Due June 2020: Thread 5

[umabb]

New thread ready! x

Had my 31 week appointment this morning, midwife was quite reassuring about labour wards. They're encouraging people to stay at home for as long as possible so active labour is established and also doing early discharge after 3-4 hours of things have been straightforward. Obviously this isn't everyone but she made me feel better about things!

Just as we were finishing my appointment the receptionist knocked on to say they were having to close the surgery as someone had come in with temperature!!! There is at least 3 signs before you get to the main door saying don't come in if you have a temperature or cough...honestly what is wrong with people!

@RPPs I've been able to feel my pulse quite strong in my ground belly area since very early on. It does seem to mix in though with baby's hiccups . I can only tell the difference because baby seems to move more when he has hiccups as he don't seem to like it lol

@sarahlounich Glad your appt went well.
People are so silly. When I went for my appt yesterday, there was a big sign saying you shouldn't come in unless you've spoken to receptionist on the intercom first. As soon as I got approval to go in, these 2 ladies tried to go in with me. I had to tell them to go back and speak on the intercom. I could overhear the receptionist telling them that they can't come in for repeat prescriptions. The sign clearly said to request on phone or online.

@UKtosk @sarahlounich @Rinoa it could be hiccups but its quite fast. Its slower than the pulse in my neck but its like every 2nd beat of the neck pulse. Would hiccups be that fast. The MW seem to suggest its a pulse but she was a bit rubbish.

@umabb Clearly a colleague under stress and a midwife in fear. I wonder how they would feel if they were to step into the complete unknown, to suffer the most horrendous pain of their entire life, putting their babies life in the hands of these professionals. Would they be so blazè about it. My husband is self isolating just like me, bar the odd run at 6am when noone else is around. He's taking every procaution so he can protect me amd Bambino so I don't consider him a risk but then again not everyone will be as responsible as us.

I've just had a call cancelling my consultant appointment and growth scan. I'm terrified, I'm classed as high risk because of previous stillbirth and baby is very high chance of having Down syndrome (1:6) and I have low Papp A. I'm supposed to have growth scans and Doppler scans to monitor the placenta function. I'm terrified my baby will die. I understand why it has to be cancelled but at what consequences?
I now have to wait for the community midwife team to contact me for an ante natal check up (whenever that may be).

@Blizy I’m so sorry to hear that, did you push back at all? If so what did they say? As far as I’m aware this goes against the RCOG guidelines and everything I’ve read has said antenatal appointments such as scans should continue as normal as they are so important!

@Gigitree I didn't pushback, to be honest I'm not in a very good place mentally at the minute and would have just sobbed down the phone.

@Blizy could your husband ring back for you ? This really is not on you are sadly at risk it's not straight forward I can't believe they would cancel you ! Please please ring back don't just leave it xx

@Busylizzie85 I missed it was there anything said of interest ? X

@Blizy that’s awful, I’m so sorry. I hope something can be done and you can still get your checkups when they’re so essential.

@RPPs yeah what I think are hiccups are quite fast, must more so than adult hiccups. They usually last a few minutes and then stop so it’s not an actual pulse as it’s not continuous.

@RPPs yes I've had that feeling of a 'pulse' low down. No idea what is! Seems very regular.

@Blizy sorry to hear about the cancellation. That seems really odd given your circumstances. I hope the midwife contacts you soon to clarify what checks you'll get instead and when. In the mean time vent away on here if it helps. Really feel for you.

I had a 28 week consultant appointment and growth scan today and all seems well. I was slightly surprised it went ahead, but the mat unit was very quiet and all the staff were ensuring social distancing was practiced as much as possible. They also did my 28 week bloods and whooping cough vaccine to save me seeing the midwife separately next week.

My movements seem to fluctuate a bit. Mostly I only feel 'motion' rather than kicking, but then once or twice a day she will kick in a more frenzied fashion for a few minutes then settle. Dr didn't seem concerned.

