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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Strange appointment with GP - should I have said I'm pregnant (again)?

315 replies

Blankel · 30/06/2022 19:43

I had a GP appointment today for a UTI, I'm 36 weeks pregnant (so I'm very pregnant). I was asked to provide a urine sample on arrival. I said to the GP that I'm 36 weeks pregnant and I also said that my midwife had tested my urine and said there are nitrates and protein in there and that she had sent me to them for antibiotics. Then the GP asked for my symptoms and I told her. She then asked me to get on the scales, which I did and it said I'm 70.2kg, which she calculated as a BMI of 28 and told me my BMI is overweight. She then asked to measure my waist, which I said ok to, and it was 99cm. She told me my height to waist ratio was very high (my waist is just under 2/3 of my height) and that I should "work on that", recommending that I try to go for a daily walk and work on my diet to improve it - and that it might ease my symptoms. She then said to wait for the urine sample results and I'd get a phone call if I need antibiotics.

I feel a bit confused. I'm very clearly heavily pregnant so surely the whole issue of having a skewed height to waist ratio isn't a problem? Or am I missing something? Should I have reiterated that I'm pregnant? I didn't want to sound like an idiot...it was really obvious that I'm pregnant - she literally was measuring my waist so can't have missed my bump! Should I be trying to lose weight?

OP posts:

RagzRebooted · 30/06/2022 20:14

Blankel · 30/06/2022 20:10

Surely!

Show quote history

A small box in the bottom corner actually and that's only if it's been coded correctly into the records. Which is why we always ask about pregnancy when women submit a urine sample (or any procedure where it may be relevant).

Thethreecs · 30/06/2022 20:19

Blankel · 30/06/2022 20:12

Apparently it's not small enough... I should get walking and hit the salad apparently.

Show quote history

It's just shocking. Like, how to mistake a baby bump for being overweight. Can you call back in tomorrow? I'd be ensuring to get an antibiotic as soon as you can but I'd make sure that, that doctor is made aware of this situation, it's just weird to send you off with nothing and tell you to exercise more, and basically loose weight.

ThedaBara · 30/06/2022 20:19

Are you sure you spoke to a GP? I've noticed that a lot of practices now have 'physician's assistants' take appointments and get a proper GP involved if it's warranted. Problem is they don't seem to know absolutely anything about the human body or medicine. If you feel up to it, I would complain

Londontown12 · 30/06/2022 20:22

Deffo need antibiotics! I remember the g.p knocking on my door when pregnant to give me antibiotics because she said it’s urgent I take them because uti can cause early labour !
Your dr is crazy ring 111

Hallyup89 · 30/06/2022 20:24

TheHorrorOfIt · 30/06/2022 20:08

Wouldn’t it be on your GP notes that you are pregnant? I imagined a big banner saying “baby on board” flashing across the screen, or similar!

Not a big banner, but certainly where I've worked there is a picture of a pregnant woman to indicate this!

Op, please phone and get someone else to prescribe some antibiotics tomorrow. If that fails, call the midwife and she should be able to call them for you.

WonderWoop · 30/06/2022 20:27

Beyond weird OP!! Hope it all works out

Polpetto · 30/06/2022 20:27

OP I had a similar thing - moved house while pregnant so had to register at a new Gp. Had a registration appointment with the practice nurse which also involved doing my BMI and measuring my waist. I challenged her as it was clearly ridiculous and it was basically a computer says no situation.

I’ve also had UTIs in pregnancy and reiterate advice from pps - get antibiotics asap.

barelyfunctional · 30/06/2022 20:33

Well the good news is you'll be able to lose a lot of weight very quickly in a few weeks time! I'd phone the GP again tomorrow and explain the situation

AchatAVendre · 30/06/2022 20:35

Odd and bizarre and sounds potentially negligent in all sorts of ways.

Perhaps the GP opened the wrong tab on her computer or something?

I find some health care professionals within the NHS can be like this at times. My blood pressure is generally a bit lower than 120 over 80, I suffer slightly from low blood pressure and I do a competitive endurance sport, yet I was once hospitalised for a kidney stone. One of the nurses would literally not leave me alone and constantly badgered me about my high blood pressure, how I was going to have to do something about it, how I must contact my GP as soon as I got out of hospital, etc..

