Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Midwife appointments

13 replies

RGPargy · 27/04/2007 13:12

Hi Peeps

Sorry that i'm posting rather a lot, especially as i only joined yesterday, but I've not got alot on (work wise) so i'm sat here bugging you lot instead.

I had my "booking in" appointment on Monday and was surprised when my midwife said i wasn't going to be seeing her again until mid-June!!! I mean, we're only in April so that's like nearly 2 months!! Surely that's not right, is it?

I'm sure i was seen by the midwife with DS1 at least every month at the beginning.

I was unhappy with her not having any information for me in the form of books etc because she'd forgotten to put them in her car so now i have to wait til mid-June before i get my "book" and any Bounty information packs etc.

I think it's not on really!

I know they are over-worked etc, but sometimes i feel that they just treat everyone as a number and not a person and dont take into account everyone's personal feelings on having a baby. They've seen it all a thousand times before, but for us, it's all new (relatively).

Anyway, just thought I'd rant. That is all.

/endrant

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RedFraggle · 27/04/2007 13:19

Hi RgPargy,

I think this is pretty normal unfortunately! I am supposed to be being intensively monitored after my dd's birth and yet midwives have seen me a grand total of 4 times (one booking in appointment, an anti-d shot, a mistake appt for repeat anti-d and an appt I made as I was fed up with not being seen) I am 33 weeks gone now! Hmm very intensive monitoring. Just make an appointment and go and see them if you feel you want to ask any questions or just get checked over.
Frustrating though isn't it? If there was a problem, there is no way on earth it would be picked up on with the frequency of appointments offered. Makes me laugh when I read pregnancy manuals that say "At this stage your midwife will want to see you every two weeks" Really?! On what planet...

BizzyDint · 27/04/2007 13:21

sounds normal. you don't go every month until later on. eventually it's more like every week.

Lemmiwinks · 27/04/2007 13:31

Yep, sounds normal! In truth tho, there's no real need to monitor you that closely until the middle of the second trimester, really not until nearly the third trimester when you will need to be seen more often unless of course there's complications or other health issues involved, so try not to stress about it. You can always ring up and get an appointment if you are worried about something though, so don't let it put you off if you want to see or speak to someone before your next appointment. If I were you tho, I'd call up to see if the pregnancy booklets and Bounty packs are available for you to pop in and pick up now, you just need to put some pressure on them.

Original poster

RGPargy · 27/04/2007 13:38

Re the books etc, she just said "have you got a pregnancy book?" and i just assumed she meant had i actually bought one!! I didn't know they were given to you until my pregnant friend told me!!

As for the Bounty packs, i only found out from Bounty itself that they are supposed to give you the packs at booking in.

Now i'm feeling very sorry for myself and not happy (bloody hormones!).

OP posts:

lemonaid · 27/04/2007 13:43

Seems pretty normal with DS I had my booking-in appointment at around 13 weeks and then didn't see her again until 24 weeks. I didn't get a Bounty pack until I'd actually had DS, either (actually probably wouldn't have bothered if I hadn't been tired and hormonal and the Bounty rep pushy there wasn't anything of any use in it so far as I can remember). And I didn't get a book until my antenatal classes.

JARM · 27/04/2007 13:47

I think MW's are now offering LESS appointments.

I saw my midwife every 3-4 weeks until 32 weeks with my first, and only in 2005 was I seeing my MW every 4-5 weeks until 34 weeks with my second.

I had my booking in appointment yesterday, and she wants me to go back after i have had my scan, but then i probably wont get seen for about 8 weeks. Its madness!

I dont feel us pg ladies are really getting the care we used to.

Lemmiwinks · 27/04/2007 14:06

She probably did mean "did you go out and buy yourself a pregnancy book" b/c it's not standard to get a proper book, they are more like a thick magazine or a couple of smaller magazines/booklets depending on the hospital. I'm also saying that b/c I was actually asked if I'd bought any books to read and that was by midwives at two different hospitals (I changed hospitals). That's probably not going to help you feel better tho! She should have definitely given you some sort of reading material tho so just bug them to let you go pick some things up. Also, most women I know did not receive a bounty pack at any antenatal appointments regardless of what hospitals they were in. I didn't get a bounty pack either, but now I want one!

Catz · 27/04/2007 14:47

I've seen the midwife at:
8 wks for booking in
15/16 wks for blood tests for downs etc (we don't have nuchal on the NHS in my Trust),
21 wks (optional)
25 wks (GP - 1st timers only)
28 wks

Next is 31 wks with GP and again only because it's my first. Otherwise I'd have to wait till 34 wks for the next midwife appointment i.e. a month and a half's wait and you're only a few weeks from being full term.

That's my Trust's standard timetable and I think it's pretty normal. My cousin in the US, however, is seeing her obstetrician every couple of weeks and that's standard ... well I suppose it's standard if you have cash knowing the US... (she was shocked that I didn't have an obstetrician and wasn't likely to!)

Loopymumsy · 27/04/2007 16:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

beckmo · 27/04/2007 17:13

Er...Bounty pack? Am I missing out on something?

It was only when I had my 12 week scan that I got to see a midwife. And my booking in with my GP consisted of him referring me to the hospital for the scan- no questions or tests. Certainly no book!In fact he seem alittle unsure what to do with me.

Then I only got top see a student at 12 weeks so really (after changing Drs so I got a practice with a midwife) I didn't see anyone who I felt I could trust until about 16 weeks.I do feel you have to shout for good care-they only realised I was rhesus negative 13 weeks after the initial blood test!Just in time for my injection luckily.

bumperlicious · 27/04/2007 19:47

Crap isn't it? It's like "oh your pregnant? This is a huge and scary thing for you and your body is going to change in ways you can't imagine, hormones are going to take over your body and you are going to feel a bit freaked out for a while - but we'll see you in 6 months!" Helpful isn't it? But that's what mumsnet is for!

It's doesn't get better either. I'm 32 weeks and was concerned at my lack of antenatal classes. Spoke to midwife (after several unanswered messages) and she said "On, you're not in my book, we don't know about you." Can you believe it?

tiredandgrumpy · 27/04/2007 19:51

I couldn't even get mw appointments at our doctor's surgery, without booking weeks in advance. Great, given I was 39 weeks pregnant at the time!

foxybrown · 27/04/2007 19:58

I'm on pg number 4, which apparently means that I only need to see the MW 4 times in 9 months. Oh, I did get an extra appointment as I am rhesus negative and needed an anti-d jab.

This is despite the fact that this has been the most stressful pregnancy for all sorts of reasons, and has given me the most concerns. I've been told to go to the hospital when worried when often all I really needed was reassurance and to hear the heartbeat.

I'm sure that before I saw them more because of having homebirths too.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread