Congratulations on your fab scan news, digi.
Final update from me before I sign off. Went for my appointment at EPAU, at 10.15am on Monday, as planned. It was very busy, and they were short-staffed, as staff were off sick. I thought that there was usually only one midwife and one sonographer on duty, but apparently there are two of each, but both midwives were ill, so someone had had to cancel a day of annual leave and come in. We sat for 2 hours while other patients came and went, and wondered what on earth was going on. Eventually, a student midwife saw us, took my name, came back and said that I wasn't on the list (!), even though I'd booked in at reception. It was the end of the morning session, but the midwife would still see us anyway. We went in to see her, she was asking about what we'd decided to do (despite me being given absolutely no info about the ERPC and having to google it myself), and she was being constantly interrupted by the phone, and other members of staff walking in to discuss other patients, including the same doctor three times. She booked me in for the procedure, thankfully the next day, but because of all the interruptions, she kept forgetting what she had just said to me, and I had to keep reminding her. I asked about testing the baby etc, but because it was only my second consecutive miscarriage, as I've had a healthy child between my 4 mcs, they would only test the remains for anything 'untoward', as she put it (I presumed she meant for a partial mole). She also said that they wouldn't do any tests on me for recurrent mc, until I have a third consecutive mc. She did say it would be ok to try again after I have a period. Eventually, we got out of there. I have to also say that there were patients notes everywhere, and the list for that morning which explained what was going on with each patient was sitting right in front of me. While the midwife was out of the room, I could read my own notes from Friday, which said that I was 'very upset'. Well, what did they expect from me finding out such awful news at my 12 week scan?!!
After our horrible morning, Mr Moomin and I popped into town to pick up some essentials for the hospital. We'd been home half an hour, then I got a call from the midwife at the EPAU, saying that she was supposed to have given me some blood test forms and I needed to come back to the hospital immediately to pick them up. So off we went again. I told DH to wait in the car as I only needed to pick some forms up, I asked at reception, and was told to sit on the chairs at the entrance to the antenatal ward. I sat and waited for half an hour, while hoards of pregnant women walked past me, some waving their scan pictures, and one woman who was clearly about to give birth who had been brought to antenatal instead of the delivery suite. I felt like a total fraud for even being there. Nobody could find the midwife who'd called me. Eventually, a community midwife walked past, saw me looking lost and confused and on the verge of tears. I explained what had happened, so she found the forms and took the bloods herself. At least somebody had an ounce of compassion.
My experience of the Day Procedures Unit was totally different. Despite being very busy, the staff there were great, especially the lovely auxiliary nurse who booked me in. They treated me with kindness and compassion. My surgery was delayed by two hours due to emergencies, and I was discharged 4 hours afterwards. I don't feel too bad now, just a bit drained and crampy.
We will start trying again as soon as I'm back to normal and I've had another period, we still want one last baby moomin to add to the brood. I will be able to have early scans if I want them, although will be terrified to go back to EPAU (I'm considering complaining about the treatment of women going through a traumatic experience). If I am lucky to get pregnant again, providing I don't have any bleeding, I would probably wait until 8 weeks for a scan anyway. I would urge anyone if they are having any kind of blood loss, even if it's just spotting like I had, and feeling a loss of symptoms in early pregnancy to please, please get checked out. Don't be a pushover like I was and accept reassurances without a scan.
I will still be lurking from time to time, hope to be posting back on here before long with some happier news!! I wish you all healthy, happy pregnancies.
Lots of love, Moomin. xxxx