Grrrrrrr rubbish GP - sorry bit of a rant!

[Emy84]

So far (I am 33 weeks) I have only seen same MW twice. I understand why but some of them have been really rubbish and not really interested in my concerns just going thru what they need to get done!

Today I went to see GP as I am having really bad back/hip pain which I think could well be SPD. I have already spoken to MW who wasn't that interested just referred me to GP. I have also seen GP once (male one!) who basically said back and hip pain were normally in pregnancy! I am now having trouble walking in constant pain to off to GP again. They have walk in clinic in the morning so got there early as I have to get to work. Waited in cold for 30mins only to be told Dr is off sick sorry and no appointments available for this afternoon! Arghhhh I have missed work for nothing and still no help with this pain! I feel so cross and fed up!

You poor thing, PGP is bloody painful. I'd push to see another dr, and soon, to get it seen to. You can take paracetamol and codeine safely at this stage, so look into that if you need pain relief. Hope you get it seen to soon

You have my enormous sympathies...currently 31 weeks with DC3 and been suffering since 11 weeks.

I have been round the houses trying to get some support as private physio/osteopathy is costing a fortune.

I went to the GP to get referral and she asks, "who has diagnosed you?"
Mention it to midwife and ask how to get support and she asks, "who has diagnosed you?"
Get referred to hospital Physio to get a bloody 'diagnosis' and she asks, "who has diagnosed you?"

It is like no one wants to know and they want women to accept it is part and parcel of pregnancy (which I realise it is!) without offering any support or relief.

I went to the hospital last week to the pregnancy clinic to be given a 2 hour talk on strategies for SPD. I was told if I did three stretches a day, my spd would go in 2 weeks...WTF?

No history taken of two previous large births, hyper mobility, 6 months immobility post DC2's birth. I was outraged and left in floods of tears...

The point of my long winded rant is that there is very little support on the NHS. So if you can, see if you can get a support belt, rest lots and minimise the damage so that post birth you can recover quickly. Can you stretch to some private osteo/physio?

thanks for indulging my rant! I had left surgery in floods of tears ( stupid hormones!) so was good to get it all out.

Will try and see another GP 2m and yes I may have to look into private physio I have medical insurance so I may be covered.

What I feel sooooo about is the lack of support. I realise pain is part of pregnancy but I am at the stage where I cannot carry on normal activities and don't want to damage myself my pushing on through the pain but not really sure what I can/can't do safely. It would just be nice to feel someone actually cared!

My sympathies, I understand you so well to the point that I actually changed practices just because of my rubbish GP. When I found out that I was pregnant I went to the GP all happiness and smiles with the joy of my very first baby, and he barely looked at me, not even a glance, no exam nothing! I tell you my DP could have gone there and said the same and he would have the same reaction and a prescription exemption.
It got even worse when I found out that I was spotting and called NHS direct at 11pm on a Friday, and they put me in contact with him. He was terrible! Said to me point blank that I was miscarrying, no empathy nothing! I wasn't asking for sugar coating just some understanding.
Now I'm 31+2 and I'm very glad that I've changed GPs :)

Oh you poor thing!! Listen, pain like you are experiencing is NOT a part of normal pregnancy. It's NOT normal to be exhausted and crying from constant untreated pain. Your hips and back should not be causing you this much discomfort. I'm an SPD veteran (couldn't walk unaided, had crutches etc first time round, suffering again this time from 8 weeks) and believe me, you don't have to put up with it. If you can go private - please do, look for the SPD sofa thread and join us over there for some support. I've posted all the advice suggestions I could think off and others have added fab suggestions. There are links there to the Pelvic Partnership and PINS (the Pelvic Instability Network Scotland) I strongly recommend you speak to them for some advice/support as well. They recommended the specialist I spoke to in my area who I saw privately.

My NHS treatment was appalling last time. This time if I'm asked who diagnosed me - I'll bloody well tell them I did! And I'm not taking no for an answer!! Luckily my GP isn't quite such an arse this time round... anyway, good luck. Remember you are the only one who knows what you are living with, and your opinion is actually the only one that matters. If you can't cope with the pain you are experiencing - you deserve to be treated for it. So get someone to come hold your hand and back you up at your appointments too. I found I was so tired and emotional from the pain last time that I just couldn't stand up for myself. When I was told it was normal (even though I could barely walk) I kept backing down and feeling stupid. Eventually my mum came to the hospital with me and refused to take me home until someone helped me with some pain relief - without her I don't think I would have even been diagnosed at that stage!!

