Midwives abandoned me in covid ??

[rhia22]

I am a FTM currently 23 weeks. I have not seen a midwife since my booking in appointment or even spoke to my assigned midwife as last and only appointment was on the phone and she was on holiday. I rang the midwives at 18 weeks due to being up in the night with stomach pains and was told someone would ring me back that afternoon, heard absolutely nothing back and ended up seeking help from emergency pregnancy assessment at my hospital.

I am high risk pregnancy for gestational diabetes due to it being in my family and was due my glucose tolerance test on the 11th June. Woke up to a voicemail saying this was cancelled and the midwives would take my blood at my next appointment.

I don't even have a 28 week appointment booked in as they cancelled all 25 week appointments and it was too far in advance from my last phone call to book the 28 week one. I rang up to book this and was told someone would ring me back, two days later Ive heard nothing AGAIN.

I am absolutely devastated feel like I've been totally left out in the cold during my first pregnancy, understandably the NHS is under a lot of pressure but pregnant people are put in the high risk group so why are we getting less support than usual?? Any one experienced something similar? I am scared to complain incase it negatively impacts on something to do with my baby even though i am absolutely RARING to go and fully ready for a good complain haha.

That sounds incredibly stressful to have been abandoned like that.

Could you call and ask to speak to the senior midwife? Or is changing to a different hospital possible for you?

I’m 36 weeks atm and I feel like I’ve had pretty good care at my hospital (it’s a London hospital that isn’t particularly highly rated as well). Some of the midwifes have been a bit off but mostly everyone has been pretty helpful and reassuring, responsive to my calls and emails, and they were quick to get scans and blood tests ordered (including glucose tt) and appointments with the consultant.

Sorry you’re having such a bad experience. I hope you can speak to someone who will sort it out for you. Don’t be afraid to complain

thanks @Rhubarb4Custard , i think at the moment it seems to be luck of the draw with where your based on the amount of antenatal care you get unfortunately! i think i will complain (or at least mention how i'm feeling) to be honest because i don't think it's right

@rhia22 sorry to hear you feel abandoned, it doesn't sound right at all. As you are high risk, have you had any consultants appointments? Have they taken bloods/urine and tested BP when you've been for your scans since you're not getting it done at routine appointments?

I'm 30 weeks and the midwives where I am have been really good. Yes, some appointments have been cancelled, but I still had my 16 week appointment (right before lockdown) and a 29 week midwife appointment last week so had the whooping cough vaccination then.
I had a consultant appointment at 28 weeks and they took bloods and did GD test.

There was a 12 week gap between 16 weeks and 28 weeks without seeing anyone apart from the scan but I still felt they would be there if needed. I never felt abandoned.

Hi chick thought I'd share my experience as I'm 22 weeks so you can compare

Booking in - pre covid
12 week scan - in and out
16 weeks - phone call voice mail left from my assigned midwife, rang her back literally 5 minute convo was very upset
20 week scan - saw a hca after and bombarded her with questions, she told me to ring doctor for 24 w app and whooping cough. I insisted she tested my urine and blood pressure as not seen anyone since booking in

Rang doctor had vaccine and got a text confirming my 24 week appointment which may or may not be over the phone with my assigned midwife

I also contacted them for reduced movement the other week and they told me how to monitor it.

Overall not the best but not the worst experience, just hoping I get to see my midwife f2f at 24 weeks.

I'd definitely complain but ring your hospital antenatal ward rather than the doctor first.

My care is completely different to what im used to, but its still been really good so far. I had my 8 week booking in app over the phone, and my 12 week scan combined with a midwife appointment where they did all the screening blood tests and urine checks. Have been told 16 week app will be a phone call, and 20 week scan will be combined with midwife app and possibly consultant app (previous big babies) as they want to keep the amount of times we visit to a minimum. I would definitely mention it cause it doesnt sound like youre being seen at all! Oh just to add, my hospital is really badly rated too, inadequate is their highest rating! So im relieved that so far my care has been pretty good

@Indigogirl88, I had my 10 week booking in and 16 week appointment both over the phone. The midwife then said ‘oh we’ll book you in for the 24 week over the phone too’. I reluctantly let her. Then came off the phone and cried. My other half walked in the room and insisted I call back. I have told her that I’d like my 24 week and other appointments face to face. She was more than happy and just altered them. I honestly think they are in limbo of some women being extra cautious and some woman wanting Face to face reassurance.
@rhia22 I’d call the hospital and ask to speak to someone senior. If it was me I’d probably just approach it as ‘I’m worried that there had been a computer error or something, explain the situation, then let them dig themselves out of the hole’. Ask what pathway you ‘should’ have been following in terms of appointments, they’ll probably try to rectify it before you even need to go nuts...

