Boss upset me today over pg appointments - can she do this??

[Alias78]

My manager can be incredibly difficult, she's a bit of a bully and can be very personal and inappropriate. She has made several snide and upsetting comments to me relating to my pg. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and today I gave her an updated list of all my antenatal appointments including a therapist I'm seeing for my prenatal anxiety. She is now saying I am not entitled to time off for that particular appointment. She was quite nasty about it too saying "do you expect the company to foot the bill for ALL your time off?" and said I'd have to book it as holiday (the holiday i want to use to get away from her ASAP!) I was v upset and had an anxiety attack. I think I will have to have an HR rep there from now on when I deal with her.

Can she do this? Are "mental health" appointments for pregnancy anxiety not counted the same as for the physical/medical appointments?

Update - HR have confirmed therapy for pg-anxiety is covered under antenatal care.

So she put me through all that crap for nothing. Why didn't she just ASK someone or a google it before talking to me??

I'll be honest-I'd be tempted to go the whole hog and go along to aquanatal, nct classes etc. just cos you can! don't get me wrong, I'm not a deliberately difficult person but if my boss were like yours has been, id want to prove a point.

I have found with bosses (regardless of gender) with no dc you have to be very firm almost jobs worthy with regards to your rights. Out do them with confidence of knowing your rights. If she ever challenges you and again and you feel always smile and say you'll have to get back to her and email HR a query. Always keep a paper trail.

Working woman have kids. Thats just the way it is and businesses have to accept this basic fact and work with it. It's a shame in this day and age we're challenged over basic rights so much.

That said I did have an employee who found out she was pregnant (4weeks or so) and presented a sick note for pregnancy related illness however she had a history of long term illness