Me being crazy hormonal or just violated

[bluefriend]

Had appointment at hospital for IV iron. Arrived sat in a waiting room with 3 other couples had a few cubicles and rooms to the back.... Seemed to be calling people behind curtain for obs etc. Midwife comes over to take my blood pressure and temp in waiting room.... All fine no complaints. She then comes over with a Doppler some gel and a tissue asks me to let her listen to baby RIGHT there! So I was made to lie back in a chair expose my stomach while she shoved Tissue down my pants Infront of a room of people and checked baby. At this point I'm feeling violated by the audience. Then they come stick my IV in the exact same chair and leave me till it's finished ... Repeat step one and two afterwards Infront of my now larger waiting room audience! I can't decide if I'm crazy sensitive or if that was a total invasion of my privacy

That’s really not appropriate OP, she should have taken you somewhere more private before exposing your tummy to the world. Were there no curtains she could have drawn around you?

No it was literally a waiting room with double doors open onto a corridor

I’d mention it to your midwife, sounds like someone needs a reminder about maintaining patient dignity tbh

No way, not cool. Bad enough having a sweep with nothing between you and waiting couples than a wafer thin curtain (just back from that delight), but being treated in a waiting area is not on.

I would make a formal complaint. No way is that appropriate :-(

That is very wrong

I would have to query it .
Is it possible there was an emergency situation in the treatment room?
I would hate to complain if something unforeseen had happened but I would wonder why the MW didn’t offer some explanation

She didn't ask it was like it was 'normal' lady next to me was terrified of needles and they came and jabbed her while everyone was waiting too. I was just too shocked and unsure to speak up at the time so just did as I was told. She wasn't mean or anything actually really nice just very odd practice

This is not OK. You're not crazy. I would complain.

Wow that's not okay at all! You have to complain. You'd never expect to be exposed in a waiting room of strangers for any other medical procedure, being pregnant makes no difference! Absolutely ridiculous, they need to remember you're adults who are entitled to privacy and dignity

Not ok. I'd complain, it may not be down to the individual person so much as an overstretched hospital (though she could have handled it more sensitively). Either way they should sort it out, and only complaints make that happen.

That’s appalling Apart from the sheer lack of respect for your privacy and dignity, what if she hadn’t been able to find a heartbeat?

NO way.

A not dissimilar situ happened to me when I was getting measured at 37w except it was a doctor who just breezed into the room to ask MW a question then strolled our meaning door to waiting room wide open.

MW was livid and actually said to me “don’t worry, I know that’s unacceptable and she’ll have me to deal with shortly”.

our meaning door?

I meant “strolled out main door”

Aside from all the issues already mentioned, an iron infusion should be done in a safe place, on a bed, with resuscitation equipment close by.

I would say all is common practice for outpatient areas except the exposing tummy and listening in to baby. Clinics are normally run in ‘groups’ and cannulas are put in and IVs run through in same area as others. There isn’t really any huge need to do this in a room. But they should have asked if you were ok exposing tummy in same room etc, I wouldn’t have liked that.

Ex nurse here.
That was not right. Definitely not your hormones.
You need your dignity and privacy protecting. You also should have had your iron infusion lying down.
I imagine their space was somehow compromised, maybe by an emergency, but that is no excuse.
Have a word with your midwife.

didsomeonesaywine
Seriously? IV infusions and fetal heart checking in the waiting room?
I know that it is usual to give some treatments in shared clinical rooms, chemo or dialysis for example, but not a public waiting room. That is not acceptable at all.

That sounds awful and undignified. I would complain.

Apologies I didn’t realise it was a main waiting area. Assumed it was a clinic area like chemo/dialysis as said....in that case I take back my comment!!

Not at at Mary’s are you OP? Sounds similar to my experiences there.

It’s not ok and you’d be well within your rights to complain. Especially as iron IV should be given with constant monitoring (or so I was told when I had mine)

Ex midwife and nurse here. That is so not right. Please complain so they don’t carry on the practice.

No actually at RVI so not exactly a small hospital and one that has a birthing centre so you'd think they would be more sensitive. Had a rather awful experience during first labour there too they just treat me like a naughty child it may be because I look 14 but I promise I'm 27 😂