I REALLY don't want to go to my antenetal appointment at the hospital

[safari111]

I have my 25 week appt tomorrow and my midwife unit is still running appointments as normal. The unit is on the 3rd floor of my local hospital.

I've been totally fine up until now, but the reality of having to go there tomorrow is now making me very anxious and upset. Thankfully my pregnancy is low risk but that doesn't mean I want to take my chances with coronavirus. I've had pneumonia as a child and the thought of ever going through that again but as a pregnant woman terrifies me. I had a miscarriage with my first pregnancy just over a year ago, so whilst I try my best to reduce stress in my life I do feel almost over-protective of my current pregnancy.

Have any of you had any appointments at the hospital recently? Did it feel safe? Were things any different to how they normally are?

Alternatively, have you ever gone through a pregnancy without having antenatal appointments?

I go in 2-3 times a week for monitoring and BP checks and scans (38 weeks, high risk pregnancy) and everything is fine. The maternity units are the safest places in the hospital and they are now practising social distancing, and wear masks, aprons and gloves around you.

I am 25 weeks in Fri and I have my appt next week. It's my second child.
I am also worried. The appt has not been cancelled but I am debating whether or not to cancel myself. I have my GTT the week after and then I guess my 28 week appt will be the week after. It seems like a lot. I am really scared too.

I had my 12 week scan then blood test, hospital was deserted, no one in antenatal waiting but me. Staff in ppe, chairs set up for social distancing. I genuinely felt safer than I have done being in a shop, and wouldn't even consider missing a pregnancy related appointment.

I went in for RFM and then a scan the following day, hospital was deserted, staff all gowned up and masked up. Take tissue paper to open doors with and push buttons in the lift. Use the anti bac at entrances and exits, try not to touch anything, wash your hands and change when you get home.
You'll be perfectly safe!

Please attend. These appointments are not just so you can see your baby on a scan.

Thank you all for your replies and advice!... The fact that you say they're wearing PPE and desertedness of the hospitals is reassuring and giving me more confidence to just go for it

I'm feeling the same about my one next week.
I'm going to wear a mask and gloves. I don't no if that's a bit ott! But I'd rather be safe than sorry

@Liverbird77 hopefully you find some reassurance in what the other posters have said... Fear of the unknown can be the absolute worst, but it's helped me a bit to know that they're in protective gear and that the hospitals are quiet.

@pollypocketrocket I've been debating the same about wearing a mask and gloves! Better to be safe/OTT than sorry??

Honestly @Liverbird77 I would be grateful they are still going to see you. All over the country pregnant women are being left in limbo with appointments being cancelled or being done over the phone with no urine/ blood pressure tests etc. I would also agree that the maternity unit is probably the safest area in the hospital.

I am grateful, I just don't know if the 25 week appt is vital, given it's my second pregnancy and I am going to have all the tests the following week.
I think I am scared because a family member is in hospital with Covid 19 right now and we think she probably picked it up on a prior hospital visit. I don't have it right now by the way because I've been isolating, along with husband and toddler.

Hi just wanted to add my experience. I live on an island with 1 hospital (no other ultrasound provisions without getting a ferry which they aren't all running) and that's where all confirmed cases of covid-19 currently are. I had my 12 week scan (at 13+1) 11 days ago...the hospital was deserted! All in PPE, chairs removed to abide by social distancing, no one else waiting near me and I got an hour appointment!!! I took a change of clothes - wore tights and a dress, changed out of the tights in the car park after lol put leggings on and changed my dress, put the outfit in a sealed bag with my shoes (which I anti bacced with spray) in the boot then got in the car 😂 might sound a bit much but I suffer with anxiety and doing this made me feel better. 11 days on and I'm showing no signs 🙂 Please go, you will be fine but I'll be thinking of you as I know you'll be anxious but the minute I saw my baby I was so glad I'd gone to my appt. and you will be too ❤️

UPDATE Hi all I just wanted to say thank you for your reassuring messages because they really helped calm me down. I just called the midwife unit to ask what to expect tomorrow and they told me that all midwives are in PPE, I'll be waiting to be called in from the foyer and the appointments will be staggered and I'll be asked to wash my hands when I come in. They also said it's very quiet and that if I feel more comfortable wearing my own mask I can do that and that some women have been and some haven't. If anyone is interested to know anymore detail about how tomorrow goes I can post another update after my appointment. I hope this reassures someone else who is in the same situation. Stay safe, all!

That's great news. Please do let us know how it goes and good luck!

Just to add also that my thinking was if no partners are allowed and it's only pregnant women in the maternity unit then they're all likely to be being very careful, isolating and so on so less risk there too.

LATEST UPDATE Hiya so I went to my appointment this morning and it was nothing to worry about really. As others have said, it was really quiet. I only saw one woman come out of the maternity unit and one waiting her turn as I was leaving, (neither wore masks or anything) but the waiting area was set outside the unit itself with 2 chairs spaced well apart. I definitely saw more contractors (maybe maintenance, don't know) and nursing staff than patients.
I was still really anxious about going into town to the hospital as I hadn't been anywhere for 3 weeks as well as the unit being on the 3rd floor of the hospital, so I wore a mask even though I felt self concious the midwives didn't bat an eyelid- they were all in masks/aprons/gloves and eye guards.
So apart from missing the kind of 'human' element (obvs couldn't see their mouth when they talked/smiled and they wore gloves when taking blood pressure and bump measurements) the appointment was all pretty normal and I do feel like it was a safe environment. Hope this helps! Go to your appointments whilst you still can!

Brilliant! I'm really glad it went well x