Are notes from first pg and delivery consulted in 2nd pg?

[TaurielTest]

Hope those who've had more than one baby can advise me on this...

I wish I'd known my AN notes would not be returned to me after I'd had my DS - I would have photocopied them as I had some pg complications and have now forgotten some details about dates, symptoms and treatment.
I'm also keen to know the details of my labour and delivery, partly from curiosity about the things that were a bit of a blur, partly as I'm contemplating having another - probably in a different location.
I've got the forms to request (and pay £50 for) copies of the notes, but am just wondering whether these would be called up and consulted anyway by MWs / doctors during antenatal care? Is it something I can ask them to request for me?
Not just trying to get out of paying - I'm just a bit worried that there's lots of medical history locked away there that might be relevant - is the onus on me to remember or cough up?

When I saw a mw in hospital the other day (who i'd never met before) she seemed to know all about my last pg so I assume so

I've had a couple of hospital appointments this time and they have always had my old notes there too (not that they'll let me have my hands on them!). I think my community mw just has very brief details on the screen.

I'm now 39 weeks with my second, and I'm afraid nowhere in this pregnancy have I clapped eyes on my notes from last time!

I had a complicated first pregnancy, and a very difficult birth, with some fairly serious complications. At booking my midwife asked me for a history of my last pregnancy, which I gave her (to some gasps and sharp intakes of breath from her!) but as far as I can tell the history I gave her has never been checked or verified. I'm pretty sure I could have told her nothing, or alternatively made the whole thing up, and it would never have been questioned!

I have now changed hospitals, and gone through the whole process again, and again they took everything I said at face value, but have never asked for my old notes. Incredible.

Not in my case. I requested a copy for my own benefit because I had a difficult birth.

The MW second time around had absolutely no knowledge of my first birth even though it was in the same hospital.

If you are having the baby at the same hospital then the MW/Obs can certainly refer to your previous notes

If you change hospital then they might be able to request the info but I doubt they would bother

OP, I can't believe you are being asked to pay 50 pounds to review your old case notes.

Fwiw, here in Scotland, I asked my mw when I was pregnant about something in my first labour (which was actually quite straightforward), and she requested old notes from some central filing area (not kept at hospital, even though it was the same one I'd given birth in first time), then came round to my house for a de-brief, which was really helpful.

you can view them for free but if you want a copy then they can charge you up to £50

Thanks everyone, sounds like quite varying experiences (peterBenjamin, that's shocking). I asked about viewing them for free and was told no, if I wanted to see them I had to request copies from records, for which they charge a £20 admin fee plus 20p per page up to a maximum of £50 (and given the number of pages of my AN notes after several admissions, I won't get any change back).
TravellerinTime, that sounds very sensible. Round here, I got the distinct impression that de-briefs were only offered for women who'd had seriously traumatic births (which I was lucky enough not to).
I've moved to a different area, so I think what EldonAve suggests - that they may not bother from a different hosptial - may happen. It's interesting, and not very satisfactory, that practice seems to vary like this. I think I will wait until I'm actually pregnant (!) and then see how far I get.

Puddock - you can view them for free. It is not a local policy thing, it applies everywhere.

If you contact PALS at the local trust they will be able to help you arrange it.

I got the photocopies from both my births, first was very traumatic, I paid a one off fee for an independant MW to go through them with me because I wanted someone separate to the hospital.

Second time was disappointing and crap but not traumatic, I just wanted to read them.

I think this is really extraordinary - why don't they just go into your medical history notes with everything else ?

They do as far as I know Fibilou - MWs referred to ny old notes this time around and when I had a hospital appointment a few years ago and had a sneaky read through my notes all my obstetric notes were filed along with general medical stuff.

I have moved since I had my first baby (failed induction followed by emcs). This pregnancy I'm very keen for a vbac and have had one consultant's appointment and one appointment at the vbac clinic where they've just taken my word about what happened last time. They have now requested my notes (I'm 34 weeks) but whether they'll turn up in time for my final vbac consultant's appointment in a fortnight, who knows.

How on earth can they not manage to get notes from one trust to another when they have nearly 7 months to do it ?????? It seems extraordinary to me that they would not just request your pregnancy/birth notes as routine the moment you advise that you are pregnant. You can't get an appointment with a new GP until they've got your notes so why is this any different ?

It really is a joke this, I cannot believe that they seem to be so laissez faire about it all - they wouldn't do a heart transplant without seeing your previous medical history, what's any different about childbirth ? How can they expect to provide appropriate medical care based on a mothers' recollection on what happened in birth - which is hardly likely to be a completely accurate portrait of events is it ?