To have STORMED out of the Ante Natal Department!

[BigMommaOfAlmost4]

Feel pretty stupid now and can't believe I have been in tears over this!! My only excuse is that I am 30 weeks pregnant.

Yesterday I spent 3 hours in the ante natal department - 45 mins waiting for scan and almost 2 hours waiting to see consultant who saw me for about 5 mins and did not give me a chance to discuss my birth plan or anything really. She said I needed a Glucose Tolerance Test as baby seems to weigh 4lb already so they want to rule out Gestational Diabetes. This means no food or drink apart from plain water from 9pm the night before, a blood test then a sugary drink in the morning at the hospital, then having to stay at the hospital for 2 hours to see what effect the sugary drink has on your blood, then another blood test, and basically not being able to eat or drink anything else until all this has been done. Difficult for me as I am ravenous in this pregnancy, feel like I'm starving as soon as I wake up and get headaches if I don't eat.

It was arranged that I go back this morning for the test. I was given an appointment for 9.30am but was told that the blood tests are on a first come, first served basis so it would be done earlier if I got there earlier. I got there at 9am hoping to get it over and done with quickly so I could eat!

At 9.50am I lost it and stormed out because at least 5 other women who came in after me were seen while I was still sat there (I was also desperate for the loo but did not want to lose my place if I went out). I think what made me see red was that a mum from the DSs school was also waiting (she never speaks to me and is a typical Boden, look down your nose at less well clad people, person), I heard her complain loudly that she had been waiting since 9.15 (so after me) and she was immediately seen. This was after I had already asked how much longer I would have to wait and was told that there were 3 people in front of me. My already fragile inferiority complex went into overdrive at this!! I was also going mad that the longer I was waiting, the more starving I was getting and I would still have to wait at least 2 hours after the blood test to eat anything.

When I was told that the tests were being done by the appointment times not by who came in first, so completely the opposite of what I had been told the day before, I said loudly that it was 'bloody ridiculous and I was not waiting a second longer' and waddled stormed out.

Obviously, now I'm home and have stuffed my face I realise I have cut my nose off to spite my face (as my mum likes to say) and am pissed off I was so irrational. Will also have to call consultant and tell her that I did not do the test. Well WIBU!!

YANBU I do not blame you one jot, you were within your right to storm out I would have been furious if that was me. You were told one thing by the consultant and another thing by the Receptionist. Total lack of communication, not your fault theirs.

Your last sentence is your answer. It was all a PITA I am sure but the only person affected/upset here is you.

Phone the consultant and tell her want happened and that its unacceptable to be treated like that.

Yanbu, you stood up for yourself. Now ring, complain and get them to give you another appointment time.

Boden mum obviously has the confidence to think she has the right to complain. So should you.

Just cos she wears Boden and is probably middle class doesn't mean she has any more rights, it probably just means that deep down she thinks she does and as a result so does everyone else.

YWNBU
do you really need the test? The only thing I can say is that you should have spoken up and calmly stated what you were told and pointed out that you were there before the other women and if they were reasonable they would have let you go first.
I had similar with jabs once - had an appt for DS which the nurse cancelled, she told me I didn't need another appt just come to the open clinic, then I realised babies who had arrived after me were being seen first - because they had appts! Got slightly cross and was ushered in next. But I don't think YWBU at all, I could not have coped for that long without eating during my pg.

No, not at all.

The expectatation that we all have time to wait around by the NHS is arrogant. An appointment is an appointment and it should be adhered to.

You have every right to ask for another appointment and explain why you couldn't wait any longer.

Oh dear, I think you can see that you have been irrational, but in your postion at 30 weeks you are entitled to be (a little bit)

I can really understand why you're fed up, but I think you should ask for a discussion about your birth plan with your midwife rather than the consultant.

My suggestions - contact your antenatal clinic/your midwife if you have her details, apologise and explain that you really weren't feeling at all well and that you were very confused about whether it was first come first served or appointment time.

Also, I would talk to your midwife about your birth plan and whether it or parts of it are still feasible if you do get diagnosed with GD. It may rule out some of your preferred options, but it's wise to have that discussion sooner rather than later at 30 weeks!

And come back and tell us how it all goes.

Oh dear! Like you said you've cut off your nose to spite your face and now you've got to repeat the process all over again.

It was onl twenty minutes after our original appointment time you should have stayed.

YANBU to complain because you were told something that was incorrect and as a result were waiting a long time to be seen.

However YABU when you complained that it is 'bloody ridiculous' that the tests were being done by appoinment times - it was not the receptionists fault you were given the wrong information.

