Frustrated at maternity services

[ohthestruggles]

Has anybody else found their hospital care pretty crap? I've had a fairly straight forward pregnancy but I'm now very nearly due, I've called about reduced movements (for the first time) today and I find their attitude the absolute opposite to their favourite line 'never hesitate to come in and don't wait if you have less movement'.

I've felt baby move but not nearly as much as normal, I told her I'd tried a lie down, a cold drink etc and throughout the afternoon I just haven't felt as much as usual. She told me to try for another hour atleast as I had a scan yesterday which was reassuring. I did tell her the scan actually wasn't very reassuring for me as baby's heart rate was erratic, the sonographer told me she would try again after I had a sit down, then came back and said actually you can just go, the consultant had told her it looked fine.

It totally puts me off calling them for reassurance because I feel like they just brush off your concerns sorry this is really just a rant!

Awful. Not what you need especially when you are worried. Can you just turn up?

Have you tried contacting your midwife?
Or I'd just rock up at triage- that is really crappy of them to not get you in to monitor.

I could just turn up I suppose but they do ask you to call first to discuss, which I did!

My community midwife isn't hospital attached so this is out with her working hours and they do ask that after 28 weeks you contact the maternity hospital, as I'm almost due I thought they might want to atleast stick a monitor on for half an hour but obviously not.

Just tell them you've done the hour as requested and you're no happier so you'll be coming in.

I have noticed the patient care at one of the hospitals I have to use has dropped during this pregnancy, they seem to begrudge seeing patients properly but I've learned now to just stick up for myself, nobody is there to make friends after all.

They will know that they should be having you in so just be persistent and insistent. Hope all goes ok 🙂

Oh that’s so annoying. I would just turn up tbh, I was in today for reduced movements. I called before and they said come in, I failed the redman whatsit test so got a scan which looked fine. The lady said despite the scan, if movements still felt reduced just come in, don’t call first..... I know each trust is different but i would just go in if it happens again. It says everywhere if movements change go in so ignore the people on the other end of the phone!!! Hope movements go back to normal soon!

That is terrible, i have found care somewhat patchy but not on movements.

I had the same thing in that the movements had changed but not stoped day after midwife appointment. I called labourline (which took me through two pointless switchboards) and was told to come straight in. Hadnt even done the water thing as i didnt know about it.

All was fine but they reiterated any conserns call even if it is multiple times ina day!

I dont think the scan can prove anything, even after the scans the consultant asks about movements because they are an earlier sign if something is wrong.

Call again and say you are still not happy and want to have them checked.

I can see it’s frustrating but I’d call again in a hour and tell her you tried and nothing has changed.

A few weeks ago I did call in about reduced movement and I expected to be told I could come in but they told me to eat something sugary and lie down. That did make the baby move a lot so when I called back that seemed to satisfy them and to be resolved. Though I think there’s mixed messages as some of the material says not to try to make the baby move but to note and call it in if the pattern and frequency has changed.

She also said that she could see i had had an uncomplicated pregnancy so not to worry, which seemed strange, I know people who have had straight forward pregnancies go on to develop things in the final weeks before due date I do feel like a fobbed off first time mum but it's maybe just my hormones!

This is awful. I had something similar. I'd been awake all night and not felt much, rang first thing in the morning to be told 'how do you know, you've only just woken up?'. I'd ring back again and hope for someone different.

Definitely call again, your own peace of mind is important too.. I had a straightforward pregnancy right til my 40 week midwife appointment then bam I was sent to hospital that afternoon and started on induction.

I had a straight forward low risk pregnancy until I had a placental rupture at 38 weeks, a huge bleed (obviously) and reduced movements. Baby delivered EMCS 48 hours later in distress. He went to NICU.

Please call back and do not be fobbed off. Who cares if the midwife thinks you're a nutter? Does it matter if you over react and everything is fine? No. Does it matter if something is missed? Absolutely.

99.9% chance baby is being a monkey and you'll go on the monitor and they'll be leaping about but that's what they're there for.

