To be absolutely fuming at my GPs?

[metsa]

My baby will turn 6 weeks old on 3rd April. The GP surgery called me when I was first home to give me details on how to register her and told me that someone will be in touch to arrange her 6 week check. So I waited until today, with no contact from them, and finally decided I can't wait any longer so I decided to arrange this appointment myself.

Well apparently the soonest appointment they have is 16th April! I am fuming. I had a cesarean and I cannot drive. I live in a village. My partner works long hours 50 miles from where we live and is a contractor so doesn't get paid for days he doesn't go into work. I am totally stranded. I have missed one blood test for me and one for the baby already simply because there is no way for me to get to them. I will have missed the due date on another 2 blood tests by the time of this appointment.

And to make it worse my in laws are coming for the week of 8th April. I will no have no choice but to sit at home with them all week since I can't drive them anywhere. We can walk around the village but nowhere else.

I am fuming because this is not a surprise need for an appointment or a whim I have. This is essential and has been known about for weeks. If I hadn't contacted the GP today I have no idea when or if they would have contacted me. I feel utterly isolated and let down. AIBU?

exactly @ whereaareyouspot sometimes i want to just quit both the internet and the NHS after all the vitriol thats posted. Its so disheartening

I think you were given incorrect information about them contacting you for the 6 weeks check for you and baby- this is something you usually have to book for yourself (after HV has done their part of the check/form, unless you have declined HV input in which case obviously this won't happen).

I suppose it may be that your surgery do allocate the appointments for the 6 week checks themselves (though can't imagine that that strategy would be helpful as I imagine people would frequently want to rearrange the allocated appointment time or date). Either way, they have either given you incorrect information or not arranged the appointment as they are supposed to and I can understand being irritated by that. Perhaps you could let the practice manager know that you were told the wrong information/appointment not made.

As to the rest of it- not the surgery's fault you haven't been able to attend several appointments so far because you can't drive and your partner can't take the morning/afternoon off. Nor is it their fault that you can't use the bus/there isn't a suitable bus route or you can't/won't use a taxi. Perhaps you could ask your PIL to take you to the appointment?

You must have said something to your insured to make them require GP sign off because that’s not how things work. Most people drive 2-3 weeks after a section.

Agree with other posters- if you feel able to drive then you can do so before 6 weeks. However, you must be able to drive safely and be able to perform an emergency stop without difficulty. And I would check with your insurer, as some have some odd rules.

had a baby six weeks ago - cut her some slack, for goodness sake
Hear, hear -what a bunch of self satisfied shrews.
The GP's surgery Fs up, her DH is away, she has the bluddy in laws for a week. But you'd all swan through this easily - yeah right!

I wasn't ok to drive post section (I'm disabled and pregnancy/ section was particularly tough on my body) at my six week check and I live rurally and DH is an overstretched hospital consultant who had already spent many weeks juggling work commitments to help with school runs (have to drive to closest town) so I asked a friend to take me. If she hadn't been able to I would have booked a taxi. I had had to do a fair bit of arranging lifts and taxis prior to this just to get the older one to school.
I understand how overwhelming it is with a new baby but honestly you need to just take a deep breath and deal with it all and if you can't ask or arrange for help from friends and family. Yes I know this is hard I hate asking for help but most people are only too happy to if you ask them.
Also you need to remember that most child checks are set within a fairly variable time frame they just get shortened to '6wk', 2yr etc check they are rarely exactly on that date.

What do you expect your gp to do, pay a home visit?

Make a telephone appointment with the gp and say you need to be signed off by them to drive, given that you've presumably already been discharged by the community midwife they'll probably just out it on your record they've given you permission to drive.

Alternatively just get a taxi like any other person who's temporarily without a car...

Your insurer is unusual in mandating you need gp sign off by the way, most say you need to use your judgement so consider switching if you're going to have another baby.

My In laws are travelling 500 miles by train and will not have a car.

Ok- but you could put one of them on your insurance temporarily. We did this for one family visit- we put someone on our insurance for a week. It didn't cost much and was very easy to do- just called my insurer with their details and they did it over the phone in about 10 minutes. Something worth looking at.

Phone the insurance company again and speak to a supervisor, explain you are 6 weeks post borth and no medical issues, they should say it’s fine.
My DH has major surgery when I was 8 months pregnant, we live in sticks, insurance company ok’d me driving with no doctor involvement at 4 days post c section.
to you. It’s a tough emotional time.
If that won’t work ask surgery for emergency telephone appointment and get the ‘ok’ that way.

had a baby six weeks ago - cut her some slack

FGS, everyone else manages! In some parts of the world women pop out a baby and have to go to back to work in the field. People are so precious.

