoys me and not just that but what the hell are they even doing about the women who do test positive for cigarettes, drugs or alchohol.. I still still woman puffing away outside the maternity unit.

OP posts:

Monoblock67 · 02/08/2018 10:36

What would you have them do-force all pregnant women to stay in hospital and lock the doors so they can’t get outside for a smoke?

stuckficks · 02/08/2018 10:37

They test everyone, it's compulsory. As PP have said, a gas leak, faulty boiler, living in an area with lots of traffic can affect your reading. If it's high and you don't smoke they'll help you look into what's causing it. It could actually save your life.

Cattenberg · 02/08/2018 10:39

My level was 4 at the first breath test, which worried me a bit. I even bought a carbon monoxide tester for my flat (which only sounded the alarm once, when it was next to the toaster and I burnt the toast). Later, I had a second test at which my reading was 1, so I felt better then.

My midwife told me that smokers can have readings of twenty-something, so I wouldn't assume your midwife suspected you of secretly smoking.

chipsandgin · 02/08/2018 10:40

A lot of people do lie, and as you aren't you should be happy to take the test and provide part of the positive statistics as a non-smoker. Also to confirm you aren't living or working in an environment with a carbon monoxide leak you aren't aware of. If you were pulled over when driving and asked to take a breathalyser would you refuse on the basis you 'aren't lying and would never do that' and they should just believe you?

If you've got nothing to hide then don't worry - that 30 seconds doesn't impact your life at all really. I have a friend who is a midwife who has delivered babies with small heads (side affect of cannabis use during pregnancy), FAS (drinking) and heroin addiction - on the whole the mothers denied having done any of these things so the healthcare professionals didn't get to offer the help they needed before the babies lives were impacted, sometimes permanently. How exactly are they supposed to know that you are the person who isn't lying?

All they can do once they get these results is offer help and it is up to the mother to take it - sadly anyone can be a parent so people often don't which is why you see them puffing away outside the maternity unit (or worse). Literally no reason for you to be offended by it - they don't have magic powers to know whether you are one of the ones lying or telling the truth (but if you refused I'm guessing they would assume you were lying rather than mortally offended that they didn't believe your honest face!).

DidimusStench · 02/08/2018 10:41

It’s not all to do with smoking. Numbers of people with CM monitors in their home is painfully low. That’s a huge pet of why they do these tests now. Because of the nature of CM, you could be exposed at home but test relatively low or even undetectable but a few weeks later be testing high and be suffering from poisoning.

They’re not out to get you, they’re there trying to look out for your wellbeing.

Nothisispatrick · 02/08/2018 10:41

I'm 30 weeks and never had a carbon monoxide test, not that I would object to one. Maybe it is to do with what area you are in? We don't have high rates of feral alcohol syndrome or drug addicted babies here.

Original poster

Stripedtights · 02/08/2018 10:42

I'm not taking it personally but I just dont see what their achieving with it because there are still plenty of women smoking who are pregnant they dont need to do a co2 test to know they smoke it's just sort of a test to tell people what they already know. It's normal to have a small amount of co2 in your body but surely really high levels that indicate smoking mean just that. I just dont agree with the way it's done it may of been the midwife I got this time but she made me feel before the test like I had done something wrong and actually seemed a little pissed when I passed it. It's not a massive deal but I dont particuly want to have to take this test at every ante natal appointment.

OP posts:

honeysucklejasmine · 02/08/2018 10:43

Carbon monoxide bonds irreversibly to the haemoglobin in red blood cells, reducing the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood. This is the only way baby "breathes" whilst you are pregnant - via your blood (there's a specific type of fetal haemoglobin, it's complicated, but I'm just outlining the headline).

Why would you not want to be made aware that there may be a problem delivering oxygen to your baby? It's not a smoking test. It's not to catch you out. It's to make sure that there's nothing unknowingly affecting the health of your baby.

And it takes all of 30 seconds to do. What's the problem?

