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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

midwife has ticked that things were discussed with me, when they weren't

18 replies

kickingking · 09/09/2011 20:34

Had booking appointment with community midwife earlier this week and I've just looked at my antenatal notes, and she has ticked that she discussed travel saftey, seatbelts, and sex in pregnancy with me. NONE of those things were even mentioned.

We spent quite a lot of time discussing the screening offered, because I wanted to, so perhaps there was no time - but I am quite pissed off that she has said she discussed things with me that she didn't.

I'm not one for making a fuss and those things are nothing that I couldn't find out about online, but I feel that midwives should not be ticking that they have discussed things with women when they actually haven't. What if I was someone who was not capable of doing my own research?

Should I make a complaint about this? Would you?

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serendipity16 · 09/09/2011 20:58

Will you be seeing the same midwife next time?
If not could you speak to the new midwife, explain that the previous midwife didn't discuss the information & could she go through it with you?
When i was pregnant last year the midwife also ticked lots of boxes when she hadn't even mentioned any of it to me. To be honest i just assumed she thought i knew it all as it was my 6th pregnancy.
I wasn't too bothered as i pretty much knew everything anyway.
The midwives are seriously understaffed at my hospital & the waiting time is long so i suppose they do try to skip over stuff they assume you know or think you can google yourself, that's not excusing a midwife not going through things properly with you, just a possible reason why.
Its up to you if you make a complaint though.

Congratulations on your pregnancy x

licoriceGreen · 09/09/2011 21:01

My midwife put a measurement in for me when she couldn't find a tape measure, I didnt realise until the doctor highlighted the fast growth! It's annoying but I never said anything. The info on travel/ seat belts is in the back of my notes, not sure if it's in yours too.

Original poster

kickingking · 09/09/2011 21:08

It's my second pregnancy so maybe she assumed I knew it. She also knew my education and job, so she probably realised I can find out for myself.

I did take up a lot of time asking about other things

OP posts:

Ernie1 · 09/09/2011 22:00

I have had similar - last week I noticed she randomly wrote in "childrens centre" and a telephone number. I have no idea what or where the childrens centre is or why I might want to contact them!! Wonder if it is just lack of time?

HPonEverything · 09/09/2011 22:18

I have the same thing with my MW, I get the impression she doesn't have the time to do everything properly IYSWIM. My last visit she told me how understaffed they were and everyone kept leaving...

She quickly went down the list in the back of my notes and sort of did a running monologue like this: "room temperature 18-20 yep discussed tick!" etc. with no input from me whatsoever. I do my own research on this sort of stuff but what if you're not inclined that way? Makes a bit of a mockery of it even being something that's mandated to be discussed.

wompoopigeon · 10/09/2011 00:03

Mine ticked a load of things which were never discussed. TBH it doesn't bother me that much as I just look it up in a pg book anyway. And it's my second.
Think it's standard MW procedure to just go 'tick tick tick, now I am very overworked so go away please".

YankNCock · 10/09/2011 00:08

I had that with my first. Guess they think you are sensible and don't need stuff spelled out, but agree it feels wrong.

VivaLeBeaver · 10/09/2011 00:15

If it was your booking appt did you get a load of leaflets, emmas diary, etc with that info in? Might she have said read this stuff and thought that covered it.

Davinaaddict · 10/09/2011 09:15

I've had this too, and she even wrote down a value for my blood pressure even though she didn't take it!!! I rang the day unit who were very good, and said if I have any more concerns to let them know and they would arrange for me to be transferred to another MW. I also crossed it out in my notes and put a comment that it wasn't taken.

As others have said too, this is my 2nd so I understand that she would expect me to know all these things, but I'm a strong believer that in the medical profession, you should never assume. All it takes is 30 seconds to ask the question - if the patient does know then fine, move on. If not, then at least you know that it needs to be covered in more detail. Especially as things change so much over the years.

Having said that, I understand the lack of time/resource etc and the extra pressure it puts on everyone. I don't envy anyone working in the NHS.