And YABU to think that the other lady was seen first because she wears Boden and complained - she had an earlier appointment time than you which is why she was seen first.

However both of the YABUs are understandable by the fact that you are pregnant, hormonal and starving. Unfortunately you didn't help yourself though. I would call the consultant and apologise for walking out but explain that you are annoyed they gave you incorrect information that led you to be waiting for your appointment for longer than necessary

Complain about the misinformation.

I had that test with DD1 and it's not just a 'sugary drink' it is a disgusting syrupy thing that was so sweet that after drinking it I was almost sick and felt nauseous for a couple of hours. Diabetes result was negative.

When I was pregnant with DD2 I refused to have the test.

(Obviously if there's real concern that you might have diabetes then have the test).

Oh and speak to your midwife who should be able to do the glucose test and blood samples for you. Mine did

How can you lot recognise Boden? It comes up a lot on AIBU, do you check tags or something?

Everyone who gives birth at the hospital I gave birth at had the GTT (unless it was refused). I spent my two hours walking to the portuguese bakery, buying a brace of egg custard tarts and scoffing them as soon as I was able.

Ring up the AN clinic, say that there was an emergency so you had to leave today so you would like to rearrange your appt. You don't have to speak to the consultant.

I am sympathetic though - I used to obsessively check the order of files in the wire basket (that's how we got seen at my clinic) and made them put mine back in the right place when someone took it out to have a look at something

I was given a bottle of lucozade to drink shitemum - not the same in all clinics clearly

You should have spoken up though i would, I have done this a few times at the Drs, not rude just pointing out my appt was this time, what is happening am i being seen next.

you poor thing. been there, done that. i have found the only way to deal with it is to stand up for yourself-very hard when pregnant, emotional and starving. take someone with you whenever you go to the hospital so that when you get upset (which is inevitable really) they can deal with it for you. it often means the hospital staff have to put themselves out to accomodate the times your companion can be with you but i do think an appointment time should be adhered to or at the very least you should be kept informed when they are running late.after all, i am sure they would be stroppy with you if you were late for their appointment

I had the same disgusting shitey sugary drink as shitemum - was negative the first two DC but positive with DD3

sorry about your morning OP and that woman sounds like a complete arse. I'm a tad forgiving about the wait in ANC etc etc though as having been an 'emergency' case on several occassions I can understand why there are delays

RedLadyBiscuit

were you Queen Charlottes? I think I know and love!) the bakery you refer to!!!!

I had to do a GTT in my last pregnancy but you don't eat from 10pm and drink the drink at 8am for 10am bloods. I got there early and queued for so long it ended up being 11am so was a waste of time. It seems sometimes you don;t get anywhere unless you speak up, question and double question which is crap. I rarely question anything as I see them as the expert and hate that look "oh, another patient who thinks they know best" they give you. Bottom line is you shouldn't have to go chasing up after correct information, it's their job. I currently have an aching calf and am dreading calling the MW as it took alot of persuading by my DH to get me seen when I had such bad vision I was walking into things.

porca
No, was at St Marys but my AN clinic was in Westbourne Grove. There is a splendid portuguese bakery there. They are called Pasteis de Nata I believe. Oh dear, I really want one now but am not pregnant so no excuse

So you had an appointment at 9.30 and stormed out at 9.50 am ? Without being privy to any of the tests/diagnoses/priority/importance of ANY of the other women who were seen before you ? How many members of staff did you speak to about your delay ? Sorry, although the NHS is far from perfect, I think storming off because of for a twenty minute delay for what could be a fairly important blood test is BU and I'd also be feeling a bit stupid now. But I don't buy into the school of thought that being pregnant and hormonal gives women a green card to act irrationally. I hope you manage to get a repeat appointment soon, and indeed the all clear.

I had to have a gtt and kept putting it off.
Eventaully they admitted a 10 days beofre my due date to have it done. The midwife was so busy she didn't start the test until 10.30 am (despite the fact I was admitted the day before so it would be done early). I was starving! As I had suspected the results were perfectly normal!

Do you have to go to the hospital for the GTT?
I had massive problems with fling and being ill if I didn't eat in my first pregnancy and one of the MW was pretty rubbish about it but the usual community midwife that I sam suggested as she was on call she would come to my house too bloody early in the morning to take the first sample and make sure I drank the lucozade then she came back 2 hours later.

As you are supposed to sit on your bum for the 2 hours she did make me promise no dancing about and the furthest I was to go was the toilet but she was really helpful.
Any chance your community MW would agree to something like this??