Celebelly · 02/08/2018 10:43

You seem incredibly defensive about it. I'm a non-smoker but happily did the CO test and will do so again because, as others have said, it could pinpoint something wrong if it's raised. In fact, as they know I'm a non-smoker, if my reading got suddenly high, it would be real cause for alarm.

Also if healthcare professionals automatically believed everything everyone told them, they would miss some really serious things.

naichick · 02/08/2018 10:45

Its part of an initiative to reduce stillbirth OP. Trying to reduce the number of women smoking during pregnancy will reduce the number of babies stillborn or suffering growth restriction. Its easier if everyone has co testing at each appointment rather than try and singlw out people. Also yes.. lots of people lie about smoking etc in healthcare!!

SendYouUpInFlames · 02/08/2018 10:45

In the UK you do not have a drug test done during pregnancy.

You have the co2 test where you blow into a pipe and it tells you how much carbon is In your body. Which isn't just caused by smoking. Lots of things can cause this.

Drug tests aren't done.

HaveSomeGrace · 02/08/2018 10:48

I think op probably feels like this is more an invasion of her privacy than anything else. None of the tests in pregnancy are compulsory, that’s ridiculous to suggest. After all, you do not need to attend antenatal appointments, you do not need to have blood tests or scans, they are offered to help. You’re not legally obliged to have these but it is for yours (and your childs) best interest.

DidimusStench · 02/08/2018 10:48

You know what OP, my advice to you would be not to get your knickers in a twist so easily over this. You’re going to be meeting a lot of HCPs over the next 7 or 8 months and you’re going to want to trust that they’re doing the best for you and your baby. This is really a non-issue. Save your fight for when you need to use it for something important.

Original poster

Stripedtights · 02/08/2018 10:48

Why would anyone lie? If you smoked surely then would be the time to be honest and say you have more chance of getting help and support but according to a friend of mine who smoked and is pregnant aswell they do not offer any support anymore thankfully she was able to give up on her own and was smoke free by 9 weeks which I thought was great seeing as she didn't know she was pregnant until 6 and a half weeks but it's not like that for everyone.

Could be the area I guess but still I just think there's a way to handle these sorts of things it's the same when I answer the alcohol question (I'm tee total) they never believe me and it really annoys me not everyone drinks and smokes.

OP posts:

SpottingTheZebras · 02/08/2018 10:55

Oh FFS, they are doing it purely because of the well being of your baby. If you don’t want it, then refuse. You are under no obligation to have any medical care at all. If you don’t care about your baby, why don’t you bypass the scans and all other treatment altogether.

In the U.K. 15 babies every single day are either stillborn or die neonatally. I just don’t understand why a mother wouldn’t want to do everything possible to check on her unborn baby’s health and have as safe a pregnancy as possible.

Original poster

Stripedtights · 02/08/2018 10:59

I will happily do the test and I did the last time that's not my problem the problem is they don't test for other things which can be much more harmful and even when they do they aren't doing much to help the cause. If you've seen a baby born addicted to heroin or the devastating effects alchohol has on a baby then you'll know what i mean. I've seen both sadly but these things aren't being routinely checked for and at times go undecteted until it's too late.

I'm just also not sure the co2 test is handled that well and it's not presented in way that makes you feel like they are just trying to look out for you and your baby. Maybe I just had a poor experience with it I walked out of my booking appointment feeling accused and like shit even though I had done absolutely nothing wrong. I suspect some places handle this and present it in a better way.

OP posts:

BoxsetsAndPopcorn · 02/08/2018 11:01

Why so defensive? Why not be grateful instead that we have free healthcare for maternity and plenty of checks on both mum and baby,

Astrid2 · 02/08/2018 11:04

They don't do drugs testing in your bloods. Absolute nonsense. They do take you at your word!

I got a carbon monoxide test at booking and 12 weeks. I am a non smoker, don't live with a smoker, have never smoked. It's just a routine test they do to make sure you're healthy. You can refuse if you really don't want to but they aren't trying to catch you out. Everyone gets it. Calm down.

reallybadidea · 02/08/2018 11:04

Of course it's not compulsory. And it's illegal to test for drugs without telling you. Why do people post things as being fact when clearly they don't have a clue

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