Is anyone else having this problem with midwives? I'm fuming!

[Harlequin1088]

Absolutely bloody furious. Midwives have just called me to cancel my booking appointment for tomorrow due to “staff sickness” and given a vague “oh someone will be in touch to book another one with you soon”. No idea of timescale or how soon that will be. Is this what it’s going to be like the whole way through???

I’m nearly 8 weeks pregnant with my first child and haven’t seen or spoken to a single midwife yet. We had an ectopic pregnancy back in April and we're understandably very anxious.

We managed to get a 6 week scan through pure chance the other week when we were at a counselling session with the Pregnancy Loss Nurse and she mentioned the Sonographer down the corridor had had a cancellation and would we like to be scanned there and then. Luckily, the scan showed baby was in the right place (definitely not ectopic this time) and we saw their little heartbeat bobbing away on the screen.

That aside, we've had diddly squat from the actual midwives themselves. It took me two weeks of phoning numbers that were either dead numbers or just rang out with no reply and leaving messages on voicemails at various antenatal numbers to actually speak to anyone who would organise a booking appointment for me. Spoke to GP about this and told it was nothing to do with him and to keep trying midwives.

Now my booking appointment that I spent weeks trying to get hold of someone to arrange has now been cancelled. I'm absolutely frantic about it. I'm anxious enough as it is because of what happened in my last pregnancy and I don't need the added stress of feeling I've got no support either.

Please - is anyone else experiencing this issue with the midwifery services at the moment or have I just got a rubbish NHS Trust in my area?

I feel so afraid that something is going to go wrong and nothing will be picked up until it's too late 😥

I'm currently 30 weeks OP, I didn't see my midwife in person until my 24 week appointment! Obviously I had the 12 and 20 week scans, but they were in a different hospital to my local midwife team. I had an early scan too at about 7 weeks with the EPAS due to bleeding.

My booking appointment was at 11 weeks and was over the phone, I had to go in on a different day to have my blood taken (just at local GP, not with midwife). Any appointments after that until 24 week were over the phone.

It does feel a little like you're on your own at first, but as other posters have said, there's not much they do for you anyway in the early weeks except give advice and fill in forms. The appointments ramp up a lot towards the end of your second trimester, I feel like I'm there all the time now!

It's normal to be nervous! I had a few bleeding scares early on in my pregnancy but, as the EPAS lady told me after my first bleed, there's really nothing they can do about anything at all in the first 12 weeks. This made me feel better, as I had a few subsequent bleeds and I didn't go into panic mode as I just sort of had a 'what will be will be' mindset. Obviously I still informed the midwives, but I didn't have to worry that there was anything we could do about it.

Anyway - congratulations on your pregnancy!

I had my kids before the pandemic and everything was a bit wishy washy. My midwife was so short staffed that she had to cancel my appointment and see me in her lunch break. Which I felt really bad about. I had a lot of my appointments moved or cancelled due to shortages.

Yes blame the government.

But! That being said. When I needed a midwife urgently they were there, I was sent to the right places straight away and seen. They were bloody fantastic when I needed them to be.

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Congratulations on your pregnancy and so sorry you have had a rough time so far.

I had to have an emergency scan with the EPU at 6 weeks due to pains and they confirmed everything was in the correct location. I feel blessed to have had that early reassurance as not everyone is offered scans so early.

I had to self refer online for my midwife registration and was seen at 9 weeks.
What I have learnt though is your first midwife appt is literally discussing your health, partners health, height, weight, blood pressure, blood and urine sample.
For these lab tests I was never given any results, good or bad so felt it was pointless (it wouldnt have been but with no confirmation its frustrating). No advice was given to me at all and this is my furst pregnancy. Id also lost over a stone in weight through HG and the midwife wasnt interested, told me it was fine as I had the weight to lose.
The next time I saw a midwife was 16weeks after my first scan, which the midwife didnt even acknowledge.

Proir to 20 weeks I have approached the midwives with concerns and each time have been told to go to my GP as they dont get involved until after 24 weeks as, and as harsh as it sounds, a pregnancy is not viable until 24 weeks.

Each trust seem to be different. Lots of appointments are being rescheduled or done remotely due to covid.
You will be seen, but it is unlikely to will receice any reassurance from a midwife until you are much further along.
Take comfort that the baby is in the correct location and there is a heartbeat.
I worried myself sick throughout the entire of my first trimester which I really regret doing.
If you have health worries in the meantime, go to your GP as theyre the only ones who are likely to see you at this stage (as I found).

