Midwife appointments being organised very last minute?

[RWK29]

AIBU with this?....in my third trimester and it seems my area the community midwives are now giving you a week in which your appointment will be in then contacting you at the start of that week with an actual date and time. It is NOT possible to change this date or time, you must be available.

I raised a concern about this as I work and cannot always be free at such short notice and was told “it’s not your problem, it’s your employers problem. I can contact you that morning for an afternoon appointment and they just have to sort it out”. I understand that I’m entitled to this time off for appointments and obviously it’s important to see the midwife but it means it doesn’t just impact me, it affects work colleagues too. Obviously for an unexpected appointment there’s not anything that can be done, but I’m talking normal scheduled appointments.

I work as a retail manager with a small team who are all part time furloughed and are working the maximum they are able to work while still being furloughed part time. Due to this, it’s not possible for me to just take an extra day off, I have to swap hours around to make sure nobody works too many hours.

AIBU to expect a little more notice? This week I was told I would be contacted Monday morning with a definite date and time. It’s now 5.10pm, I haven’t been contacted and I have no way of contacting the community midwives.

Sorry to hear that your having these issue, it sounds absolutely ridiculous! They cannot expect that everyone can work that way. I would find out to escalate your concerns (it's not the Midwife's fault they'll just be taking instructions from someone else) because I think it's unreasonable to expect that people can just drop things at the drop of a hat, I know I wouldn't be able to do it as I have clients who have appointments with me I can't be running off last minute and these appointments are normally booked in advance.

How many weeks are you? If you've already had your booking appointment you should've been given your maternity folder and that should have the community Midwife's number so you can call them to chase up your appointment.

This is ridiculous. I just can't even fathom it.

I would be complaining to Pals if you can't go any higher than the midwife.

I’m 33 weeks. This should be my 32 week appointment but she scheduled it for this week because it was easier for her. First pregnancy, haven’t seen a midwife since 28 weeks (not sure if that’s normal or not).

@27andcounting Unfortunately the community midwives in my area can’t be contacted directly...there’s an answer machine number where messages are picked up each morning and someone calls you back within 24-48 hours. I was expecting her to call today so obviously didn’t leave a message this morning but have left one now and hopefully will get a call back tomorrow.

@Oatmilk1 - I’ve never heard of Pals? 🤔 what’s that?

Ridiculous. Where are your appointments held? Could you contact there and see when the clinics are? At I have to go to the GPs for mine and I know the midwife has clinic on Wednesday mornings so WFH then so I can get there easily or arrange childcare I'm off work.

I'd also agree with speaking to PALS or senior midwife, there must be other women struggling with it too.

PALS is patient and liaison services or something like that... there should be a number for it on your hospital or NHS Trust website.

I get that things need to change sometimes etc, but this is crazy. Mine have always responded to email quickly and even tried to accommodate phone appointments at specific times (even though for them they don't have specific phone times, they just start calling in the morning and work their way through everyone).

Maybe you can reach a compromise though: eg, all your appts will be on Friday morning or something and the specific time is to be agreed, then you don't work that half day.

@Disappointedkoala My only other appt had been at 28 weeks and was held at the GP surgery. It was on a Tuesday morning so I’m planning to call there and see if she’s in tomorrow morning. She’s a new midwife to the area so I’ll definitely be reporting higher that this is the way things are being done! This appointment is also due to be a home visit, which is why I don’t have a Tuesday morning appt for the clinic. It’s to discuss birth preferences and she prefers partners to be there for the appt. Is this normal to have a home visit? 🤔 Obviously if there are any kind of issues with your living situation or lifestyle then I can understand it but we’re both around 30 with good stable jobs, own our home and have no other issues 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s madness. I was working away for home some days still at 32 weeks! I assume it’s ‘because of COVID’ but this strikes me as an occasion where that’s an excuse not a reason!

This is a stress you do not need in your pregnancy. It's not normal. When I was pregnant I always had my appointments on the same day if the week as that was the day that the midwife was in the gp surgery. She gave me her work number Which we could organise appoints and also text any pregnancy concerns and she'd call back. She did get a trust provided phone part way through which promptly broke but apart from that it was fine. The only home visit was from the health visitor.

There's a home visit here at about 36 weeks if I remember properly - discuss birth preferences in a reasonable level of depth and then I think she gave me some info about what the appointments would be after the birth. I'm sure there was something about safe sleeping too though that could have been the HV home visit!

@Oatmilk1 That’s helpful to know, thanks 😊 Ill speak to her about it when I get hold of her this week and if I don’t get anywhere with her then I’ll escalate it further.

@DelurkingAJ She told me at my 28 week appt that I should be finishing up working soon and certainly shouldn’t be working past 32 weeks due to Covid 🤔 wouldn’t sign me off though...just wanted me to take my stat mat leave from either 28 or 32 weeks which I definitely couldn’t afford so just had to ignore that one!

@Disappointedkoala Yeah I would expect a home visit from the health visitor, just wasn’t sure about the midwife at this stage 🤷🏻‍♀️ We’ve not been allowing anyone in our home at all due to Covid but didn’t feel I could really say no when she suggested it being at home 🤷🏻‍♀️

@RWK29
All sounds a bit odd to be honest. The only thing that's on track is your appointments by weeks 28, 32,34,36 etc (there is a document I'll see if it can find it again which basically says whether they should be phone calls or face to face) but 32 should be f2f and 34 is a phone call then 36 is f2f again to discuss birth plans but never heard of it being done at ones home 😮 then again I have my wk34 app on Wednesday so they may mention it then. But seems odd to be done at your house, even health visitors in my area aren't doing their initial visit (antenatal) in peoples houses mine was done over the phone.
Definitely see if you can raise the concerns higher as I feel like their making rules which aren't actually helping anyone.

@27andcounting I know the document you mean, I’ve got a copy of it thanks 😊 this is still my 32 week appt that im waiting for (I’m 33 weeks tomorrow) so I doubt I’ll get a 34 week appointment. Home visit is still baffling me too 🤷🏻‍♀️ And I agree that they’re making rules that aren’t helping anyone!

I once received a call at 8:50 to say my 3pm appointment was being changed to 9:15.
I explained I worked 40 mins away and was already there and so could not make 9:15, and it was ridiculous to expect me to change at such short notice. I was basically told tough and to get there!
I called my actual midwife (who had been kind enough to give her direct number) and she was appalled, apparently it was her boss tryting to make the afternoon free and she knew nothing about it. She told me to stick to my normal appointment.
Unfortunately it's not always the midwife who has any say in how appointments work!

Wow that sounds daft! Here midwife appointments are organised via GP surgery and can be booked up to four weeks in advance, and this has continued throughout covid.

Not sure what the answer is but yanbu!

Yes I think they are being unreasonable. People do have lives and other commitments outside of appointments. My midwife books my next appointment date when I see her, I really don't understand why everyone doesnt get to do that. It just seems like less effort all round, easier to confirm as you get an element of choice etc.

@plixy That’s ridiculous 😔 No way I would have been able to make that appointment change at such short notice either! @LexiM That’s the way it usually works in my area too I believe! This is a midwife who is new to the area and seems to be doing things her own way at the moment 🙄 she did tell me at my last appointment (5 weeks ago) that my appt would be week beginning 14/9 but that she’d contact me on Monday 14th in the morning with an actual date and time 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just very annoying!