28 week blood tests - really necessary???

[auburnlizzy78]

Bit of background - my first set of blood tests were done late because the midwife had only written "booking bloods" on the form and the phlebotomist and doctor and practice manager all said that unless certain boxes were ticked they could not do the tests. Tried to persuade them for half an hour that I just needed the standard tests! I ended up ringing the hospital (midwife on holiday) and they told me what boxes to tick, but I had to make another appt.

I tried to get my 28 week bloods done (just a check for anaemia - I have no other health conditions whatsoever) but couldn't get an appt until 31 weeks. 33 weeks today. Yesterday the form was returned saying that the sample had been rejected because "the labelling didn't conform to Trust standards" (FFS!) and telling me to get it done again.

If you were me, pregnant for only another 7 weeks in theory, and taking a multivit with iron every day, could you be arsed? Is this check really that important? I am still working every day and my practice is near home so not convenient really.

Anyone else experience this - midwives swear blind the forms are ok, hospital/docs swear blind they're not?

Hmmm...I don't know. I probably couldn't be arsed but would drag myself there . Just to check the anemia, antibodies etc. Are you able to get a late appointment or work from home one day?

They check you're blood group and minor antibodies again so yes it is vital in case you require a transfusion.

Sorry to hear you have been messed around. Make sure they write your details using a pen on the blood group tube of blood, otherwise the lab won't be able to process it for safety reasons. Obviously something as important as your blood group they need to get right.

I wish this would have happened to me!

I hate blood tests (or anything to do with needles for that matter1) and my midwife is always trying to stick needles in my arm!

I really dont think it will be much of a concern if u dont have the tests done now - as u said, u d only have 7 wks left and have got this far fine and healthy. I would just jump at the chance to miss them! [guilty emoticon] but i supose that may be a bbit naughty of me.

Its pretty bad tho that they are this badly organised - what would they have done if you hadnt have had such a healthy pregnancy and something developed which they never caught due to their negligence??

Thanks for that - splashy -the transfusion point didn't occur to me - I know I was A+ at 12 weeks-ish, it's all over my notes. But I didn't realise that the antibodies might need to be checked again. What's odd is that I got a text back from my midwife saying she would see whether both samples got rejected or only one. "If it's test for anaemia(rejected) then would recommend you did have it. But if it is blood group antibodies then fair enough." So not sure what to do.

My practice is super-busy - but I am on leave w/c 16 August so maybe I'll try and get in then. If I can be arsed.

YummyMummy - my midwife did try to take bloods at 10 weeks ish - so did people at the hospital and they all mashed me up a bit - had massive bruises come up on both arms and they still couldn't get a full vial. So I said after that only phlebotomists are getting anywhere near me - they are totally expert and you really notice the difference in skill, doesn't even hurt!

auburn - they also need to check your blood group twice before they can transfuse you, because the consequences of getting it wrong can be so severe.

i had my blood group written in my notes from the 12 weeks blood test but they got it wrong, so mistakes do happen. luckily i had given blood years ago and queried it.

Ah, well I have had it done twice this pregnancy actually, once at an EPU because of a threatened miscarriage, so St Thomas' and Lister have both done it and both said it is A+ . So maybe it will be all right as I have it from two sources. But I am seeing midwife again on 18th so will query, thank you splashy.

Actually, she has literally just phoned me - and although it WAS the antibody one that was rejected, the full blood count has shown a bit of anaemia and my platelet count is below what it should be, so I HAVE to get more tests done anyway - am fine with this as there is now a solid reason to keep monitoring me!

Mine were lost and then the second sample rejected because of too small an amount of blood (I'm impossible to bleed). Went for a third time and came out of the phlebotomists with bruises right the way up both arms as it took so many attempts to get blood.... was worth it tho, would much rather know everything's OK.