@Blizy so sorry to hear that. I think we will now have to fight for our and the babies wellbeing. Can you ask the husband to call them again see if can have the scans? xx

I've got two phone calls today too, one to change my consultant appointment to a telephone session too and the other is to cancel the May antenatal classes! I'm okay to have a telephone session but they didn't tell me how to get my repeating prescription and the meds ?? Will need to find out actually during the session which means delay for me to get my meds. For the classes they sent me an email with some reading materials a replacement. Don't think that's good enough so now booked NCT's online classes.

Stressful day plus the debate I had with work colleagues that I posted earlier 😤

@Blizy I'm so sorry to hear that. As someone else has mentioned, antenatal appts and other important things relating to baby e.g. consultant appts should continue as normal. Please get someone to make a call on your behalf. It is clear that this has also exacerbated your anxiety.

@umabb Ignore your work colleague. I don't know how anyone in their right mind would think it is ok for a woman to go into labour without family support. I work in the NHS and understand the coronavirus situation well. No one I know, including my O&G friends think that a woman should go it alone.
I have already made up my mind that my husband is coming with me. I will kick up a huge fuss if anyone suggests otherwise.

@Missgemini I like your attitude and I feel the same

Our plan aslong as nothing crops up (family history of preeclampsia)
Is to labour at home for as long as I can physically cope

@mrssunshinexxx it wasn't as informative as I thought it might be sadly! It just said about how different parts of the country will have different rules around appointments.
They did say that there main aim was to keep mum and birth partner together whenever possible.

@Busylizzie85 fingers crossed :(

My friend is a midwife in the hospital, she's going to find out what's going on. I know from experience that 5 weeks is such a long time with regards to babies growth, I had my last scan 5 weeks ago, so that will
Be 10 weeks of waiting in between.

@Blizy that's really good you have a friend there that can find out what's going on keep us updated xx

My friend just called, the hospital have cancelled all growth scans in order to reduce people
Traffic. I don't understand this though, surely growth scans are essential in high risk pregnancies?

@Blizy I hope you get answers and are able to have your growth scan and appointment! It seems ridiculous that they would cancel them when they are so important! How worrying for you, I really hope you or DH are able to speak to someone and get it sorted.

@Blizy so sorry to hear that! I really don't understand how they think that is ok? I also have low Papp a and am actually in the car park now waiting to a growth scan as my bump is measuring big. I had one booked for 32
Weeks but they don't want me to wait that long so having today!

30+4

I really am furious now, surely the majority of growth scans are for high risk patients? They really are playing a risky game, babies lives depend on these scans! I've been trying to get through to the hospital on the phone with no luck.
I do have a phone appointment with the psychologist tomorrow, so maybe she can help.

@Blizy I'm so sorry to hear they've cancelled your scan! Do make sure someone calls back on your behalf or voice your concerns to the midwife!!

My consultant tried to cancel mine last week but after I went in with reduced movements on the weekend they rebooked it for today. I'm glad they did as have now discovered baby's head is over the hundredth centile and his abdomen is 95th so now being referred back to FMU for follow up tests to make sure there are no underlying conditions 😩 My DH and his family all have enormous heads so I'm hoping it's that rather than anything serious but scary all the same. They mentioned both early induction and c section as possibility if his head is too big 😢😢

@Blizy that’s terrible, I’m not surprised you are furious. I would be too. We all understand how serious the covid-19 situation is and that changes will need to be made, but Blanket cancelling all growth scans is a disaster waiting to happen, surely? Why do we have to have them when we’re ‘high risk’ then if they’re not needed to the point that they can just be cancelled like that. It’s very odd. Do you happen to know if your hospital has a high rate of covid-19 cases? If so, is there another hospital near-ish to you that you could go to instead for a scan?
Can you partner ring the hospital and explain your history and see if they will reconsider?

I’m so sorry this is causing you such anxiety, I really feel for you ❤️