Huge anxiety over seeing midwife

[wondering7777]

I posted about this the other day, but since then things have got far more serious, with the country in virtual lockdown.

I have four midwife appointments coming up and am just too scared to go into the surgery and come into close contact with someone who could pass on this virus to me.

The midwife appointments are not exactly helpful anyway - there’s the urine sample and blood pressure tests (which have never thrown up any problems so far) and the measuring of the bump, which is said to be fairly inaccurate anyway. My midwife has never given me any advice that I haven’t already known from websites and books.

I feel far safer self isolating at home where I won’t be putting my or my unborn baby’s health at risk. Not to mention DH, who will most likely catch it if I do.

I’ve just read on another thread how someone is worried for a family member who’s soon to give birth because they’ll be going into hospital with all the risks that brings. Obviously that’s totally unavoidable but I feel the midwife appointments really are.

I just can’t believe the government is asking people to stay home and avoid all unnecessary contact, and yet pregnant women are allowed to sit in a surgery where there’s a good chance they could catch this disease.

What do you think?

I posted on your other post so I’ll post on this one again...
Firstly, please try and see if your midwife can come to you instead.
Secondly, if you do absolutely nothing else, buy the urine test sticks on eBay and test your wee every day. These stocks are what initially picked up my GD on my very last appointment, and without them I doubt I would have given birth to a healthy baby.

Thanks Pentium and sorry to repeat myself - I’m just feeling so anxious about this at moment.

Is anyone else in their third trimester and in the same boat?

I'm 28+6 and had a MW appt this week. She phoned me beforehand to check I was feeling OK. The surgery are only doing phone appts now so when I arrived I didn't even get a chance to sit down in the empty waiting room. I went straight in without seeing another person. Both MW and I washed our hands as soon as I went into the room then she put gloves on and kept them on the whole time. She only came near me to take blood, measure bump, and get baby's heart rate. But she was still arm's length away.

I'm glad I went because baby's heart rate was too high. I had been reading too much on MN, FB, and the news and I had major anxiety. My own heart rate was very high. Eventually, after I calmed down, baby's HR slowed back to where it should be but at one point I was looking at being admitted for monitoring. It was very scary and it made me realise the impact my anxiety was having on my baby. Had I not gone, I'd not have realised and I'd have struggled to find a way to keep calm this week.

Instead, I've spent my week making lists of everything that's positive for me right now. I stay off MN apart from a look at pregnancy boards every couple of days and I don't look at FB as much. I feel so much better about everything and I've accepted that we just have to take it a day at a time and just deal with things as and when they happen.

Go to your appointments - they're important. Take every precaution you can but don't panic. It's wasted energy and potentially harmful to your baby.

I agree with PPs and class midwife appointments as necessary contact to ensure your health and that of your baby. Just because none of the tests have thrown anything up so far doesn't mean they won't at some point (hence why they test regularly).

Your surgery will have strict health and safety procedures in place because of the virus so as long as you take take the necessary precautions - don't arrive early and spend too long in waiting room, wash your hands, sit away from others, etc. You'll be fine.

I'm 27+4 and had an appointment last week. I was anxious about it too but needs must and if (god forbid) something was wrong/needed attention), you need to know sooner rather than later. It's all about balancing the risks.