Good luck with your pregnancy, I hope it goes smoothly.

Didn’t see a midwife in person until 24 weeks….!

@Ameteurmum

Didn’t see a midwife in person until 24 weeks….!

Is this in reference to my post? Now you're making me wonder if I've remembered wrongly 😰

I certainly know that I didn't meet my midwife until the next appointment after my 20 week scan - I thought that would have been the 24 week one but perhaps I'm misremembering and there's another one before that! I'll blame it on pregnancy brain

My community midwife is useless.. luckily I go in every fortnight for growth scans and the midwives in the hospitals are bloody golden in comparison. Things do tend to ramp up with regards to appointments nearer the end xx

@minatrina oh no I wasn’t singling you out! Was in general to the OP. Even in non Covid times I didn’t see a midwife until 10 weeks!

Pre Covid I would have seen them to book at 10 weeks and then 16 weeks and then I think 24 and onwards. Now they blame everything on Covid I’ve just had phone calls and only met someone a fortnight ago. I tell myself it’s lucky I’m on baby #3 so I’m more of a veteran but I have a high risk pregnancy this time and would rather have more attention! 🙈

I'm afraid it's completely normal to not have any contact with anyone about a pregnancy until 8-10 weeks unless something happens that necessitates a visit to EPU. It does seem a bit slack that they have called to cancel and not offered a rebook at the same time although having a booking appointment on a Sunday is also pretty impressive so it may simply be a case of needing peoples' diaries updating before confirming a new slot.

Our first point of contact for admin is the community midwife office and their opening hours and phone number are on the trust website so you would likely be able to call to explain and get a rebook easier than you ahve to get the initial contact.

I won't lie and say I've been very impressed with the admin side of the care I've had this time but I think you need to keep your powder fairly dry at this point as you haven't had anything other than should be expected up until this cancellation and they may well rectify that pretty easily once in office hours.

After a slightly ranty opening post I think you've responded rationally and level headed since. Some posters have been very harsh and you've responded well.

Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy OP hope it all goes smoothly 💐

I second getting advice from your GP when there are any concerns.
They will sort you out with any medication you need (higher dose of folic acid if indicated, sickness medication,...) and the nurses can do swaps for bacteria/thrush/any other concerns in the area.
Unfortunately yes, the midwives won't be available for your care until more towards the end.

Mine were all ages ago and I used a private OB who wouldn’t see anyone until 13 weeks as seeing people earlier would have wasted their time in a number of cases. You made an appointment with them as soon as you knew you were pregnant as their books filled up quickly but the appointment was not until you were 13 weeks. They asked you to make an appt for 12week ultrasound and you swung by their rooms in the hospital to pick up the referral on your way to ultrasound, it’s probably all computerised now though! Then when you saw them at 13wks for first time they had results of ultrasound, bloods etc. You left with paperwork for booking in at the hospital and had to make a seperate appointment for that and that tended to occur around 16 weeks. So, different system as private but there were no appointments before 12 weeks.

I had my booking in appt at 10wks then spoke to a midwife on the phone a week after that. They organised my 12wk scan at 13wks and I saw a midwife for the first time 2 days before the scan.
I'm now 16wks and they just cancelled my second midwife appointment as she's isolating and can't get cover. My next appointment is at 28wks which seems a long time to go without seeing anyone.

I'm sure with my first, 2yrs ago I was seen more often.
Don't worry though, there's nothing they need to do at 8wks that can't wait a few weeks. No need to be fuming about anything as it's completely normal.

Sorry to say but midwifery care is awful at the best of times let alone in a pandemic.

@PissedOffNeighbour22

I had my booking in appt at 10wks then spoke to a midwife on the phone a week after that. They organised my 12wk scan at 13wks and I saw a midwife for the first time 2 days before the scan. I'm now 16wks and they just cancelled my second midwife appointment as she's isolating and can't get cover. My next appointment is at 28wks which seems a long time to go without seeing anyone.

I'm sure with my first, 2yrs ago I was seen more often.
Don't worry though, there's nothing they need to do at 8wks that can't wait a few weeks. No need to be fuming about anything as it's completely normal.

