Cancelling appointment- would you?

[glueandstick]

I'm due to see the midwife tomorrow and currently there is a horrid virus/cold/flu thing going around. My family are all down with it locally and so many people we know. (haven't seen them since well before they got ill) I haven't been out recently (have you seen the weather?!) and keeping myself to myself. The people we know have gone on to get chest infections and are really quite unwell.

Would it be unreasonable to cancel my appointment tomorrow at the local surgery so I'm not sat around a load of sick people? I'm well, have no questions and the midwife isn't much use and just wants to give endless bloody bounty packs and tell me that breastfeeding is the only option. I only have 3 weeks to go. It has been an unremarkable pregnancy.

Is this reasonable or am I being a bit precious?

crumbles that was the advice I was given when taking dd with low immunity to the gp, as they didn't have anywhere else we could wait. Ditto when she had impetigo and was a risk to other patients. It takes seconds for the receptionist to give her a wave, probably no more of a delay than a patient who's wobbly on their feet negotiating a full waiting room.

Jabs? They've forgotten to do blood tests since 12 weeks. I get the checks are important but they seem so unbothered and half arsed doing everything that it makes you wonder.

Any how. I'm going but seeing as they have only booked a standard appointment when I was told it was an hour to sort out all the lack of other appointments I'm not holding out any great hope. Perhaps you've all been very lucky but the care I've had has been appalling.

I think my reluctance to go is that seeing as they have done so little so far I can't see why there is a need to risk catching anything else when most appointments have been utterly pointless. If the care had been reassuring and fine then I wouldn't have hesitated.

so you have no blood tests since 12w glue?
not been recommended WC or flu jabs?
i assume you're not rhesus negative (hopefully)?

it does sound like you've been let down by the system a bit...I'd recommend a read through of expected appointments/antenatal care on the nhs website in case you've missed out on anything else which might be important...then you can chase up on anything pertinent (perhaps not with your mw, but head of mw services/similar?) and a quick feedback letter might not go amiss.

sorry your experience hasn't been more positive.

my mw has now changed, but my first was always a bit all over the place, running hours late etc. to be fair they are massively under resourced in many areas, but her replacement is a dream (dont mean to rub it in!)

It may not have been reassuring but it is definitely essential for your baby to be monitored.

Also I'm sorry you've had such crap care. Please do make a complaint, you shouldn't have to suffer through care.

It has always been 'we've got no time to do that' and when asked if I had thought about the flu jab which I hadn't they just told me they'd see me in x weeks.

They didn't even check the baby last time as they were too busy. Hence why I can't see the point in going. I have been keeping an eye on my own blood pressure as it hasn't been written down correctly (minor typos)

Honestly it has been shocking and I don't have the energy to complain. It took three weeks for them to phone me back about a query.

I have genuinely given up.

As for antenatal classes- I haven't been told about any and told I should have researched myself. Kept asking but now it's too late. Good isn't it? Perhaps it goes a long way to explain my lack of desire to go.

I agree with the posters who've said go. Several of my friends had 'unremarkable' pregnancies with complications that appeared at 37+ weeks.

Arrive just before your appointment time, sit away from others and use antibacterial gel.

It does sound like your care has been lacking and you should complain about that.

The flu and whooping cough jabs aren't done by midwife Btw, you need to book in at your usual gp surgery for them, in my area it's the practise nurse that does them.

Blood tests also done at gp surgery or in my case hospital as I have crap veins.

After 12 wks you should have got bloods done at 28wks and then I think once more near the end of the pregnancy.

In my notes there is a list of all the appointments I should have and what they do at each app, do you not have that? It's in my hand held notes but I know they vary by area. I have less app with midwife as I am a multip and have low risk pregnancies. You normally have more appointments if it's your first.

If you are not happy with care do you have a gp you know well/are comfortable with at your surgery who you can see?