One thing I’d say is though COVID or not, always ring the maternity assessment unit instead of the midwife if you have pains , cramps etc.
If it’s a general query then go to your midwife but any baby concerns cramps then MAU.

Personally I wouldn’t expect a whole lot from the midwife as they are run off their feet normally pre covid so I can only think what they are like now!
That of course doesn’t help you now as a FTM. In terms of the Gest diabetes check I’d complain re that. As if you have It undiagnosed it can have a huge impact.... I’d complain and complain until it gets done personally.

Don't call the hospital, all your appointments now are in the community with the community midwife, call the GP surgery ask for the appropriate appointment. If none is forthcoming, ask to speak to the practise manager and refuse to get off the phone until they speak to you. Ask about their current policy for appointments so you're clear how things are working, state your concerns and ask for the appointments.

If they can't won't see you face to face, I'd call triage/pregnancy assessment unit at the hospital to get your urine dipped etc and discuss concerns re GD. If that's not forth coming for whatever reason, ring PALS at the hospital and or speak to the manager for women's and children's/maternity services.

You're right seems to be a total post code lottery at the moment. All of my community appts have gone ahead at the right time frame and with face to face appts. I've had weekly monitoring for the last month on PAU and haven't had any trouble being seen by the hospital with any concerns at all. I'm sad others haven't had this experience

Have you had your scans yet, op?

www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2020-03-30-guidance-for-antenatal-and-postnatal-services-in-the-evolving-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-20200331.pdf
This is the RCOG recommended schedule of care for Covid. See table 4.1.1. They recommend many appointments are ’virtual’. Midwives are over a barrel here - it’s not us making these decisions. Gestational diabetes testing is often not until 28 weeks (also RCOG guidance) and we are generally using an HBA1C at the moment which can be done by the midwives with your 28 week bloods.

Please do complain, that's atrocious. The glucose test isn't just done by taking blood at an appointment anyway, they need to take blood, give you the drink and then take blood again a few hours later. Have you had your 20 week scan? Maternity care can be patchy at best anyway let alone at the moment, but provisions should be in place to ensure you get at least the bare minimum safe level of care. I would phone your GP if you aren't getting anywhere with the midwives, they might have more success in contacting them and getting actual appointments in place.

and we are generally using an HBA1C at the moment

The one which studies have proven to be nowhere near as effective. I suppose it is better than absolutely nothing.

The one which studies have proven to be nowhere near as effective. I suppose it is better than absolutely nothing.
I completely agree but that’s what we’ve been saddled with.

I am really surprised that they are using HBA1C! I was told that it doesn't work for me because I have high levels of fetal haemoglobin. I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy so have to be tested every year and they have to give me the GTT instead for that reason.

What an absolute joke. I don't blame the midwifery teams but at the end of the day you're definitely not getting the support I would want.
Is there any chance you could go private?

@rhia22 the new guidelines published state that most appointments can now be virtual, until around 25-28 weeks. So doesn’t sound out of the ordinary at the moment, sadly. I take it you’ve had your dating and anomaly scans? I don’t think they do the glucose testing until 28+ weeks in my area. As you get further along in your pregnancy your appointments should revert back to face to face.

I can’t help but just wanted to say that I feel exactly the same, as a FTM it’s horrible and just adds to the stress of it all.

I feel really unsupported, no one calls back and even when I went in at 16 weeks (only because they didn’t do nuchal measurements at 12 week scan - due to covid) I had to have the quad test - my midwife would not check my urine - I was there and had brought a sample in!!!!

I’ve also had MH issues and still waiting for calls from the peri-natal team despite calling and being told they would call me back - no one does! So frustrating!

I’m not blaming midwives themselves as I doubt they get much say in this but it just seems unfair that appointments, especially if high risk and FTM are being cancelled and no support (even if on phone) is being offered.

Mine is similar - I had my booking in appointment and 12 week scan pre Covid.

Since then I've only had a 20 week scan and I'm 25 weeks now.

Due to having gestational diabetes in my previous pregnancy, they are assuming I have this again and I am testing my blood sugars 4 times a day and on medication. This isn't lowering my blood sugars so I have a telephone appointment next week to be put on insulin.

In light of this, I'm hoping my 28 week scan will go ahead but it's looking unlikely. I'm also high risk for a blood clotting disorder and am under a consultant for that. Haven't spoken to him since week 11. Basically I'm hoping my appointments at 28 weeks happen. I completely appreciate the situation but my sister had a still birth at full term due to the blood clotting and they have been aware of my fears from the beginning of this pregnancy and assured me they would do as much as they could to reassure me. I'm not feeling very reassured!

