Due April 2009 - Festive bumps explode into crimbo, April mums wait in limbo

[BabyCRIMBOlat]

New thread here (I hope!!)

give them a ring first snowy. When I've rang up for advice it's called "Triage and pre natal assessment" and the maternity hospital. Maybe there'll be a number at the front of your hand held notes?

cross posting snowy! yes, the baby's still wriggling and the examination didn't find any amniotic fluid, just milky white ischarge (ew sorry for the TMI lasses). Although I'm really confused as what I felt leak was definately not white milk discharge, it was clear like water.

I just want a scan! I'm so fed up that edinburgh don't do 20 week ones anyway, let alone won't do fluid volume checking ones or anything else. shabby. I think I will complain you know boffin. I'm fed up with it. Well done you on getting taken seriously . i'm so impressed with you. hope you're feeling better about the world today. fuckers won't grind us down eh?

Frekkles, the Spire Murrayfield Hospital do Fetal Medicine and may be able to do a scan for you. Budget about £150 for this.

Aberdeen do NHS fetal anomaly scans apparently but that is probably too far for you.

My concern about you not having had a 20 week scan is that they will not have been able to tell whether you have placenta praevia or anything like that. It seems an odd policy and one that contradicts the NICE guidance.

Well stick this in your NHS hating pipes & smoke it

I just phoned the midwifery triage, which is a mobile number, & heard that the phone is 'switched off'. I then tried my midwife (again) & her phone is also switched off. So I phoned my GP surgery & asked what I'm meant to do now. The receptionist said that she's going to get a doctor to phone me back, but that they're all on visits at the moment & she doesn't know how long it'll be. She was lovely, but it's not very fucking helpful when I'm pregnant & bleeding from my vagina.

Especially when I had a really awful dream the night before last about bleeding & then having to have the baby early. Not good timing at all.

frekkles, it's ridiculous that you don't get a scan - I'd definitely complain. Really lay it on thick about the leak & insist on one because you need to know if there's an obvious problem. Do the hysterical pregnant woman thing if you have to.

Fuckers most certainly won't grind us down.
We are WOMEN
We are STRONG
We DON'T TAKE PRISONERS FROM NOW ON!

Snowy love, give up on the idiots and go straight to A and E. Really. Take your childbirth bag stuff because they may keep you in. Go, now.

I will not tell you why I am pushing you in this direction until you get back, but trust your Anutie Boff.

thanks boffin, thanks kind of you to check that for me. I will have to see if I can find the money somewhere for that. I'll be up near Aberdeen for hogmanay, maybe I should go and see them?

I'm currently in the process of thinking about writing to my MP whilst sitting next to my sad lam and ploughing through a box of bendicks mint chocolates. I'm going to have a think about how I can complain, I don't especially want to ring the hospital again today though, they just pissed me off and made me feel ridiculous.

There's not lots of blood, really. Only a tiny bit. Mostly now just a reddish tinge in the rest of the (ahem) fluids that are there post-sex. Is it really that bad? Or would it have to be more blood for it to be so bad?

aaaaaaaaaaaaagh snowy, what a bunch of cunts! surely it's not that hard to provide a consistent caring service?

last night I just turned up at the triage at the hospital and they examined me. or as boffin said , along to A and E .

good luck my love xxxxxxxxxx

Ok so what the hell is going on with our so-called Health Service.

Firstly Snowy - good call on doctors, if they haven't called you back soon just pop down to the hospital - it's better to be safe than sorry and at the end of the day I am sure they are used to scary mums-to-be!!!

Frekkles - demand a scan. Can you phone Glasgow and explain to them that DESPITE their recommendation that you need a scan Edinburgh have refused to do it and you are freaking out so can they do that for you when you are next with your boy? Or can you ask them to call for you on your behalf? you should not have to pay to make sure your baby is healthy - it is outrageous - make sure there is a lot of foot stamping and complaining until you get your way.

VBM yay for the results - so glad you finally got some action! -Keep on at them tho, make sure they keep their promises!

Also, is it only me who doesn't have a childbirth bag yet?

Snowy, just go to A&E - honestly while I think this is probably nothing if it were me I would be freaking out so would rather just get it sorted!

Snowy, I don't have one either! Nor do I know what I should put in one, I had that one down for around February....

i rang glasgow back and they said that I wasn't their patient any more and that they couldn't help. I should get annoyed and kick up a fuss shouldn't I? I'm just feeling so tired today now and want to lie down incase there is something to worry about still, I should be resting and relaxing surely not stressed and charging about. can't be arsed to argue with these people.

Frekkles, you would probably feel a lot happier if you had a scan, so I reckon go for it if you can scrape the money together. However you might be able to get an NHS one out of Aberdeen if you pretend to be an emergency and say your baby has not been kicking. (But realistically Glasgow or Edinburgh should do that for you anyway). I do understand what you mean about not wanting to phone the hospital again though, because it does get you down, battling away.

Snowy, really if we were sisters I would be forcing you into my car right now because you said there was leaking on the sheets and a loo roll offering. Better safe than sorry, honestly, even if it is drying up now. I think they need to look at your cervix.

Do you know, guys, I am beginning to wonder if it would be easier to hire our own consultant for a few days to whizz around all of us with a minibus and get us the care we need ...!!

Fine, fine, I'm going

I think DP thinks that it's a bit of a melodrama, but I trust your judgement - & am feeling a bit nervous about it all myself.

Will let you know how it goes ASAP. Thanks xx

Oh My God - are you kidding? Well I would go down to your Edinburgh A&E and let them examine you and then ask them there and then why one hospital has written a letter confirming a scan is needed and they are refusing to do it and if that fails ask to speak to the complaints people.

I am truly flabbergasted by the treatment we are getting!

Good luck snowy - tell DP to pipe down - it's either that or no sex for the next four months!

Snowy - take PJs, slippers, dressing gown, random useful coins, a five or ten pound note, basic toiletries, small number of sanitary towels, reading matter and spare underwear in a proto childbirth bag. Don't worry about stuff for the baby etc because you're not at that stage yet.

VBM you are a pro! I am really hoping I am early and you are late as if you and nutty go off and have your babies before me, I'm not sure how I will cope!!!

PS Melodrama is allowed during pg because on the rare occasions that things do go wrong you need to have acted promptly. It is much better to look melodramatic than make the wrong call (like with newborn babies).

good luck snowy x

i'm going to go and have a bath and try and relax. i'm so annoyed and tired just now. atleast the bump is wriggling and seems to had boundless energy. i really hope it wasn't amniotic fluid, gits gits gits .

thanks for your support everyone x

Here for you Bolat. xx

I have been in hospital without all my stuff and it is not very funny - you get a hospital gown that shows your arse and a toothbrush and a towel the size of a flannel and it is not great.

I might have to ask for two gowns - with the amount of chocolates I have just consumed won't be just my arse on show!!!