Struggling to get hold of midwife! Anyone else have this problem?

[jessebuni]

Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone else struggles to get hold of a midwife? My midwife is only in the surgery for 1 day a week and Doesn't give out her phone number. So if I have questions Or concerns i have to call he Surrey and leave a message for her which could take upto a week to get a response to! Failing that I have to ring the hospital switchboard and ask to speak to an on duty midwife. I again have to leave a message and yesterday had to wait 3 hours for a call back bearing in mind I'm 36 weeks and was ringing because I've had a couple of the preeclampsia symptoms and stomach pains I think this is probably a bit too long too wait...

This is my second pregnancy. My first labour was straightforward and only 4 hours long. I'm planning a home birth this time so what happens if I leave a message for a midwife to say labour has started and by te time she calls back or gets to me I've had the baby?

I have the same problem and have been told conflicting things about who to contact and when. It's very frustrating!

I'm sure as you're having a home birth you will be given a direct number to call at the time so they won't miss your birth. Make sure you ask for one for piece of mind

I just read your post properly - I can imagine you were pulling your hair out waiting 3 hours to hear back from them regarding pre-eclampsia symptoms. I definitely think you should ask for a direct number now you are nearing your due date.

Good luck, I can't wait til I'm at your stage!

I know as of next week if I go into labour it's all systems go and I'll be allowed to have it at home etc. but I can't get hold of anyone! The whole reason I'm having a home birth is because my first labour was so quick they said if this one is going to be quick as well it'll be easier and less stressful to just have the baby at home. Good job my mum and nan have both had home births and live less than 10mins away just in case I suppose!

I saw my GP with PE symptoms. Is this an option? Our GPs are very good, I have to say!

Well luckily it turns out that it's not preeclampsia because I have no protein in my samples and my blood pressure is very low. Actually that's the cause of my headaches, dizziness and occasionally blurry vision my blood pressure was only 80/50! But still it's very frustrating not to be able to get hold of a midwife to ask. Last time I was pregnant I had a mobile phone number for my midwife, sometimes the it was off if she had a day off but she would check her messages and call back the next day. But this midwife doesn't give out her mobile number...

Do you not have a community midwife office? I think every area is different but here, I've been given the sure start centre (where the MW appointments are) and I can call the reception there to check basics, like appointment times etc. I also have the community midwife office, to call Mon-Fri 9-2 for non-urgent enquiries/to spk to a MW. I've also got the numbers for the maternity suite & the various antenatal & delivery wards to call in labour & so on. This was the same for DD (only 12wks with #2), although MW appointments were at the GP's surgery then - things change so quickly, my DD is only 2!!!

If you literally only have 1 number and its something urgent, I would call the surgery & either get an appointment or ask a GP/nurse to call you back. Otherwise I would be contacting the delivery suite & getting a contact number for emergencies should you go into labour before your next appointment. Better safe than sorry IMO so chase them up for contact details!!!

The midwife office is at the hospital. Basically you have to ring the hospital switchboard and if you're lucky you can get put through but normally it requires leaving a message an getting a call back. my midwife appointments are all at my GP surgery still but my surgery is a nightmare!

when I had the flu a couple of months ago and was concerned on the effects it might have on the baby i rang to make an appointment with my gp and the earliest they could fit me in when i called on a tuesday was the wednesday of the following week! i tried to explain that i was 24 weeks pregnant and thought that since i've got full blown flu and stomach flu also (both ends green very gross and i'm sure TMI) i really thought it was a bit more serious than a week wait the receptionist got a bit stroppy with me but said the best she could do was get a doctor to call me and see what they thought. i didn't get a call til the next day anyway and he didn't seem that bothered. maybe it's just my area that's really bad :/

anyway i think what i'll have to do if i do have an emergency or go into labour etc is ring the delivery ward so that i at least stand a chance of it being sorted quicker

Sorry just wanted to say that's awful! Feel sorry for you. I am having a hb for the same reasons as you but I feel really supported have my mw mobile number and community mw number if she is away and does not answer, they always answer the phone and could call labour ward if I was deperate. Plus my gp will call back the same day if no appointments avalible or get you one if the symtoms you describe are serious enough. Plus I have a drop in centre in my town centre if I was really desperate to see a gp but not a full on a and e emergenncy. Good luck with everything hope all goes well with you hb xxx

Do you not have a direct number for the labour ward? Mine is printed on my maternity notes and can also be found on the hospital's website. Given how far on you are, I would have thought you could call them and they would be able to advise you what to do.

That's pretty poor service from your GP - can you change practice?

We've got a walk-in & surgery nr here too, so I swapped there. Can book appointments in advance or if its urgent, literally walk in & wait. Never had a problem with the staff there, or getting to see anyone when necessary.

I would def try to get a direct number for the labour ward though, as technically it could be 'any day now' in a week, for a full term baby...

That doesn't sound good. I had homebirths and we had a number to ring to contact a MW, it was a leave a message type thing, but they always returned calls v promptly.

I had a homebirth but we called labour ward like everyone else if we are concerned about anything.