12 week to 20 week, no contact from midwife!

[Jazzy1990]

I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, after my 12 week scan around two weeks ago I realize I will get no appointments till my 20 week scan. They didn’t even bother to tell me how my bloods were. The 16 week appointment has been scraped due to Covid. The least they can do is call you up. Unbelievably ridiculous. My friend is pregnant and In a different borough she’s getting two appointments atleast before her 20 week scan. I’m just so frustrated, first pregnancy and you don’t even know if something was to go wrong you maybe could have done something beforehand.

@TheBeastReleased Hi I totally understand the pressure the nhs is under due to Covid honestly and it’s nice to know things are a lot different up in Scotland. We have a midwifery team that I’m under that is not located in the hospital and I called them yesterday regarding a appointment over the phone and they had no idea what I was talking about so I just left it.

@AnEbayNovice I guess I was expecting to have that over the phone 16 week appointment, I have gbs and continues infections that I’m going to the gp for, but was wondering if it would have been different if I had a midwife to talk to.

@Raaaa your midwife gave you her number, that is really sweet and just very reassuring to have I guess if a problem was to arise. Each borough does it differently and I can’t believe the difference.

@RobynNora Thank you for that. I would definitely check it out and see what I can do. Great to know that there is a platform where we can voice our opinions.

Same here OP. I've had nothing between 12&20 week scan as 16 week appointments have been cancelled here due to COVID. I ended up booking a private 16 week scan more for piece of mind as it's a long time to wait. I have no idea about my original blood results but presume they're all ok or they would've said. Next appointment after the 20 week scan is 28 weeks here.

@december2020 I called the midwifery team yesterday asking them if I would get an over the phone appointment. They kept saying no one called me’. 🤔 I think they thought I said someone called me, but I then repeated it many times to say no one called and I was wondering if I’ll get an appointment, they still didn’t understand me so I hung up.

@Jazzy1990 baby is good, they found a heartbeat within seconds and he was waving his arms about. The pain comes and goes and is definitely getting less painful. I'm going to mention it at my 20 week scan next week.

I've had 4 scans so far on my own, each time I was a nervous wreck and could have defently done with the emotional support having someone with me! It's not been a easy pregnancy and it's been quite a negative experience, has definitely put me off wanting to have any more!

My first scan at 6 weeks due to bleeding I was crying and the sonographer had no sympathy and said stop crying or I will not scan you and you will have nothing to tell your partner waiting in the car park. I think that experience has definitely heightened my anxiety around scans, as soon as I get to the hospital I'm reading the board to see what sonographer it is that day, nervous incase its the same one I had for my first scan that wasn't very nice!

Anyone else feel like GDPR has gone out the window, having to stand 2 metres away from the reception desk and having to shout to the receptionist your personal details when checking in to your appointment! Maybe it's me over thinking it after working in a hotel where we were never allowed to read out personal details and had to ask guests to read through and check their personal details on their registration card.

@DontStandSoClose it’s sad really, I mean I’ve never been pregnant before don’t know how or what to look out for, so getting all the info from online. I guess I thought I’d have a midwife that would kind of guide help throughout the pregnancy I didn’t know it was like this. I guess now I’m prepared.

@NatalieH2220 in the same boat as me. I called to check my bloods. They said it was ok and that was it. Got my downs through the post today, thank god it’s low risk, was so scared. I’m definitely getting a private scan.

@EBM20 so glad to hear baby is ok and the pain is much less, but please make sure you mention it at your 20 week scan, it could even be a harmless cyst.

I’m so sorry to hear about the experience you have had with the sonographer I can’t believe she said stop crying or I won’t do it. I also had spotting when I was 6 weeks was absolutely petrified had to go to the scan by myself and kept saying is everything ok. The nurse next to me was ever so nice held my hand but the gynecologist was definitely cold. No emotions.

As for GDPR yep gone out the window, everyone knows everything about everyone now. Lol.

@EllieJai44 and @DontStandSoClose that makes sense to me from a physical health perspective and I can see why mums don't strictly need to see anyone before 12-20 weeks, esp when the NHS is stretched.

My cancelled 16-week phone appointment felt like a big deal because the booking-in appointment was a quickie over the phone (under 15 mins) and super impersonal. I think if my booking-in had been a 'normal' pre-Covid face-to-face appointment and I'd got to visit the clinic I wouldn't have minded so much about 16 weeks. Phone appointments are just not as good as face-to-face and women need more support during Covid, not less, in think. Esp at the start when we thought maternal health outcomes might be similar to SARS, ie. really poor! Plus, women haven't had access to other sources of support since we've all been in isolation and I think pregnancy hormones plus other people's pandemic anxiety can really dial up the anxiety a lot. I think they should be ramping up support rather than cancelling appointments since antenatal mental health problems can cause problems down the line. Some of the ladies in my antenatal class are really struggling and say they feel abandoned. I feel great now but I was surprised at the intensity of my hormones in early pregnancy - I was more anxious than I've ever felt and reckon I was picking up a lot on other people's heightened anxiety around the pandemic, the media, job losses, Boris telling pregnant women we were at really high risk, being unable to leave the house etc. It's sad the NHS is so stretched women aren't getting more support and instead, they're being left to their own devices in lots of places.

