Just a small rant about confusing info from midwife, prob just hormonal

[ElmMum]

Just back from mw appt - I'm 39+2 today. And I just feel more confused than I did when I went in. Feel very grrrrrrrrr about it. So apols for the rant to follow...

DD1 was breech but they didn't notice til I'd been in labour for 12 hours at which point I had a c-section. Going for VBAC this time but only if I go into labour naturally and baby is definitely head down.

Midwife says baby is definitely head down - but that's what they said last time! She then wrote in my notes 'give reassurance scan prior to labour' before conceding that no one would see this until I was in hospital in labour, so it wouldn't be prior to labour.

I then said "what I want to avoid is labouring away at home in the early stages and then getting to hosp only to be told the baby is breech and I'll need a section anyway" to which she replied "oh, are you planning to stay at home as long as possible?"

This totally threw me because I thought you were supposed to only go in when contractions got stronger and closer together i.e. nearer the active stage of labour.

So now she's saying, as soon as you think you're in labour, phone hosp, go in and "I'm sure they'll scan you to check". Now I just have this vision of going in and being told, "no, we won't scan you, you're not in established labour, go home and come back when you are" etc.

Then she asked did I want a membrane sweep next Friday, which is only 2 days over due date. By which point I just wanted to cry. I've no idea if I want a membrane sweep!!! If my body isn't ready, it isn't ready. Two days overdue seems a bit eager.

Any thoughts or should I just go and have a lie down

Call your delivery ward and ask if they have ten minuets for a chat or can they give you a ring during a quiet patch. Pretty much everything my community midwives and diabetic midwife and consultant told me was wrong. I just got a lot of boggled looks and muttering on the ward every time I said 'I've been told...". I wish I'd asked directly before being in labour.

Oh god. I'm sorry I'm not sure sure what you should do to get it sorted, but I do think you need that scan actually prior to labour!
My DS was breech. (didnt have a CS, he was already on his way out before they realised it was feet not head) When I got pg with DS2, I said from the start I needed a reassurance scan closer to my due date. This meant at 38 weeks. Not when I was in labour! (which would have been too late again anyway as my labours are v. quick)
Please try and get it sorted so you can have the scan asap.

When I was about 37 weeks with DS the MW was humming and hawing about whether he was head down. I rang the assessment unit at the hospital (off my own back) and asked to be assessed and they told me to come in right away for a scan. To be honest I was surprised at how quickly I was seen. They did a scan, he was head down, no bother. If I were you I would chance my arm with the same thing - ring the assessment unit and say your MW told you to have a scan before labour, so could you come in and be seen please. They can only say no, and if they do then contact your MW and badger her to refer you. She probably will just to shut you up :)

Thanks all. I might well do that. My next appointment with mw isn't til the 14th, 7 days past due date, so I could call the hosp early next week and ask for a scan and I may not even see mw again as things might kick off before then.

It's just so annoying that your ability to think clearly goes just when you need to be good at decision-making!

Thing is I did have 2 presentation scans - at 34 weeks and 36 weeks. First one baby was breech in the morning at mw appointment and transverse by the time of the scan in the afternoon.

Second scan, baby was head down. But she moves a lot so I just can't be sure she's stayed where she was at 36 weeks and I want them to have another look. Seems perfectly possible that she's moved.

Regardless, the mw today said she's head down but back to back, so maybe that's what's freaking me out. Thought of hideous painful labour...

Early night for me tonight, I think. Not feeling v positive!

My earlier ones have been back to back. They turn in labour - yes it takes a while but nothing like as hideous as I'd imagined / been told. There are some things you can do to try to persuade them to move - going on all fours, wiggling pelvis around etc which I am trying this time as I'm 38+6 and back to back again.

My midwife booked me in for 40+2 and mentioned a sweep. I said I didn't want a sweep that early, did I still come in then? She said no problem at all, just come for routine appointment. They can't make you have a sweep! Like you, I'd rather wait until baby is ready (although if I get to 40+10 or something I'll more likely take them up on it).

I'd have thought they'd scan you too - I had two extra scans first time around as the midwife was only 99% sure she was head down and didn't want to chance it. They scanned me at 37 and 39 weeks, not in labour. I agree with the earlier posters - phone the hospital and see if they can scan you again.

A head down scan at 36 weeks is very very reassuring that it is almost certainly head down, as a midwife if I saw a woman who had a 36 weeks head down scan I would be extremely totally and utterly surprised if it were not head down.

Maxbear - that's almost my worry though. Mw sees the 36 week scan says head down and has that thought in her head when she's feeling around, so automatically thinks "yep, that's a head, that's a bum". I wouldn't doubt what the mw said if I didn't have experience of more than one mw last time telling me confidently that the baby was head down and engaged when she wasn't.

At my unit it is possible to get a quick scan to check presentation (which is all you need, takes one minute) with a portable machine without an appointment in the assessment unit. You can ring them and ask. Best not to just turn up in case they are very busy and you have to wait for hours.

Thanks all. I've decided I'm definitely going to call the hosp on Monday and ask for a presentation scan and not be fobbed off. If baby is head down now at 39+3 I can relax, I think, about her turning back to a transverse or breech position. I just need peace of mind!

Well, I phone midwife unit at hosp this morning and they put me through to the day assessment unit who were happy to book me in for a scan today at 4pm. So didn't need to get all strident or burst into tears or anything!

Fingers crossed the baby will be head down and then it's all systems go for a VBAC (hopefully!!!!)

Thanks for encouraging me to do something x

Quick update for anyone that's interested, baby is head down and not quite back to back, so it's all good. Thanks all!

Great news ElmMum! Hope you can relax now and are feeling more positive. Good luck with the VBAC. :)

Oh, I'm so pleased there's a good result so far!

thats great news. so glad you got a scan and were able to be reassured