There is a vast difference between what the community midwife says and what the very busy labour ward/triage does unfortunately. However if you feel that you need to be seen and monitored then do not take no for an answer! They have to see you if you demand they do. As an ex midwife i can say that staff are overworked and can become blase about this because they see so many women concerned about movements and 99% of them are fine. I hope you manage to put your mind at rest op.

@pabloescobarselasticband

There is a vast difference between what the community midwife says and what the very busy labour ward/triage does unfortunately. However if you feel that you need to be seen and monitored then do not take no for an answer! They have to see you if you demand they do. As an ex midwife i can say that staff are overworked and can become blase about this because they see so many women concerned about movements and 99% of them are fine. I hope you manage to put your mind at rest op.

I get that they're overworked, understaffed and all that. I know that more than most actually as I am also an NHS employee, not obstetrics, but another speciality and this is why I find it so frustrating. I know that they can and should do better. It really doesn't take much to stick a monitor on someone, when my patients tell me they're having symptoms I don't let them wait it out, I stick a monitor on and see if there's anything changing. Most of the time it's nothing, sometimes it's something that makes me run to get a doctor..

I'm a midwife....do not wait for an hour. It doesnt matter if you had a scan yesterday or an hour ago, if you are worried thats enough. Call them and say you are going in now and when you get there request a PALS leaflet and complain. It is absolutely unacceptable to tell any woman to wait with reduced movements.

I asked the consultant about the lie down with a cold drink tactic and was told that that can stimulate the baby so not actually reflective of normal movements, which makes sense I suppose, so I wouldn’t wait!

@gingerbiscuit19 that’s terrible they said that! I went in the morning cos I normally wake up all night being kicked and was conscious that stopped- sorry they said that, surely you’d only call cos you’re aware of what’s normal for you!

sorry that so many people have felt the same about their care! I spoke to my midwife today who has been really helpful and agreed that the assessment unit should've just seen me. Baby has been fine today and I was awake most of the night with them moving around.

That is really poor care, they should have had you in.

@BlueCookieMonster I'm really unhappy and I don't want to have my baby there! Hopefully I can go to the non hospital attached midwifes unit.

The only other time I've called was a few weeks back because my hands became quite swollen in one day, there's a family history of pre eclampsia and I'm medium-high risk of developing it my MW said. They couldn't have cared less then either, I got a sort of 'so what?' attitude on the phone and made to feel that I was worrying about nothing. I only wanted to ask if they wanted to check my BP or urine as it had been a significant change in a day but she said if it was still worrying me the following day to contact a GP. at this point I'm not sure what their bloody function is.

I understand midwives are often under staffed and over worked but so often the care they provide is beyond shit.

If you feel fobbed off during labour please please kick up a fuss. I was fobbed off in labour because 'first time mum back to back labour' so they presumed I wouldn't give birth until Saturday evening at the earliest because of what textbooks and statistics say. I ended up crawling to the nurses station early Friday afternoon and demanding to be examinedm to which I was told why there is no point and if we do we will properly have to induce you to speed labour along due to infection risk. I was 10cm. Within 20 mins I had go en birth and my baby was being worked on my a team of paediatrians. I hate to think what would have happened if I has listened to those midwives.

I'm really sorry your hospital has been like this I've heard how you shouldn't wait the hour thing now they should see you straight away regardless
I've been in 3 times for reduced movements one at 2am after working myself up into a panic and each time they have been nothing but professional and lovely
Told me to come in straight away been on a monitor and been out without 45 minutes 1hr as she always wakes up when I get put on them
Don't let it put you off asking for help if you're worried you're Advocating for your baby at the end of the day
Pester and demand to be seen you know your baby best

@99redspottedducks yeah they can't seem to be bothered atall! I would obviously have to ask for their help and call again if I had concerns but we're all good just now, just hope baby arrives soon!

Hmm I found exactly the same when I was pregnant. Wonder if it's the same hospital?