Taking maternity notes on holiday

[Bugaboom]

I'm going on holiday next week within UK. 22 weeks pregnant with 2nd DC. Last pregnancy was uncomplicated until BP problems at the end. Been deemed low risk this time. Would you bother taking maternity notes with you?

Nope. I just got an a4 piece of paper and wrote down all the essential facts, contact numbers, NHS numbers, any drugs and supplements I took, allergies, etc etc

Yes.They don't exactly take up much space do they? And you'd never forgive yourself if something happened and you needed them. Just bung them in the zippy top bit of a suitcase lid.

Yes, I needed them only a couple of Weeks later than that on holiday.

You're slightly more prone to complications/bp issues whilst travelling and the local hospital will know nothing about you.

Yes, yes, yes and yes!!
You need to take them.
As a HCP, it's maddening the number of women who don't carry them.
They are invaluable and are supposed to be with you all the time....

They're in the bag. Blue has made me feel especially guilty for considering not packing them as a fellow HCP!

Yes i take them away with me - even on day trips away and in my last pregnancy i did actually need them when i was away for a day too. The midwives at the hospital down there were very pleased i had my actual notes with me.

When I was pushed for space/concerned about losing them I took a photocopy of the key pages with me (leaving behind all the tick box stuff about things I'd discussed with the midwife).

If you don't want to lose them, photocopy them.

Low risk doesn't come into it. Imagine you are in an accident or come down with a fever - they need to know the details of your pregnancy quickly so they don't inadvertently give the wrong medication or something - you might well be too ill to explain.
What if you had a bleed or something? Always best to have them.

I have actually carried mine everywhere. I checked in case this was 'silly', the MW said no that is what you're supposed to do - and to photocopy them if I wanted.

When I was in hospital last week a woman came in to maternity triage straight from work. She didn't have her notes and the staff were a bit pissed off. Even in her regular hospital the lack of paper notes caused problems.