We recently had the 6 week check at 10 weeks so they could do the first immunisations at the same time.
The only question directed at me was regarding contraception.

I don't see how the ils coming makes any difference.
It's up to you to make appointments. we used to live in the stix and I don't drive, I had to get taxi's busses or do without, including tests.

My GP practice sent out automatic appointment letters for my 3 DCs 6 week checks, so some GP surgeries do do this....

BUT all of these baby checks were actually scheduled for 8 weeks, and combined with baby’s first vaccinations. Which are due at 8 weeks. I believe that the 6 week check is more of a 6-8 week check.

Have you been given an appointment for your baby’s 8 week vaccinations BTW? We’ve always had automatically generated appointments for vaccinations, but if you’ve not heard anything about those, it might be worth checking with your GP surgery what the procedure is with getting vaccination appointments where you live.

PoliticalBiscuit
check whether you're advised to access 111 for an out of hours GP appoinment

Why would anyone need an OOH GP visit for a routine 6 week maternity or baby check? That seems an odd suggestion. Even more so when the 6 week check does not need to be at exactly the 6 week point- anywhere between 6-8 weeks is fine.

It seems reasonable to let practice manager know that the information given wasn't correct or she was missed if they do allocate appointments, as if they don't know there's an issue they can't fix it- but there is no need to be "fuming".

Yabu
If the 6 week thing is compulsory for your insurance, get the GP to clear it by phone and update your notes. I drove 10 days after my last section

sorry, not maternity check- should be post-natal check.

YABU. and I say this as someone who sat at my 6 week postnatal check to be told by the DR that reception hadn’t also booked DC in, by mistake, and so I had to come back with DC 10 days later (couldn’t swap us over due to computer audit trail)

Get a taxi.

Why does your baby need a blood test? That isn’t something a GP would generally do anyway.

It isn’t the surgery’s fault your DP won’t take any time off work to entertain your PIL or take you -and his baby- for an appointment.

I have also never known anyone need to be signed as fit to drive after a section.

Also, if you and your DH have separate cars, could you get one of your in-laws put on the insurance for your car temporarily so they can drive you around when they’re visiting?

Exactly PoliticalBiscuit. Surely this is the place where an anxious new mother should be able to find some sympathy and helpful advice, even on the infamous nest of vipers AIBU board.

There are three issues.

1. Baby. Does he/she seem well and generally happy? Do you have any concerns? I'm assuming not because you didn't mention it. So if that's the case, don't worry too much. Nothing that I can recall happens at 6 weeks that can't be done a couple of weeks later.

2. Driving. If you are recovering well and feel like you could drive again you should be able to drive to the appointment on the 16th. Double check with your insurers, find out what they need. You may just need a phone conversation with your GP where you confirm that you feel physically well and your scar is healing.

3. In laws. If it's too soon to have them for a week long visit, try to put them off. I think it's a bit much for you to have to entertain them by yourself for a week with a young baby anyway. Perhaps you and DH could visit them on a weekend until you are financially comfortable enough for him to take a few days off?

Op, it's very unusual you need a gp to sign off you can drive, my insurer did not require that. I would speak to your insurer again. Otherwise as a pp said, have a doctor do it over the phone, most people are driving a couple of weeks after a c section.

I’d be ringing up the insurance company again. I think they’ve got that wrong and need telling so. Why did you even speak to them? I certainly didn’t when I had an emergency c-section. I just got back in my car when I felt well enough. I’m sure you don’t need to inform your insurance provider every time you have surgery surely?

How would it have been any less of a problem if your appointment was earlier? Surely by the appointment date you’re more likely to be able to drive. I’m not sure why you’re fuming tbh.

FGS, everyone else manages! In some parts of the world women pop out a baby and have to go to back to work in the field. People are so precious.

Of course, I forgot the tagline for this forum was "Mumsnet. The place for you to be reminded you only had a baby, what's the big deal? Strap it to your back and go back to work, you already had an hour off you lazy slob." Thanks for the reminder.

Yes you do need to tell your insurer re the c section it relates to the emergency stop.

I had a cesarean and I cannot drive. I live in a village. My partner works long hours 50 miles from where we live and is a contractor so doesn't get paid for days he doesn't go into work. I am totally stranded.

Unfortunately, none of that is the GP's fault.