Confused as to what should happen now

[Giltedged]

I had my last appointment at the hospital last week, at 36 + 6. I was told I’d get a phone call to arrange my elective section.

I am 37 + 5 today and nothing. I have no more appointments scheduled and while I don’t want to make a fuss, I do feel a bit abandoned and not really sure what to do. It feels a little as though things are just being left in the hope I go into labour naturally.

I am 43, so high risk on those grounds.

It was similar last time but I feel a bit uncertain and anxious. I’m not normally like this but I am worried.

Phone them.

Phone who, though? I don’t know who is meant to be organising the section or how to contact them, unless you mean the antenatal ward, but I doubt they will know.

I know I’m probably being a bit uncharacteristically unfair here, but it does feel a bit - not great!

You could phone the antenatal ward and ask them to give you a contact number for the booking team as you have waited a week since your last appointment and have not heard about a date. Hopefully they will be contacting you soon but it's late on and you don't want to slip through the net.

Phone your midwife or midwife team. Their details should be on your paperwork.
Or if you have the number for the maternity hospital ward phone them.
Or your GP to ask how to contact them.
How were your other appointments made? Via a clinic at your GP or the hospital? You must have the details somewhere.

Call your midwife or consultants secretary.

It’s literally just been that I’ve had a follow up appointment made after my last appointment (did that make any sense!?) so for example, my 20 week scan was arranged at my 12 week scan, 30 week scan at my 20
week scan and so on.

I am sure I’m just being daft - not sure the midwives will know though as it is a different team. I think if I’d been given a definite date to be contacted by it would be different!

Your midwife will absolutely be able to chase this up. Give them a ring.

Whatever department/clinic/health centre/GP surgery you had your appointments at will have a phone number. Call that number. It will be online if you can’t find it in your paperwork.

It’s just the antenatal clinic, but I don’t think they organise the sections.

I’ll try the midwife team - you see a different one every time so I don’t have a specific midwife.

I agree with phoning the midwifery team, or consultant’s secretary.

It doesn’t matter if you phone the wrong person, they can tell you who the right person is.

There’s no need to feel silly, it’s a confusing system to navigate and you won’t know until ask. Better than sitting at home worrying.

My midwife at my antenatal clinic (and the Consultant in the room) booked my section for me, they have access to the same operations calendar or whatever you'd call it. Just ring your antenatal clinic.

Just ring the midwifery team or the antenatal clinic and explain that you were supposed to have a c section date given, and you haven’t? Even if they don’t arrange it- they’ll point you in the right direction.

IME you should have a 38 week appointment with your midwife, then they book you in for an ECS at 39 weeks

You still need a 38wk appointment with you midwife regardless of delivery method but I would ring Antenatal Clinic to chase the section date.