Really not happy about lack of midwife appointments

[Notthrilled]

I’m a first time mum so not sure if I’m being a bit sensitive so wanted to get other mums views on this…

I’m 29 weeks pregnant and so far have seen a different midwife at my appointments so far - at my appointment yesterday, the midwife checked my notes and realised that I hadn’t been booked in for any other appointments for the rest of my pregnancy.

She tried to book me in but they don’t have any slots free now for 5 weeks. This means I’ll be 34 weeks pregnant so essentially skipping an appointment.

I asked if they could squeeze me in at the beginning or end of the day but she was adamant it wasn’t possible so I’d just need to wait until the next appointment.

AIBU to be really cross about this ? As surely there is a reason pregnant women get to a certain point of pregnancy and need to be monitored more regularly ? My pregnancy is pretty low risk however at my most recent appointment my bump measurement had gone up quite significantly so I’m mindful it’s now going to be 5 weeks of no monitoring on that.

That’s really crappy on their part. Do you have access to any maternity unit phone numbers fir in between appointments?

I get why your annoyed but for a low risk pregnancy a 5 week gap isn't that big. You need closer monitoring after 36 weeks. TBH I don't find that the midwife appointments are very helpful. It is generally just a quick check.

That said if you are worried at any point call the maternity triage line. I have had to a couple of times this pregnancy and they have been amazing.

Its not great. I had similar at start of pregnancy with booking appointment and ended up being seen at a completely different hospital on a Saturday morning.
If I were you I would contact pals say you are worried that they forgot to book you on for appropriate appointments and now you are missing one and would like a slot sorted.

Are there really that many appointments? My last pregnancy wasn’t that long ago and there was hardly any midwife appointments. I’m fairly certain in many trusts 28-34 weeks is a standard jump and then they are weekly after 38.
Mine were only booked at the current appointment too, not scheduled out for the entire pregnancy in advance.

According to the NHS website, you get one at 28 weeks, 31 weeks then every 2 weeks after that. All the mums in my antenatal group have got appointments booked to that pattern and booked in advanced. It’s just me that is being left for 5 weeks now.

I just feel like I’m getting a lower level of care than the NHS standard guidelines and the midwife had no interest in finding a compromise

Not helpful I know but this one of the reasons it’s so difficult for women to make supported and informed decisions with no consistency of midwife and no real sense of care or understanding that a first pregnancy can be an anxious time. OP - I really wouldn’t worry about the bump measurements as they are notoriously unreliable- a midwife tried to persuade ne to go to hospital for a scan for my first and insisted my dates were wrong( I knew they weren’t). I didn’t and baby was 7lbs so she was wrong. I would however challenge the laissez faire approach and insist on an appointment.

At the time when the appt would be, ring up GP/midwife and say that you will be bringing in a urine sample that you want checking and you would like your blood pressure checked as well. Monitor movements carefully and go in to hospital if you feel they reduce. Theres nothing else you need from an appt if you don't have any probs.

Is that really what it says? 5 weeks feels like the sort of gaps between appointments I recall ten years ago with my first. (Second was in Covid times so not a useful yardstick but I had much less then).

They usually just do bloods and a urine sample. I found them quite tedious. I don't think I'd have wanted anything more frequent that 4-5 weeks!

I have said YABU because if you didn’t already know: it’s extremely important that you now understand this is NOT a premium managed process. It’s very unlikely you’ll see the same midwife twice, it’s very unlikely you’ll have the same midwife throughout the duration of your first birth (as these tend to be longer than subsequent births).

YOU have to read the leaflets and booklets and online information and keep on top of the detail - check that appointments are booked in, check that tests are followed up, raise the points directly that you are worried about. During labour you and your birth partner need to keep on top of the medical detail and the whole “process”.

It has been like this for decades - it’s not new. Which is why I have said yabu.

I’ll give you a good example: for my second baby, I was under a consultant who recommended I should have an induction. The hospital forgot to book me in for induction. I phoned the hospital a week before the date I should be induced to check if I’d missed a letter - the receptionist claimed I didn’t need an induction - I said “yes I do, I’m certain” and after a pause the receptionist said “oh yeah you do! That’s not got flagged for some reason. I can book you in for ten days time ok?” so all good.

The whole midwifery service is in crisis - help them out, do the admin for them!

It’s not ideal but YABU to be “really cross”. If they’re concerned about bump size they will refer you for a growth scan (entirely separate to midwife appointments)

All they really do is a urine dip test and blood pressure. The bump measurement is super inaccurate, the Doppler is alright if you want to hear the heart beat but doesn’t catch if baby is doing well or not, before your 34 week they won’t care what position it’s in. I think my 32 week appointment took about six minutes.

Just had my third. Honestly couldn't remember between appointments if I'd seen the same midwife or not. If you're low risk I wouldn't worry - all that happens in those appointments are blood pressure, pee and quick chat, maybe Doppler. At that stage of pregnancy it's on you to monitor you and baby's health really.

Same happened with my planned section, they forgot to book it. You really have to be on the ball, they tried to give my newborn antibiotics and only when I questioned what they were doing did it come to light they'd got the wrong baby.

It's why I saved and saved so I could have an independent midwife for my 3rd (cost us our family holiday that year but was worth every penny). I had no consistency of care with my first two and post natal care didn't exist.
I'd like it noting all but one midwife were absolutely lovely and clearly overstretched.