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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Midwife doesn't cater for working mothers!

123 replies

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 19:00

Hi,

I work full time 8:00 - 4:00 Monday to Friday. My midwife is at my GP's surgery every Wednesday from 12 - 4:45. The problem is that she likes her bookings to be one after another. So If she has one at 3:30 then she wants the next one to be at 3:45. She refuses to wait for me to finish work at 4:00, I could be there at 4.10 so she wouldn't have to wait long. So if her last appointment is at 3:30 she wont wait until 4:10 for me ... even though she is supposed to stay until 4.45. Is this normal?! I am now 22 weeks pregnant and haven't seen her since I was 5 weeks pregnant ... all because she wont wait and my work is extremely awkward when trying to get time off.

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SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:20

The midwives job is to provide the appointment - which she does. It is the job of the woman or her employer to make sure she gets there. If it doesn't suit you then you need to take it up with your employer or go private. Routine appointments take place what - every 4-6 weeks? There is something very, very wrong if you can't make arrangements that far in advance.

MortifiedAnyFuckerAdams · 08/12/2013 20:21

Ring her and book all your appts in advance for lunchtime. Go then.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:21

ok but what if, like me, you keep getting offered an appointment at 3pm?

I don't have anyone else who can pick my other 3 children up from school.

so i cannot see the midwife.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:22

oh ho.... yes... and we get onto the other irritating fact which is that "we don't book appointments that far in advance"

so no. no i can't

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:22

and even if they did allow me to do that, everyone else would have done the same!

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:22

This is not new. I had my teens 16 and 14 years ago, and the last one 6 years ago. Midwives were not flexible then either - the routine clinic appointments were at set times. Losing a baby does not count as a routine appointment, so of course we are given emergency appointments - which is the result of the routine appointments being structured at set times.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:24

losing a baby? no-one has mentioned that?

my youngest is 4, and for him and both previous babies I was allowed to book an appointment that suited me within the midwives working hours.

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:24

Why don't you pick up your children at 2.30 from school and take them? Or find out why you 'keep' getting a 3pm appointment and tell her you have childcare commitments.

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:24

My mistake - read last as lost.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:25

really? i should have to take 3 children out of school 45 minutes early every time I need an appointment? and have them all there with me

you're right. that's totally reasonable

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:26

i rather suspect that I keep getting 3pm appointments because no-one else will take them! so they have to just wait until someone comes along who doesn't have older children who is willing to go at that time.

bundaberg · 08/12/2013 20:28

generally I have to wait until the next week and hope I ring up early enough for an earlier appointment. or keep ringing them in the hope that they'll fill the 3pm appointment and can get a later one.

it just is such a hassle, you know? and it does make me not really want to bother going! which is bad.

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:28

Why not? It's not the midwife's fault that you can't get anyone else to pick up your DCs after school. I've certainly had to take my DCs to various routine appointments. Given that it's only every few weeks perhaps your DH/P could annual leave? Or pay for a babysitter? Or try for another appointment at another time - seems odd that it's you who keeps getting a 3pm appointment.

joanofarchitrave · 08/12/2013 20:30

I do sympathise to some extent but yes, there is a difference having an appointment last thing, because you still have to do all the records and paperwork for the final appointment. The midwife is probably a working mother herself.

However, she also sounds incompetent and that's a separate (and serious) issue. Make a complaint if you possibly can.

I would ring around a few surgeries and find one where the midwife runs a morning surgery tbh.

I worked at a GP practice where they had Saturday surgeries for a couple of years the last time that was flavour of the month in the NHS. Very few people ever turned up.

SirChenjin · 08/12/2013 20:31

I suspect that you were able to book more flexible times previously is due to funding. Seriously, as an employee I can assure you that the NHS is absolutely at breaking point. It's not just 'under pressure' it's about to implode.

onedev · 08/12/2013 20:31

I agree with you Op - it's ridiculous that if she has clinic hours for appts, she won't let you have the appt time which suits you. Yes, your employer shouldn't be awkward about things but at the same time, if she has appt times which don't impact on your working hours, then you should be able to access those. That said, mine was exactly the same & whilst my employer wasn't slightly funny about me taking time out for appts,I hated having to do it.

I'd definitely complain again about her & take it further if necessary (not so much about the appt but about the other things you describe). I'd also go to see your GP for the referral to the consultant if she's ignoring something significant. Good luck!

Noseynoonoo · 08/12/2013 20:33

My midwife had the same system. I would book the appointment I was offered, usually the very earliest that the midwife was offering. This secured me an appointment. I would ring back over the next few weeks and ask what time the available appointment was, by this time about an hour later and I'd book that and then say, 'Oh, I seem to have double-booked' and then cancel the earlier one. Seemed to work.

lilyaldrin · 08/12/2013 20:35

OP, I think you need to start prioritising your baby! Yes, it's irritating that you can't have an appointment exactly when you want one, but that isn't a reason to just not go to any.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 08/12/2013 20:38

LittlePea yes, that's right, they aren't taking on new cases until funding issues are resolved which is such a shame!

puddleduck16 · 08/12/2013 20:38

my midwife is a bit like this - she likes to fill one after the other. I always ask for the latest one (not that my work are funny about letting me leave, but my own patients get right grumpy about me having to cancel their appointments) and ask her to phone me to reschedule if no one books in between. However, she's always so busy and had full clinics that I haven't been rescheduled yet!!!

LydiaLunches · 08/12/2013 20:41

It took to nearly the end of my last pregnancy to work out that were lots of places I could see a midwife, community hospitals, sure start centres etc in addition to my GP, made things a lot easier. I would get your GP to refer you for an urgent opinion at a consultant clinic in writing though if you are concerned about a hereditary condition. I do think your MW is being reasonable though, would never happen where I am as they are always full! Could you risk ringing the day before and getting the last appointment?

seafoodudon · 08/12/2013 20:41

This thread is beginning to make me appreciate the service we have in the city where I live. I hadn't realised I was lucky! As a university lecturer I appreciate that I could have time off for appointments but in reality the rescheduling of lectures is such a nightmare that I wouldn't dream of asking (and I have quite a long commute so couldn't just pop back). The midwife has done my last two visits as home visits, on a day that suited me. I couldn't pick a time, but can work at home easily enough one day a week - and can phone in the morning on the day to find what time they'll be here. Hmm, sorry, not useful I know, but it just goes to show you what a ridiculously postcode specific system UK maternity services are!

Shaky · 08/12/2013 20:45

Where I work each midwife has specific clinic times, mine are Wednesday and Friday mornings. My Wednesday clinic starts at 09.30 and runs for as long as it takes.

It is preferable to book appointments in order, one after the other. It is just not practical to have a first appointment at 09.30 then the next at 10.15 for example. When women ask for later appointments, I explain this and give them the latest appointment available at that time. Then I advise them if they want a later appointment to phone the day before and they can then be allocated the last slot.

Most midwifery teams offer a "drop in" service whereby we offer appointments between 9 - 10 am for those who cannot make clinic times.

We do try very hard to be as accommodating as possible but as many other posters have suggested, you are allowed the time off BY LAW

scottishmummy · 08/12/2013 20:46

2 important points,your work legally need to accomodate antenatal.its not optional
Write to practice manager and complain service is inflexible

Original poster

rubyslippers7788 · 08/12/2013 20:49

SirChenjin - I am not asking for the midwife to be flexible with her appointments. I am asking that she stays at the surgery until 4:45 as she is supposed to!

OP posts:

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