Does anyone else never get any response from their midwife?

[inuinnit]

Sorry - bit of a rant. My midwife system works as a voicemail and they say they will call you back. I'm 38 weeks now and have left about 12 messages with midwives over the course of my pregnancy and have never received a call back.

Some of the calls were administrative only (once for example one of my regular appointments were rescheduled and the midwife didn't confirm which hospital/surgery they were booked at and I was just trying to get through to find out, which ended up in me missing the appointment), but there was one case where I was feeling ill and needed to know what I could take, and one case of reduced movements. In the end I ended up relying on google for the former and calling the labour line for the second.

It's got to the point where I don't actually feel like I have any support between appointments unless I waste NHS resources by calling up the hospital. Is this normal and am I just being oversensitive, or have I got really unlucky with my midwife team?

I had similar. In the end I went to my GP when I felt something wasn't right. One of the midwives even said to me "you do know you're supposed to ring us when you have a problem don't you? Not your gp" and I said "I do know that but no one ever returns my calls!" To be fair she did look a bit embarrassed and I guess it wasn't her fault but overall I was very unimpressed by the community midwife service.

That's pretty shit. Mine always call back, usually the same day.

I think you are really unlucky. Is there a different way to contact your midwife? I’ve usually been told that phoning is unreliable and to email them for non-urgent stuff and either page them or call the labour ward for anything pressing, especially something like reduced movement. If there isn’t another way of contacting them I think I would complain (supervisor of MWs maybe?) you aren’t receiving good enough care.

Mine never called back either. After about 4 months of no messages and seeing a different midwite at each appointment they told me she'd transferred to inpatients and the number didn't work anymore. Thanks for telling me

I've had the same through my 4 pregnancies. Each time gave me my own midwives number and a list of other midwives' numbers to ring and ask for advice, but none of them were ever available and never got back to me. The one time I did get through I felt as though I had really inconvenienced her by phoning, so from then on I would ring the pregnancy assessment unit at the hospital to ask for advice.

Mine never answered the phone and there was no voicemail. Totally pointless. MDAU never answered the phone either.

I moved at the end of my pregnancy and I couldn’t believe how much better it was here.

Well I'm glad at least it's not just me!

When I rung the labour line re reduced movements they were like 'but are you in labour?' and I had to say no, but of every number I've called in the last five hours this is the only one that has picked up. The midwives are v reassuring in person but there's nothing less reassuring when you are panicking than waiting for someone to call you back and not hearing anything...

I have a number for the community midwife team, never had a problem when I've needed to call them... only problem is they're only there from 8.30 - 10am on weekdays!

Actually the only time they did pick up I was worried about pre-eclampsia because my vision had suddenly gone blurry and she told me to make an appointment with my optician so I’m not sure the advice would have been great anyway.

Mine took a whole week to call me for a booking appointment (after I'd chased the doctors twice) - and I burst into tears when she finally called as im so anxious she then gave me the number of the EPU if I had any questions- seems she's not in the answering questions line of business - I know they must be very busy but what is the point of being assigned one?!

Exactly the same here, it's so disheartening sometimes. I don't use the NHS much and the one time I've needed them it's been disappointing!

We're quite lucky where we are that we are quite supported but my very own midwife is pretty crap bless her.

I think they are very overstretched , underpaid and we need to support them as much as possible while. It putting ourselves at risk :(

OP have you kept a log? Complain to PALS. It's not acceptable.

Mine never answer or call back as well. It is an additional stress for me to keep calling her and voice messages. She has never called back for the whole 28 weeks. If I am lucky she answers the phone. I keep her voice messages, texts and nothing. I am begining to think if I should complain. But afraid of doing so because I have to be with her during my whole pregnancy.

Mine tells me to text including my name so she knows who I am. For any urgent enquiries including reduced movements, I'm to ring maternity triage at the hospital, not my midwife. I don't really need to contact her much, maybe once in the course of a pregnancy?

It's pretty normal that you don't get an answer as the midwives are rarely in the office, especially with current high demand.
It is not normal or right for them never to respond to your messages though. You should find out how to put in a complaint.
Do not feel like you are wasting resources ringing the hospital though, it's their job to look after all pregnant women too.

I've only needed to call the midwives or hospital to alter appointments, 6th baby so an old hand.

I just called the hospital and got to know that my midwife has left the trust. This is the second time I had a change of midwives. I am mid wifeless now. :( It is my first baby and I have so many questions etc.