Magnumwhite · 10/09/2011 09:22

have just had 1st MW appt and again, like last time realised afterwards that the section on Down's Screening had been circled 'discussed' and 'accepted'.
It hadn't even been mentioned.
found the whole appt a box ticking exercise and am feeling a bit wobbly about a 2nd NHS birth in an overstaffed hospital again now

hubbahubster · 10/09/2011 09:35

Say something, please. I know it may seem petty but your maternity notes are a legal document and they need to be correct. A doctor wrote in mine that he'd examined me when he hadn't - I brought it up with another doctor at my next appointment and he was really worried. He actually had the other doctor suspended and asked if I wanted to take things further. Bad practice shouldn't be allowed to go unchecked - who knows what other stuff she's skipping with other mums?

Lifeissweet · 10/09/2011 09:38

My midwife was good and covered everything, even though this is my 3rd pregnancy and I just kept saying 'yes, I know.' I understand that they have to do it, though.

After spending ages filling out the notes (I had a very complicated last pregnancy) and having to repeat the information in several different places I asked who actually looks at them. When I was taken into hospital when things went wrong at 24 weeks the last time, no one even glanced at them, she said that, mainly, only a couple of pages are of any interest to anyone, but that the notes are audited and that any box left unticked can come back to bite them firmly on the behind. That might account for the over-ticking of things not discussed. They have the contradictory pressures of having to tick everything and get through a certain number of patients per clinic. I don't envy them!

HappyAsASandboy · 10/09/2011 10:06

I had the same, all the way through pregnancy. And perhaps more shockingly, on my post natal notes while I was on the ward. I agree that it should be reported, though I didn't as taking care of twins seemed more important than writing complaints letters.

Crosshair · 10/09/2011 12:13

First midwife was pretty good, lots of note filling in ect. The second seemed too busy to discuss anything but still got the basics done. If you're not happy I would complain.

Zoero · 10/09/2011 12:31

I didn't have the same problem with box ticking but do find my midwife to be rather unfriendly and stiff. She says hello at the beginning and then just gets on with things very quickly without even asking about how I am. I feel like I need a midwife who is friendly and welcoming and not rushing me through the appointment every time I see her, especially as this is my first baby and I do feel very anxious about everything. Does anyone else have the same problem, or anyone lucky enough to have a lovely midwife?

serendipity16 · 10/09/2011 16:48

Zoero - I don't see midwives throughout my pregnancy due to be very high risk. However after my c-section i obviously got to see quite a few midwives and omg most of them were awful. There was the rare 1 or 2 who were nice but the rest were so awful, i really should have made a complaint about it actually. I heard a midwife bad mouthing me loudly. . . she thought i couldn't cope at home with a prem baby but it was only because she didn't want to do the paperwork for my discharge..... plus I've had 3 prem babies so know what I'm doing. When i saw her after the baby doctor had said it was ok to go home, she just replied .... great more paper work to do, i've got enough to do already. I had a midwife clean my scar very aggressively & when i told her she was hurting me she just laughed. The wipes were stinging my scar and also the fabric of the wipe was pulling on my staples. I understand they are understaffed & work hard but politeness and manners doesn't cost anything. I've always wanted to be a midwife but I've now decided against doing it.

glitternanny · 10/09/2011 16:53

i haven't had ANYTHING ticket in the front of my book - nothing at all and I'm 30w - gonna raise it at my appointment on Thursday night -

And I've not seen the same person more than once yet :(

acatcalledfelix · 10/09/2011 17:14

You should complain as otherwise the situation is never going to change. Health care professionals shouldn't assume anything, no matter how expereinced or educated you are. I understand that they are very overworked and understaffed, but it's only through identifying the issues that this causes that they may be able to demand more staff.
I had my anti-d last week 5 weeks late as I happened to pick up an old pregnancy book (second) pg the week before and read that i should have had it at 28wks. I told the mw doing the jab that I was really unhappy and she is going to do a complaint for me, agreeing that is should not have been up to me to ask for this.
There have been a few things that i've had to prompt the mw to do during this and my last pg, which is just wrong. I'm an information seeker, and a HCP myself, but alot of people aren't, so what what happens when their mw misses things out?

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