Um, is there anyone else who doesn't actually have a midwife?

[beansprout]

The standard advice on MN is to "contact your midwife" but I never knew who this was when preg with ds. I just contacted the hospital or GP. Am now 16w and still don't know who I would ring.

Am I supposed to be told or should I insist they give me a contact name? It's not a big deal, I just feel a bit left out! Plus, I appreciate that there are benefits to having some continuity of care!

I never had a midwife either so don't worry. I think it is fine to ring the hospital or GP.

I don't think they have assigned midwives in all areas do they?

system is completely different in spain, and "my" last midwife (the pre natal one) one was a witch, so in many ways, olucky you!

Where are your antenatal appointments?
If the community MWs you see are all based at the hospital then that's the place to ring.
If you see them at your local GP surgery they should have a number there, or at least be able to put you in touch with the,.

I was given the number of the MW 'command centre', their central office from which they pop out to the various GP surgeries in the area. Never had a specific number for 'my midwife' Carol.

NB if you have your own notes they often put a 'contact details' sticker on the inside of the front cover or somewhere.

I never saw a midwife in my first 28 weeks of pregnancy, which I did in London. I had a nice GP and the bloods woman and the scans woman were very nice at the hospital, and I saw my obstetrician at 20 weeks because I had an abnormal antibody in my blood, and I saw the anaesthetist about a c-section, but I didn't see anyone who called themselves a midwife or talked about anything midwiffish.

For the rest of my pregnancy I was in Canada. I had lots of scans because my bump was measuring small and then because I was supposed to have too little fluid, and was in and out of hospital constantly and never saw a midwife. The c-s was done with my husband and a team of people I'd never met before and I didn't see the same nurse twice after the birth.

I worried about it because everyone else had a midwife - like you I felt left out - but I think it was okay. I keep reading about this chronic shortage of midwives and, well, as far as I know that sounds about right.

i'm 37 weeks with second pg and have never had 'a' midwife. had whoever was around at the time of appointment if clinic and a couple of duty mwives at birth (shift changed). interesting how quality of staff varies a lot!

Although I have an assigned midwife, attached to my GP's surgery, and the same one as when I was pg with ds, I've yet to meet her this time, and only saw her twice with ds. She is always on holiday or awol. I'm not bothered in the slightest - the locum ones seemed much nicer.