My midwives are crap.. can i choose not to be midwife led?

[Aprilbaby21]

Hi

Im 17 weeks with my 2nd. The midwife system at my doctors have changed since having my 1st and now im in a group of about 7 midwives.
I am really not liking the care i have so far been given.
The 1st midwife didnt refer me properly for my 12 week scan, i ended up having to call the unit and booking my own scan.
Then for didnt refer me to the foetal wellbeing clinic as my 1st child was born prematurely, then i find out last week that she never referred me to a consultant as im consultant led.
On top of this, the next midwife i seen booked me in for my anti D in Jan, but then 4 days later i get a different app in the same unit for a different day, we both presume its for the same thing but the only response i got was 'is there a number to call on the letter' thats it!
She mentioned at my 16week app that i wouldnt get my MATB1 form until my 25 week appointment however, my employer needs this BEFORE i reach 25 weeks. When i asked them via text if i could get it sooner, she said she would sort it out after im 20 weeks. I replied 'Great thanks, shall i call you nearer the time to arrange collection' she has just ignored me.

I mean, i could be completely hormonal and expecting too much so if i am, please tell me but i just feel that so far, they have completely let me down and Im not sure i want to see any of them again..
Can i do this?

Why are you seeing midwives if you are consultant led?

You can always ask.

With regards to the MATB1, I got mine at the 24 week appointment. Work would like it before but they don't need it before then so don't worry about that.

Could you afford an independent midwife?

@Bobbiepin I am consultant led but still have all the usual community mw appointments plus extra MW checks before each consultation with my consultant.

I see both midwife and Consultant, it just how they do things in my area. If my consultant app runs close to a midwife app, then im to cancel the midwife.
Im only seeing the consultant for growth scans (apart from the initial app).

As regards to the MATB1 i guess this isnt my biggest gripe, my manager is also pregnant and she has said i will need it before im 25 weeks but i guess if i couldnt get it, i would need to wait. The problem is, my 25 week app is on Xmas eve, so given the holidays, my work would not receive notification of my pregnancy until im 27 weeks.
Im just not happy with how lapse they are.

How would i go about asking? And who would i ask?

No, i wouldnt be able to afford an independent midwife, as nice as that sounds.

Do you live near an alternate hospital? It sounds awful!

I dont think that will make a difference. Its the midwives i have an issue with, not the hospital

Yes, a different hospital will have different midwives.

@peachypetite not necessarily, my midwives cover several hospitals so you’d see the same midwives whichever hospital you go to.
I think there’s usually a complaints department you can contact if your unhappy with your care

What oneandabean said.
I have the choice of about 3-4 hospitals to choose from which is about a 20 miles ish radius... so i dont have a choice in the midwives i have, unless i choose a hospital even further, not sure i can and i dont really want to be that far away.
But thank you

Ok, i will consider a complaint, not the route id like to go down so i will have a think.

Might also be worth contacting the payroll department at your work and letting them know due to current circumstances there’s a delay in getting your mat1b form but it’ll be sent as soon as you receive it

Oh my days I could have written this! I hated this too and I didn’t have a 24 week appointment so had to ring them for my mat 1b form which I collected from the receptionist. I found having a few different midwifes was awful and I had to be a lot more on my toes and request things like my growth scans. Honestly I felt like I was doing their job for them at times and I wonder if things got missed on other ladies esp if they didn’t know to ask. I completely get your frustration

@Oneandabean i will do that i think, just to cover all basis...

@lg101 - really frustrating. I dont want to kick up a fuss but i dont really want to see them again :-(

@Aprilbaby21 I'm pretty sure you can get any midwife to sign off on the mat b 1, so if you can get hold of the form itself, any midwife when you go for a growth scan or your consultant could sign off on it and stamp it? But I don't know how you actually get the physical copy of the form so sorry if this is t useful information.

I got my maternity grant form signed by a random midwife at the hospital because i wasn't supposed to see my midwife for a few weeks and wanted it sorted bang on the 31 weeks

My midwife said they cant legally before 20 weeks, however, im seeing my consultant just after im 20 weeks so will mention it to them.
The Matb1 form is just the tip of my gripe. Just bothers me how much they havent done what they were meant too.

If i hadnt had a bleed at 14 weeks, id still be none the wiser that i am meant to be monitored by the foetal wellbeing clinic to prevent another premature birth. Thats not care... thats shit

Ps- it was useful information, i wouldnt of even thought to ask the consultant ;-) thank you xx

@Aprilbaby21 I absolutely agree that the care you've received is outrageous, all I can say is that you are absolutely within your rights not just to be upset about it, but really angry. It's not ok

Thank you @champoopapi

Its been bothering me all day. Im going to sit on it for a bit. I have a terrible habit of jumping the gun in the heat of the moment and regretting or wish id reacted differently... at least this way, if i still feel the way i do, then i will be comfortable in reacting in the way i feel, if that makes sense. X

Thank you @champoopapi

Its been bothering me all day. Im going to sit on it for a bit. I have a terrible habit of jumping the gun in the heat of the moment and regretting or wish id reacted differently... at least this way, if i still feel the way i do, then i will be comfortable in reacting in the way i feel, if that makes sense. X

Thank you @champoopapi

Its been bothering me all day. Im going to sit on it for a bit. I have a terrible habit of jumping the gun in the heat of the moment and regretting or wish id reacted differently... at least this way, if i still feel the way i do, then i will be comfortable in reacting in the way i feel, if that makes sense. X