mums of/mums to be of twins

[helybel]

I am 18 weeks pregnant with twins. My question is, are you/ or did you, only see the consultant/registrars at the hospital for all your antenatal, or are you also going to see the midwives at the surgery in addition?

The registrar at the hospital a few weeks ago implied it wasn't necessary as I was being checked there. Just wanted to see what others were doing, as although the hospital care is good, it is all a bit clinical. Single baby mums get the more personal touch of seeing their community midwife team.

I'm seeing both. I'm 29 weeks so I'm having growth scans every four weeks. My midwife tends to schedule our appointments in between the growth scans, so I see someone every two weeks. I've been very grateful because I haven't had one consultant consistently, and the midwife is better about answering my questions. She also uses the Doppler to find their heartbeats, so I never have to go too long before I see/hear them.

I am 25 weeks pregnant with twins and I've only seen the midwife at my booking in appointment. But I was told this week to schedule an appointment with her so I can have my blood pressure and urine checked in between my consultant appointments. So like the poster above, I'll be seeing someone every 2 weeks.

Hello, I'm 33 weeks with twins. I've found the care very hit and miss.
I am under consultant led care but have never met a consultant. I don't see midwives either so I just see registrars every 4 weeks along with my growth scans. I definitely agree that we miss the personal touch! Making sure babies are growing ok and checking for eclampsia is one thing but if you've got really painful hips or terrible constipation, you won't get much attention from the consultant / registrar!

We have a community midwife team that we can call but they don't schedule appointments as a rule. I have scheduled an appointment with them anyway for next week just to touch base and ask any midwife-y questions about the birth etc. Do you have a midwife you can direct questions at?

The other thing I've found is that the registrars aren't necessarily familiar with the administrative process of antenatal care so for example, no one told me about the whooping cough jab or the glucose challenge- I had to enquire and schedule these myself.

Both consultant and community midwife. From 30 weeks I was seen by someone once a week, alternating between midwife, consultant and scan.

I alternated between community midwives and "my consultant" (whom I only actually met once - all of my other hospital appointments were with different people. She still intervened in my labour, though. Over the phone.) Four weekly appointments, I think, until month seven or so.

Only consultant for me until I got diabetes and was seen by the diabetic midwife. I wish I'd had a midwife throughout as well though. The doctor wasn't interested in things like aching hips and the post natal time.

I'm 26 weeks and my treatment has been great so far, scan every 2/3 weeks with a consultant appointment at the hospital then midwife every 2 weeks at the surgery. My scans have been great too, very detailed with weight, growth and lots of pics!

16 weeks here so early days but I've had both so far, I seem to see someone roughly every 3 weeks, either consultant (once, but mostly like kicked it's a registrar) or midwife. I haven't found it problematic as yet, but I guess that could all change!

We've got a little group going (just two of us so far!), of twin mums-to-be, if anyone's interested in joining us, we're over here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/2471845-Twin-and-multiple-AN-thread?

Thanks everyone. I think I will book in to see a midwife at the surgery. The care for twin is consultant led which sounds like it would be more caring, but it can leave you feeling a bit neglected!

I too saw a registrar at the hospital, who wan't especially great. She didn't seem able to answer questions I had, told me things I already knew, and then sent me right over to the hospital pharmacy for an aspirin prescription which they couldn't dispense because she'd requested IV instead or oral! Not very reassuring.