February 2019 babies - onwards and almost the third trimester!

[Since2016]

New thread!

If you’re low risk then you have the standard appts as per your notes. My next MW appt is 28 weeks (had 16 week one at 19 weeks as it was booked at my booking appt and then I got brought forward a week at my scan). I’ve had a shed load of other appts because of my DD’s birth. But v few with my first - although thinking of it I did have a consultant appt last time too. I think the only MW appt that’s different this time is you don’t have the 25 week one with a second +? Then every 3 weeks from 28/30 weeks.

Tbh most guidance you get from the MW is available online re food etc... but it may also be Trust dependent.

What I’d say is although I’ve had a shed load of appts and scans - I’d rather have not had to have them quite frankly although given all the bleeding and my history I’m glad they’re keeping a v close eye.

I'm actually someone who prefers to be left to their own devices so the fewer appointments the better for me, but I'm not an anxious person at all, so that's easy for me to say! I can imagine that if I was more anxious about things, some of the waits between appointments might feel quite long (I had one at 16 and 24 so I suppose that's two months without speaking to a midwife, although I personally had no need and I guess I could have easily spoken to one should I have wanted to).

In general I tend to prefer to find info out/research for myself so there's not really been anything the midwives have been able to tell me so far that I didn't already know/hadn't read about already. My appointments have been fine but very brief, just because I never have any questions or concerns, and I've never had to call my midwife or speak to anyone outside appointments. I just go in, get my pee tested, bloods done, etc. and go and that suits me, but I think (hope) that if I was anxious or wanted to discuss things, or was having problems with my pregnancy in some way, my midwife would be happy to.

I suppose it's a tough balance to strike, and I like that in the UK it isn't medicalised like it is in the USA –I prefer the lower key approach here. But again, I'm not someone who struggles with anxiety so that's only my own perspective.

I suppose it’s a balance @celebelly - like you say they should be contactable if you’re concerned, but medically there probably isn’t any need for additional appts if there are no other issues medically or risk factors. Possibly more of an issue is the ability to contact a ‘named person’ as a point of care in some areas which can be frustrating / anxiety inducing.

I had bad pregnancy but good birth, blood clot, prem labour, prem baby but big baby and i was young so maybe thats why i do feel like i have seen less as when you are under 20 they give you extra growth scans. She did mention growth scan this time around at 30 weeks too! Cant wait to go doctors At 28weeks x

They've been pretty bloody useless if I'm honest. Been here nearly 4 hours and only done a wee sample. When I called the midwife said she'd want to check baby is ok and nothing so far. Pregnancy anger.

@baby160P Hope you're okay xx
I was in A&E all night Friday after collapsing, told all staff I saw that I was having bad pains in my abdomen and wanted baby checked as I seemed to have fell onto my tummy but wasn't sure and they all point blank refused! Didn't check the heartbeat or anything! I was fuming and panicking, luckily as I had an ultrasound the next morning on my legs to check for any blood clots the man offered to check baby and was in disbelief that nobody had even checked the heartbeat! Never felt relief like it after no movement for 15 hours and she's also measuring 5 days ahead, I will be speaking to MW when I see her in the morning regarding staff at hospital but don't know what she can do. They saw it as "not related to pregnancy" so didn't see the need to check baby

@cw96 do you have an adau department? They would have checked your babies heartbeat I'm sure. Any worries you have again go straight to them or call them. It's awful you weren't checked. So glad all is okay.

(I had to go into a and e at 15 weeks as they don't take you that early at adau. It was the same. No checks on baby or anything. Awful. I had suspected loss of waters that was never followed up - 5 weeks later it was confirmed. All that time I could have got an infection or even gone into labour!!)

Thanks all. Just got home. No baby checks.

Apparently it doesn't matter if there is a pattern. Yet when I'm in the maternity ward there's posters everywhere on the app 🙄

@Lulabell1 me too (this is number two). I've had my 12 and 20 week scans and a 16 week midwife appointment. Nothing until 28 weeks now and the midwife at my surgery has changed since my last appointment. I think for me it's more that I'm not realising how quickly time is passing. I've been lucky not to have needed anything and the advice here is to call the hospital with concerns, not the community midwife. I'm another one who prefers the less medicalised approach in the U.K. @Celebelly.

@Since2016 I can understand why you don't have named midwives everywhere (as frustrating as that could be). For example, my community midwife has around 90 pregnant women at any one time. Could you imagine if they were all trying to get hold of her! I think that's why we're told to ring the antenatal unit with concerns or pass a message to her via the GP for paperwork.

@Baby160P if you're concerned then give your antenatal assessment unit a call - there should be a number in your notes somewhere. It's worrying that others have had this too and not been able to have baby checked.

@lanalawr that's who I originally called and they said they'd send a midwife down I told 4 people this and they said it wasn't necessary. It is awful.

