MW question

[zoeymlucas]

Just wondering if your MW is through your doctors and the only one at the surgery can you request to be seen somewhere else by another if your not happy with her?
She is ok enough but clueless on cervical incompetance and openly admits she knows nothing about it. Also when I told her abou my early SPD pain (plus have had 2 previous hip replacements) she decided to pull my pelvis around to the point of leaving me crying in pain! I then asked about chances of VBAC as DS1 was normal delivery and DS2 by ELCS at 33 weeks due to the metal plate in my hip. that plate was removed in Sept last year so is no longer an issue and she replied No its a c section and she wont even discuss it with consultant - when I said I would discuss it with him then she laughed and said do what you want but it wont happen!
She also referred me for a screening scan for the Natual fold (cant spell) when I said a bout 6 times in plain english 'I do not want one', she said you might change your mind so I will refer just incase - I stated I hadnt had this with previous 2 DC and didnt want it this time and would not attend it as its not something I want - she then got funny with me when I wouldnt sign the referal for it??

Am I being hormonal and silly and she is right or is she being bang out of order?

She sounds like a right charmer. YANBU.

It is always worth asking if there is another MW you can see. The scans are in fact not compulsory even the 12 week and 20 week ones, they are recommended though but you have every right to refuse screenings you don't want. I didn't want the NT scan and wasn't at all made to feel bad about it.

Good luck

Hi,
Gosh how awful for you!

It is not normal or acceptable for a midwife to ignore what you say and do exactly what you have asked them not to!

My advice would be to write immediately of your concerns and asking not to see this midwife again.
If this resolves the problem, good.

If it does not, i.e. if replacements are similar, then get referred somewhere else.

It might be one bad apple, or might be indicative of a problem with the local culture there and lack of management/ supervision

This is advice i really, really wish someone had given me.

I had a dreadful first appointment with a MW for my first PG and shrugged it off on the grounds that she was not caseloading and i would probably not see her again. The others i saw were just as dreadful.

Won't bore you with the details but turns out they were new team due to short staffing, had not had proper inductions etc. Basicallly should not have been working unsupervised and there was no proper management in place- they actually told me 'we have now brought in a manager to bring this section up to speed'- this is after 3 months of inflicting this service on all and sundry.

The regulator has since decided the maternity services at this hospital are so bad it may well be closed- but i had this need to hang on in there, make it work, ddin't want to make a fuss etc. I really shouldn't have put up with it.

If it doesn't improve, leave as fast as you can.

MW services everywhere are under pressure but many are still very well run doing with MW doing wonderful work, don't put up with rubbish.

I will have the abnomality scan at 20 weeks so if anything was wrong with baby people were aware before birth and a care plan was put into place but the NT is something I have never wanted as it only gives odd's and I would never have the amino!
Thanks for the advice and I have my consultant tomorrow who last time I saw every week so going to see if he will let me be under the hospital midwife team so save duplicate appointments etc and I will explain it to him as he has known me for 10 years (since DC1) so knows me well- plus the bonus of not useless that useless moose again!

good luck with the consultant. i wouldn't want to see the MW again, she sounds truly dreadful. i haven't seen any really awful midwives but i haven't come across an excellent one either, so far they have mostly been rather uninterested :( it's appalling that she should refuse to discuss a vbac with you, even with your history if the plate isn't a problem and you've had a previous natural birth that should really improve your chances.

i hope the consultant is more supportive.

I wasnt happy with my MW and i was told i could change MW - and use one at a different surgery - but still retain my current docs for docs only.

So I signed on at another surgey for MW services only.

It was no problem at all, I did however go back to old MW.

Most people are v sympathetic to pregnant ladies and are embarrased or upset that someone has been useless, so simply call round docs near you and ask if you can sign on temporarily for MW services - and make sure she doesnt work there as well!

My awful one turned out to be a matron, and I have since heard lots of pepole been reduced to tears by her and been unhappy!

Yeah you need to raise it with the GP.

As someone who works in the healthcare industry, it's really horrible to work with someone that you know upsets patients. Often patients are really the only people who have the power to draw serious attention to rudeness like this.

Good luck with the consultant, but you might want to discuss your situation with the midwives at the hospital too. They can be v good at putting people at ease :)

I've put it on the other thread but it's moving so fast you prob missed it!

I complained in last pregnancy and was under hospital care from 16 weeks as there wasn't another community MW. This time I've not got a MW yet but am expecting hassle as I have to explain every time.

I just phoned the supervisor of MW at the hospital and explained my problem.

Hi

From a midwife POV I'd say raise it with the supervisor of midwives, and they can tell you who else you'd be able to see (in your area).

Not sure the GP could do much.