I really hope things improve for you too!

@rhia22 so sorry for you! I’ve had the same. Only 14 weeks but I’ve struggled to find anyone to talk to. Had my booking on the phone then in for 12 week scan where they also took bloods etc for screening but no one actually spoke to me. Had a call Wednesday from a midwife who terrified me with screening results. She spent all of 5 mins on the phone with me and didn’t actually explain anything. Luckily my OH’s mum is a nurse and had the same thing with her pregnancy so she talked me down. We booked a scan private and the technician was so critical of nhs policy when we shared our concerns. He said we should have had a 30 min consultation to explain results as we were needlessly worried. Had to chase up my 16 week appt after that. No named midwife and my first child so no idea what the steps are just left completely to our own devices with minimal interaction. Any time i have asked questions I’ve been placated and left. Everyone very rushed and not able to stop to talk to me. Actually joined mumsnet to get the support I expected the midwives to be giving

@awkes I didn't get a call from the midwife re screening results at all! I just got a letter - and my 16 week appointment didn't happen. Hope everything was ok. X

@niki26 they rang to offer me an amnio basically. After researching and having private scan I feel very reassured babies fine but they told me I was “high risk” for downs which is silly. I’ve got slightly raised hcg but no other markers. The scary thing is had I just gone on the limited info she gave me and had an amnio I could of potentially miscarried. Only a 1% chance but that’s a higher chance than my baby having downs

@awkes oh that is a scary phone call to receive - I'm so sorry you had to go through that stress.

I haven't discussed my results with anyone yet - I was low risk which amazed me on the basis that I am 37 and have very high bmi....but since then I've seen some stuff on here that indicates that my PAPPA is quite low, which may indicate a problem with the placenta I think? And with the gestational diabetes (which can cause placenta flow issues) that really worries me...hence why I'm desperate for the 28 week scan to actually happen!

I'm a FTM, 40 and have a thyroid issue so I'm under consultant led care. I've had all my appointments post Covid and so far have had:

1. In one day - 12 week scan with consultant + bloods + booking appointment (which was me in the car outside the maternity hospital on the phone!), midwife booked me in for glucose test at 28 weeks, then I booked in for 32 and 36 week appointments and told to book 20 and 28 myself. Told 16 and 25 week appointments not happening.

1. Booked 20 week anomaly scan.

1. Called community midwife to book in for 28 week appointment as hospital midwife said to do. She asked what else I was booked in for and, given I'm a FTM and 40, said it was far too long to wait to be seen between appointments and booked me in for an 18 week appointment with them.

1. So in total so far my plan is: 12 week scan + booking, 18 week (CM for bloods, urine and Doppler), 20 week anomaly scan, 28 week glucose test, 28 week appointment (CM again), 32 week growth scan at maternity hospital and 36 week appointment at maternity hospital. Plus bloods with GP every 6 weeks for thyroid issue and 24 hour EPU number to call if I'm worried about anything.

It's not the full level of care I'd get without Covid, but thanks to the lovely community midwife and my GP I don't feel unsupported.

OP, can you get your local EPU number in case you have any unusual symptoms? And a contract for your community midwife? They may be able to help you get more face to face appointments. You shouldn't have to do this yourself at all, but in these odd times I think it's better to be the pushy patient than the overlooked one.

I'm sorry to hear see others are having problems with getting consultant appointments. I am too, I was told I'd be under a thyroid specialist consultant throughout this pregnancy, but when it came to it she says she couldn't see me because of Covid but would look over results of I sent them. So it's being left to me to arrange bloods every 6 weeks with my GP, get the results, phone her secretary and then she adjusts my meds as needed through my GP. It's a convoluted process and I have to be really proactive, whereas it would be lovely to just have the appointments arranged as they should be and just turn up.

I think the NHS will be getting a big increase in maternity negligence claims over the next 18 months.

Similar, also a high risk pregnancy FTM, I am getting the care I need (I assume? Can't really know for sure) but I have to push and push for it, ringing up to ask if I should have a consultant appointment yet, ringing up to see if I ought to be having my cervical length scans started, chasing appointments that are promised then not communicated to me. I don't feel like anyone in particular is in charge of my care and I haven't seen the same Dr or consultant twice throughout. I have a very unique abnormality which can have bad outcomes for pregnancy if not monitored properly. I don't know what level of care I would be receiving if I didn't bother to do any of those things to be honest but I'm not sure this is entirely covid related, it's just the state of the NHS in general.