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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do I complain about GP regarding 6 week postnatal check?

18 replies

elm26 · 22/10/2025 21:13

We had our 6 week postnatal check today with a Dr I’ve never seen before, we’ve only been in this area 18 months so fairly new to the practice.

Firstly, she “examined” my DS but refused to check his testicles as she “didn’t want to be covered in wee at the start of the day”, I asked how I’d know if they are normal and she told me that I’d just know if they weren’t. I’ve never had a baby boy before, my other child is a girl. I don’t have testicles and funnily enough my DH doesn’t remember being 6 weeks old so how am I meant to know?

Secondly, she asked me about contraception and I said I’ve got it sorted. (DH booked in for vasectomy in 2 weeks time and we have condoms at home not that either of us are in the mood or awake enough with a toddler and newborn). She said that I’d be surprised how many women say they have it sorted but they end up in tears back at the surgery for a referral for an abortion when they fall pregnant within 3 months of giving birth? Okay, that’s none of my business? I just looked at her, I was shocked and then she started giving me a lecture about how irresponsible it is to fall pregnant so soon after having one for my health sake and for his sake when it comes to my attention etc. by this point I’d had enough and said “is that all?” She said yes and I left.

My DD is 2.5 so it’s not forever ago that we had our 6 week check then and I remember the Dr being very thorough checking her, writing in her red book etc.

Do I make a complaint or am I making a mountain out of a molehill? (I’m bloody exhausted, baby has CMPA, reflux and colic and 2 year old doesn’t start nursery until January so I’m wiped off my feet, wondering if I’m being touchy).

OP posts:
EsmeSusanOgg · 22/10/2025 21:26

The comments about other patients needing to come back for abortions was deeply inappropriate. I would certainly flag that with the practice manager

Childanddogmama · 22/10/2025 21:38

I would be complaining. How can a GP refuse to check a part of the body??

Idontlikepeas · 22/10/2025 21:38

Absolutely testicles should be checked as part of a 6 week check. I would put a complaint in to the practice - she may need some re-training

Posithor · 22/10/2025 22:22

The 6 week check is an absolute joke in my experience.

Musicaltheatremum · 23/10/2025 10:51

Awful. Testicles are standard on the 6 week check. We have a box to tick on the form we fill in and as for being covered in pee...it's a 6 week old the urine isn't foul. She could wear an apron or upskill herself in removing the nappy as they usually pee fairly soon after you open it. I don't think I had many boys wee on me in 34 years of 6 week checks.
She needs restraining. I don't often advise complaining but this needs bringing up as she hasn't completed the check properly.

The rest of it was just rude. There are ways of saying things that don't cause offence.

OverlyFragrant · 23/10/2025 10:58

Re the testicles, they were checked at birth and again by a paediatrician before discharge.
If there were any problems you absolutely would know by now.
The comment around contraception was very very odd. I'd consider reporting that.

TheatricalLife · 23/10/2025 11:18

I don't get the wee comment; you just cover him with a folded nappy/pad until he's finished or throughout if needed. They don't pee continuously. She just couldn't be arsed. The abortion comments are inappropriate.

CinnamonBuns67 · 23/10/2025 11:30

Yes I'd absolutely complain. 1. Checking a body part because you don't want to get tinkled on is unprofessional. Like if you get tinkled on, you get tinkled on. It's part of parcel when checking babies over. Pop an apron on and get on with it. 2. If you say contraception is sorted they should accept that and move on.

fl00rence · 23/10/2025 11:30

She really didn’t do her job properly, Op. I would make another GP for the testicle check and would definitely consider making a complaint about the whole experience.

The contraception talk was inappropriate - it feels like that’s all they tend to focus on at the 6 week check. I wasn’t anywhere near ready to think about sex again, and it just made me feel pressured, as if I should be “back to normal” straight away. My GP actually went on about all the different types of lube now available - which didn’t interest me one bit - and she didn’t even ask a single question about my mental health, the whole thing was really disappointing.

RoseAlone · 23/10/2025 11:50

You're being completely unreasonable. Leave her alone she sounds like a decent GP doing a decent job and you're being looking for problems where there are none.

NinetyPercent · 23/10/2025 11:57

Complain and ask for your baby boy to be checked again. My DS had one undescended testicle that was identified at the 6 week check - I had no clue - and it’s important they have the op when still a baby. He had it at 11 months.

As for the contraception comments. No words! Make a formal complaint.

Good luck

mightyducks · 23/10/2025 12:00

Complain to your local ICB , they pay GP’s to do these 6 week checks- and it sounds like hardly anything relevant was covered

CollectingBottleTops · 23/10/2025 12:01

OverlyFragrant · 23/10/2025 10:58

Re the testicles, they were checked at birth and again by a paediatrician before discharge.
If there were any problems you absolutely would know by now.
The comment around contraception was very very odd. I'd consider reporting that.

No you wouldn't know if there was a problem which is why there is also a check at 6 weeks and where we discovered our child had an issue. He was checked, thoroughly at birth and then at 6 weeks there was a problem.

hallomynameisinigomontoya · 23/10/2025 12:05

oh god they bang on and on about contraception. I got fed up after the 3rd time I had to decline hormonal contraception (I hated it and condoms work fine for us).

I told her that I get that it's important, but I'm 38 and I've been pregnant exactly once in my life, which was intentional. I know how to use contraception and will do so responsibly when I want my husband anywhere near my child's exit route, and am showering often enough for him to want to be anywhere near me.
she didn't nag me again 🤣

PflumPfeffer · 23/10/2025 12:05

They’re always arseholes about contraception in the UK. I got lectured twice about this and it’s just rude. I shut them down with a very curt ‘I’m Catholic’. They never mentioned it after DD2 was born in Ireland. Its so paternalistic like ‘omg women are so stupid they don’t know how babies are made we must tell them how to arrange their personal life’. 🧐

Forthistwo · 23/10/2025 12:06

CollectingBottleTops · 23/10/2025 12:01

No you wouldn't know if there was a problem which is why there is also a check at 6 weeks and where we discovered our child had an issue. He was checked, thoroughly at birth and then at 6 weeks there was a problem.

Agree with this. Our son had an issue that was actually missed at the 6 week check too.

My experience was that the 6 week check felt rushed and unhelpful, but the doctor in your case seems unprofessional. I don’t think it would be unreasonable to complain.

BoredZelda · 23/10/2025 12:16

We once took my toddler daughter to an out of hours GP because she had a scary temperature. He examined her and told us it was just a viral thing and to give her calpol. I asked him if he would look look in her throat, as he hadn’t done that and he said “I suppose I should, but I hate looking at throats”. Turns out she had a throat infection. 🙄

Wednesdayonline · 23/10/2025 12:20

Definitely complain. And if a medical professional refuses to do something like that, ask them if their refusal to do the check is going to be recorded in the medical records and ask them to input it while you are there. They will likely change their tune quickly if they know there will be a record.

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