Kidney stones cause high blood pressure...it was as urology ward, and this was a nurse who worked in the urology ward.

whynotwhatknot · 30/06/2022 20:36

i think shes had a brain freeze there daily walks and diets?

she clearly wasnt concnetrating id phne back tomorrow

LittleBearPad · 30/06/2022 20:37

She sounds like an utter idiot. Phone your midwife. At least she’ll know you’re pregnant

WeAreBob · 30/06/2022 20:39

Go and get antibiotics now. I can't believe you're treating this as funny. I can't actually believe you let the GP carry on with that nonsense and not clearly get her to look at you and say "I am pregnant. If course my waist is huge. Now I need the antibiotics."

Honestly. You're going to need to be more assertive when you have a kid.

Send an email to the practice outlining what happened and point out that your GP clearly did not listen to you because that is actually dangerous. And go to the hospital for antibiotics.

BaggaChip · 30/06/2022 20:40

Hi OP
not to scare you but protein in your urine can be linked to pre eclampsia. I’m assuming your midwife did your BP and it was normal?
All the best for your pregnancy and labour

Schoolchoicesucks · 30/06/2022 20:40

Can you get in touch with your midwife to contact the GP? If not then I think you should go to nearest out of hours/minor injuries tomorrow to get some antibiotics asap.

Rainbowdrops2021 · 30/06/2022 20:41

Do you have a number on the front of your notes that you could call and explain the situation to someone because I’m guessing your midwife has finished for the day. They might be able to give you some advice about what to do but I wouldn’t leave it any longer untreated.
Your GP is batshit by the way.

BuanoKubiamVej · 30/06/2022 20:42

If you've had a UTI since Sunday you really need antibiotics urgently, today. Do you have an out-of-hours urgent care place near you? Do you have a phone number to speak to the duty midwife on your care team? UTIs in pregnancy can be dangerous and the GP you saw was clearly not paying attention and didn't register that you are pregnant so you haven't had the care you urgently need. You can't wait till the test results cone back, you've already been tested ffs.

Fernie6491 · 30/06/2022 20:43

What a shame that after you were told your waist to height ratio you didn't quickly say 'is that with the pregnancy or without?'.
That surely would have alerted her.

1Wanda1 · 30/06/2022 20:45

GP/Physician's Assistant clearly didn't listen/had not grasped you are pregnant. I guess they are under a lot of time pressure for appts.

I attended a GP appt with a family member fresh out of a month in rehab (alcohol) after a life threatening medical incident caused by their alcoholism recently and the GP (very junior) said to her "I wouldn't recommend starting drinking again before you've seen the liver Consultant". I said "What? She's been told by several Gastro-enterologist Consultants in hospital that if she touches another drop of alcohol she could die!"

Sadly my family member took the GP's words as some sort of permission and fell off the wagon later that day.

CrikeyAlmightyOk · 30/06/2022 20:46

What an utterly bizarre situation!
You need antibiotics.
I'll call and make another appointment immediately with another doctor and explain what happened.
It is very odd she was like that.

PrivateHall · 30/06/2022 20:47

OP nitrates in the urine alongside symptoms of a UTI at 36 weeks pregnant = antibiotics ASAP. You need to contact the hospital you are booked with and discuss it with them. UTI's can cause sepsis or preterm labour, both of which could potentially be very harmful to your baby. Please don't wait any longer. It is pretty clear that this GP somehow mistook your bump for obesity, how I don't know.

SmileyPiuPiu · 30/06/2022 20:48

Blankel · 30/06/2022 20:13

Not easily. Do you think that's necessary?

Show quote history

I think if there's some kind of out of hours number on your notes you should phone it now and ask

Aquamarine1029 · 30/06/2022 20:49

I would report this honestly, it's not funny at all. Is this doctor a fucking idiot? Are they on drugs? FGS, you're obviously pregnant, their behaviour is beyond bizarre and unacceptable.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 30/06/2022 20:55

OP, I can't work out how this went at all. Was it not a 2 way conversation? I mean, most people in that position would have said "Really? I would have thought this would be expected at this stage in my pregnancy?" Didn't you speak at all?

TeddyTonks · 30/06/2022 20:57

GP obviously batshit/ distracted /negligent.

However YABU to have let it drag on this long. Phone the hospital and get your antibiotics asap.

AchatAVendre · 30/06/2022 20:58

How much clearer can you make it to the GP than saying "I'm 36 weeks pregnant", have a midwife and clearly being pregnant? There comes a point when the lack of observational and diagnostic skills on the part of the GP are so incompetent that they cannot do their job properly. Even then, they should still be able to read your notes. That is what has happened here.

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