What area in Scotland are you in OP?

Are you signed up for pregnotes?

I think what I’ve realised about early pregnancy (I’m nearly 15 weeks with my 1st) is that while it’s a big deal to us, no one else really cares that much. Not meaning that to sound harsh, but just there isn’t that much they can even do so not much point having more appointments. I have a felt a bit in my own with it, but I think from talking to pre Covid pregnant people has made me realise that just how it is, Covid or no Covid, unless you have an obvious problem. Hope it all goes well op, chin up x

@Catboysmama hey I’m not from Scotland, I’m from London.

@Carabu1 hey I gathered how we feel is not how they feel. I guess for them they’re seeing so many pregnant women everyday and for us it’s the first time. What can we do eh it’s probably the pregnancy hormones and everything together making me feel like I need a little more care and attention from my health cares system.

Ooops! I must have read someone else's post! Sorry op

@Jazzy1990 gosh they sounded confused! did they say anything that it wouldn't be automatically booked form their side or that you would have to book it? How odd! Could you try giving them or your GP a ring to tell them you'd like to book your 16 week appointment and see what they say?

FTM here too! Haven't actually seen a midwife in person yet except during my 12 week scan. I don't have anything to compare to but I think they only ramp up appointments in the last trimester unless you're high risk.

I’m a FTM and see/hear from my midwife a wee bit more often, because I have PTSD. But she just texts me to ask if I’m okay.

I had appointments at:

Booking in app: 7 weeks
Scan: 12 weeks
App: 16 weeks
Scan: 20 weeks
Covid lockdown announced two weeks later
Skype app: 25 weeks
Face to face app: 28 weeks
App at home: 30 weeks
Scan: 32 weeks (due to low lying placenta)
Phone call app: 34 weeks
Face to face app: 36 weeks
Face to face app: booked for 38 weeks

I have also saw a Family Nurse (Health Visitor) throughout my pregnancy but she doesn’t provide any medical advice or anything. I had a threatened miscarriage at 7 weeks, almost crashed my car at 17 weeks, and then was punched in the stomach at 25 weeks but this pregnancy is still low risk and I’m happy not to see her any more often. As long as the scans/urinalysis/bloods are clear then there is no reason to see you more often. Once you get to like 28 weeks the appointments ramp up a bit and I’ve also had Skype calls with maternity care assistants etc. Any more appointments I think I’d be annoyed as they’re quite time consuming 🤣

FTM here too and I've been impressed so far with my care.
Had a scan at 8 and 10 weeks to check a haematoma (the first scan they saw me within a couple of hours, they were so kind and said come in quickly to stop me worrying)
Had booking in appt at 8 weeks on video call, dating scan at 12 weeks and face to face appt with heartbeat check etc at 16 weeks (this was last week)
Next scan is 20 weeks. They've said call them any time I need anytime and they and my GP are brilliant at calling back very quickly if I ever call.
I'm low risk (fingers crossed it stays that way) Really feel for all of you who haven't had similar experiences - esp the poor poster who said her sonographer told her to stop crying!

I mean this in the gentlest of ways op but many of your posts say something along the line of "I tried x but they didn't get it so I gave up" or "I haven't been given a number for y"- given how concerned you are I would absolutely not give up that easy. And I would advise you to google the number for those people several posters have suggested to obtain the number. "Community midwife Westminster" for example if that's where you live will bring up relevant numbers, "Early pregnancy unit guys hospital" etc.
Easily found. Even if it isn't your most local or the hospital you're under. For example I gave birth at x hospital but have called the unit at y hospital several times for support as I couldn't get through to x.

Re the lack of support from the hospital - calls PALS, complaints team or the maternity unit and ask to speak to the matron or get her email address and set out your concerns clearly to her.
The hospital team should also explain to you the process for community care and provide you those details - ie you need to book in with the midwives in your local gp, health centre or children's centre. It's different everywhere.

Unsurprisingly to most of us - communication between hospitals and gp centre isn't great. My gp wouldn't have known I was pregnant except for me ringing and asking to book a 16 week appt with community midwife. In fact the first time my gp herself will have got notification I had been pregnant was on receipt of my discharge papers after DD was born.

Good luck x

I'm 24 weeks today and still not met my midwife.. I'm under consultant care luckily so I've seen her twice. Good job I'm high risk!! Dont think I'll see midwife till my 28 week appointment and finally get my matb1 and whooping cough

Remember that you can always call them if you have questions. Don't feel like you are not supported during this time. Call to find out your results and if anything bothers you. Good luck!

I have had to book every one of my appointments. They don’t contact me for them. In my maternity notes, there was a list of weeks I was expected to to book in for.