I seem to find myself saying this a lot lately but I reckon that's a contact PALS job- surely they could fit you when she's back from isolation or they could offer for you could nip into triage/day unit to have the checks done at least, the 16 week appt is only blood pressure and urine and a chat so it's not like you'd be clogging up a bed or anything.

Worth considering anyway, it's a really long time to wait with no contact in my view.

You know that baby is in the uterus now so there is no rush - midwives get ill and in these pandemic times need to be ultra-careful not to risk bringing the virus into the hospital. They will be having to prioritise like crazy and they know that baby is in right place this time and that there is no rush to be seen just yet. Please try not to worry - and cut the staff a bit of slack! It can be hard when you are feeling anxious, but I do not think you have reason to complain.

I know your worried but chill I didn't even know I was pregnant until 25 weeks and it all turned out fine x
It's better to wait than give you a rushed appointment due to lack of staff x

I'm currently 32 weeks. My booking appointment was at 11 weeks and was a phone call. I then had bloods done at 12 weeks and a scan at 12 and a half weeks. My 16 weeks check was a phone call too . 20 weeks I had a scan and whooping cough vaccine. I wasn't seen by midwife until 24 weeks, 28 weeks and 31 weeks. You won't have regular midwife appointments until you hit your 3rd trimester when it is every 3 weeks. If you are at all concerned there is an early pregnancy unit who will see you. I needed to go at 7 and 16 weeks due to spotting and was scanned at both. I am also consultant led and haven't actually met or spoken to a consultant yet. I have just been offered 2 extra scans one at 32 and next is 36 weeks. Hopefully this helps reassure you and sorry to hear about your ectopic. Glad to hear baby is in the right place and has a healthy heart beat xx

@PissedOffNeighbour22

I had my booking in appt at 10wks then spoke to a midwife on the phone a week after that. They organised my 12wk scan at 13wks and I saw a midwife for the first time 2 days before the scan. I'm now 16wks and they just cancelled my second midwife appointment as she's isolating and can't get cover. My next appointment is at 28wks which seems a long time to go without seeing anyone.

I'm sure with my first, 2yrs ago I was seen more often.
Don't worry though, there's nothing they need to do at 8wks that can't wait a few weeks. No need to be fuming about anything as it's completely normal.

You’re always seen less frequently for second pregnancies unless high risk so yes, were seen more often two years ago.

I can understand your anxiety but please don't take it out on the medical staff or the staff on the phones 😣 my sister works on reception at a doctors surgery and they're constantly being yelled at at the moment for shortage of staff and appointments 😢

Why do you so desperately want to see the midwife that’s made you furious that they cancelled?

You know your having a healthy pregnancy, you’ve had a early scan which the majority don’t have. Most trusts do a combined booking appointment and dating scan at 12week, as before that there’s really nothing they can do. Midwife visits are just a tick box exercise and a waste of time, so I’d lower your expectations else you’re going to spend your pregnancy extremely disappointed!

I remember being so surprised in my first pregnancy (pre-Covid) that I didn’t see a midwife at all until 10 weeks, and that’s early compared to some trusts.

I do understand why that is, but I was still surprised. I personally think the first trimester is the most miserable by far, in part for this reason. You probably feel terrible, you’re anxious because you’re aware of the miscarriage stats, you probably haven’t told colleagues/family/friends, and you don’t get any midwife support - I found it a really lonely stressful time tbh.

I started bleeding at six weeks right through to 14 weeks. I still had to wait to be contacted. I totally understand you’re upset and anxious, so was I, but this is how it works. Being assigned a midwife early unfortunately won’t help in a bad situation.

I had my booking appointment at 10 weeks, my 12 week scan at 14 weeks, my 16 week midwife appointment is booked in for 19 weeks. It’s quite normal.

Glad you got good news at your reassurance scan. xx

Your initial appointment was really early. I only had mine at 12 weeks. Thee things happen.

@Willthewashingeverend sorry to jump on this thread. How quickly do you receive results from bloods taken at a booking appointment? Think mine were sent off on the 4th march and it's now the 30th march. I know my assigned midwife has been off ill but wondering if anything was found or needed to be addressed quickly would someone have got in touch with me by now? I know some results can take up to 2 weeks to get but can any midwife see the results and let someone know if there is something wrong? Thank you

@boopsy89 just had my booking last thu at 10 wks and was told to expect results by Mon. Sure enough by half 9 in the morning my notes were updated, haemoglobin the only one still missing. Was told I'd get a call if anything wrong so have assumed all OK..