I second that: this pain is not part of a normal pregnancy.
It's not dangerous or anything but you should see a physiotherapist.
If your health insurance pays for it, then go for it full on - it has to be managed.

another way around the system could be to attend the hospital's 'wellbeing in pregnancy' class run by the physiotherapy dept (but think it has a different name everywhere). In my area, when you attend you can then self-refer to physio for a month after the class. After that, you need a GP referral. So could be another option?

I can only self refer to the physio's in my area actually, the GP won't do it for me. But it sounds like you've seen the physios once already? Did they do anything useful at all?

No I haven't seen physio. Just MW who said to see GP and GP who said it was just part of pregnancy and to rest which is very hard with 90 min commute!

Thanks for all the responses you have all made me realise I am not the only one in pain and I must push for something to be done!

Poor poor you- sounds wretched.
I really hate to say this, but is there no way you can start your mat leave earlier? Work from home/ part-time/ take holidays now to have short weeks etc. I had atrocious SPD with number one but it is and mostly at bay this time round and the single biggest reason for this is not a magical physio but is commuting less and starting ML early. That would have been completely unpalatable to me in my first pg as I wanted every minute after the birth with my baby, plus I felt loyal to work and worried about money. This time I know that I would pay anything to avoid SPD, that work don't feel loyal to me and that I need to be in as good condition as possible to look after baby when she comes.
Not lecturing, just reflecting on my own experience in pg no 1. And the NHS GP, MW and physio were universally useless even when I did finally get to see them...

I sympathise, my GP is a waste of space as well. The only reason I haven't changed GP is that everyone made enough fuss about my paperwork when I moved house...

What i actually logged to to say was that you may be able to bypass the GP for the pain. In my area we can self refer to the physio. If you look up the number for your local hospital, reception can put you through to the physio department who can tell you whether you can do the same thing. If not then they can tell you what to say to the GP to get referred as fast as possible. If all else fails, a midwife can refer you to the physio too - so if the ones you've seen so far are rubbish, did they give you a number for the boss midwife? You don't have to make a fuss or complain to them, just say you need a referral and exaggerate if necessary

Hope this helps a little.

Just to warn you OP, my health insurance wouldn't cover me for physio as it was pregnancy related (my policy only covers urgent care eg c-section). Hopefully yours will... I was faced with a 6 week wait for NHS physio so I paid and went private (have thoracic back pain).

er, your GP is rubbish because they were off sick? aren't they allowed to be ill?

GP is allowed to be sick - its more the system that annoyed me. Walk in service so waited 30 mins in cold GP has been sick for a while so they had locum
But yesterday morning she was "called away" it's such a small surgery they only have one Dr at a time consulting therefore I could not see anyone!

Anyway have decided to get up after few hours of lying awake pain seems so much worse in bed it's really not fair ! This lovely little bean can sure cause a lot of trouble!

I have been suffering with PGP and my midwife referred me to a once a month info session that the hospital physio does. it's rubbish that you haven't had access to the same sort of thing.

Anyway, the lower back/bum cheek pain is "normal" in pregnancy but for some of us it can be debilitating. Just because it is "normal" does not mean you don't need help with it.

The advice I was given was:

1. Spend as much time as possible in a position that has your bum out, your belly dangling and your weight supported on your arms. 15 minutes on hands and knees at a time is one way. sitting backwards, cowboy style on a dining chair with your bum dangling a bit off the back and your weight supported on your arms over the top of the backrest is another. Leaning over the kitchen counter for a bit is another one. These positions will take some of the weight of your pelvis so it is under less stress. Sitting in a reclining position on the sofa with your feet up for any period of time is bad.

2. Use a variety of pillows to ensure a good sleeping position at night. put a folded pillow (or pregnancy body pillow) between your knees so that your knees are not lower than your hips. Avoid lying on your back as this puts the weight back onto your pelvis.