@Baby160P That sounds ridiculous. There must be someone you can call. Have you been feeling baby moving? everything is probably fine but can understand you would be worried and want to be checked out properly xx

Re midwives I think having a named midwife and point of contact would have been enough but as I hadn’t even seen anyone til I was nearly 12 weeks I didn’t feel like I had anyone to call personally. I know a lot of info is online and I was probably a bit more anxious than usual. The way is no is ok as my local midwife isn’t great at answering the phone but there is an emergency midwife line to the hospital where I have elected to give birth and they have always been really good at answering the phones and very helpful / reassuring (not that I’ve called loads! I’ve called a handful of times though)

No I totally agree @lanalawr but I think if you’re very anxious it can be hard. A&E is notoriously bad at dealing with pregnancy.

We have open access maternity triage - 24/7 and open access EPU / thankfully I’ve not needed either since 12 weeks and only went in once last time but it’s resssuring to know the access is there.

I think the care you get does vary depending on area and circumstances. When I was in London they gave me a designated midwife in a specialist team due to my ex-partner being violent and threatening my baby. I never got to see them, however, as I moved away to get away from him. I told them this as they were arranging the specialist midwife but they still preferred to refer me anyway incase I didn’t move quickly enough.
Once I left London, however, despite being very concerned by the situation and filling in endless forms at my booking appointment, they don’t appear to have the same level of specialist care and certainly haven’t given me a designated midwife. I’m personally fine with that as I don’t think I need one and other women might need one much more, but it does show a clear disparity in the level of care you can get in different postcodes.

Sounds like some of you have been having a rough time with being seen etc. I went to maternity assessment on Fri as was concerned about movement but they were great. I was seen pretty quickly and they had a listen to baby.

I'm really nervous this morning. Had the glucose test yesterday and was told if I'm positive they will call this morning by lunch! Going to be a long morning x

It does sound like there's a lot of variation by area which doesn't help on forums like this when one person can get hold of a midwife easily and others can't. Maybe we're luckier than I realised to have the antenatal assessment unit at the hospital open 24 hours for those who need to ring. Sounds like a lot of people have had bad experiences with A&E though which is concerning.
@Yakadee fingers crossed for a good phone call.

Thanks @lanalawr. Apparently I won't get a call unless it's positive. Do you think the results get sent to your GP? I might call this afternoon anyway if I don't hear anything just to be sure. X

I've got no idea sorry @Yakadee. I'm not having one as there are no indicators (so far) and it's not done as standard in my area. You could always ring to ask.

Thanks. I did ring my surgery and they said details go through to my midwife not them (unless I have tested positive). Nothing yet so hopefully I won't hear anything. X

@AliceRR I know, I'm not one to complain but really feel like they didn't care which has made me not want to moan about anything again!!

Had some movement this morning but it's a weird sensation as it's up high but that's where the placenta is which could explain things!!

I also feel much bigger today and apparently they will be awake less when having a growth spurt which makes sense.

@Baby160P Yes midwife said to me (when I was worried and called last week) movement slows down as baby is growing and that a pattern isn’t developed by this stage. I’ve had periods of hours where I haven’t felt anything a couple of days where movement was a lot less but this seems to be normal from what I’ve gathered but we do worry. I do think you’ve been treated appallingly!

Just had to stop at a cafe for yet another emergency poo situation, or EPS as I’m now going to call them. My best friend is around 4 weeks behind me and the only advice I’ve given her is “if you think you might need to go, GO”. 😂

My movement has been all over the place, everyone appointment someone has mentioned how wriggly she is!

I had my delayed midwife appointment yesterday (due to shingles) so have to go again in 3 weeks. She said my tummy measurement was a little on the large side but I don’t know if that’s to do with chocolate or baby, she didn’t explain and didn’t seem worried about my weight (which has gone up quite a bit more than I think it should have for my current weight). It seems strange that they don’t take height into consideration with the measurements, surely that’s going to make a difference?! My partner is a foot taller than me so worried I’ll have a big baby 🤣

Midwife said 3 years ago or so there was no scans after the 20 week one which seems really weird. I do get to see the same midwife and I can text her to arrange things which is handy but she’s not an emergency contact, I’d still ring the helpline for that. It’s never really been explained why I’m with the safeguarding midwife, as there are specialist mental health midwives too that would seem more relevant. Perhaps because I’ve had mental health issues + prior domestic abuse = safeguarding. I guess they don’t know my DH is lovely! I think they are concerned about my mental health post birth as much as anything, which I’m worried about too.

Does anyone else find the kicking sensation almost unpleasant? I know it’s reasurring, but the way everyone went on about it for some reason I thought it wouldn’t feel so damned weird and uncomfortable!

Yay - test results are totally normal! Xx

@powkin I don’t have any more scans now that i’ve had my 20 week one, unless something comes up that makes them think I need one.

On the kicks feeling odd/uncomfortable I would say they sometimes do feel like that but they always put a smile on my face regardless. That’s a totally personal reaction though and another woman I met at NCT said it felt like a slug to her and gave her that odd feeling you have when a lift goes up quickly. I have also heard that as they get bigger and start kicking your ribs it can be hard to do anything other than grimace at the sharp pain. So I think it’s totally normal not to find the movements lovely.