did you refuse iron tests, urine tests, bp checks, doppler checks etc?

[nappyaddict]

if so why? i can understand refusing tests that find out abnormalities if you wouldn't terminate anyway but i can't understand why people refuse those mentioned above.

I agree with the points people are making about not knowing something is wrong but if you've already been failed by the system once it can be very bloody hard to trust them again so unless you have a different care provider sometimes it feels safer not to see anyone at all.
It is possible to do your own checks (BP/urine for example) if you really don't wish to see anyone.
If I had been at the same hospital this time I'd have got hold of some urine sticks and a BP monitor and only had my scans, I would not have seen that consultant again, no way.

You can not always tell which women the tests are going to be superfluous for. Strikes me as a bit of an I'm alright attitude. Nbg your lucky but, as someone who still lives with guilt for what happened to my ds even though I've been told it wasn't anything I did, how woud you have dealt with it if things hadn't gone ok? Any way we all do have a choice but should not influence others when they make their choice. If the decision is well informed and you are prepared for the consequences of refusing or accepting testing then I think thats as good as any system can be.

LeonieD -

Doppler tests really piss me off actually - they annoy the baby and after quickening you know whether the baby has been moving about so it's not exactly telling you anything new (except maybe the midwife can't find him and then you panic unneccesarily). I had a bizarre conversation with my consultant where he approached me with a doppler and I said it was not required as the baby was awake and kicking and he said 'yes but you don't know that'

"You can not always tell which women the tests are going to be superfluous for."
well no, that's the point, so we need to make our own minds up
we could all be tested for all kinds of different things every day but I don't think any of us would find this desirable or pleasant or helpful

I am sorry you have had this experience with your ds and I can understand it will affect your feelings about testing

Dopplers annoy the baby? I was told they couldn't feel it.
Baby was kicking the other week when I had a doppler and I said it was kicking because of the test to DD and the woman doing it said that it wouldn't know we were doing it.

I'm thinking more about the choice to do or not to do. In a lot of cases women don't feel they have that choice and are bullied into it. I think it definately needs to be available for those who want/need it.

There is a lot of research that shows that 'intervention' of any sort increases less than ideal outcomes, the cascade - although granted this applies more to invasive things, isn't invasive subjective? For one it's just a blood test, for another it's an ordeal. Makes you think tho, and that's got to be good huh?

whomovedmychocolate - if you read my post further down you'll read about how a routine doppler test picked up on a very serious problem. My friend had no idea that there was anything wrong.

How are you today btw?

madje2, I don't think it's about not being bothered to have the tests but not trusting the HCP's doing them.

Victoriansqualor - I was told at an 8 week scan that listening to the baby's heart beat at that early stage can upset the baby. I don't think dopplers are recommened before 1é weeks.

But I think there is a clear lack of research on the detrimental effects of scans and dopplers - we just don't know.

12 not 1é weeks

Yes I saw that subsequently - however round here the midwives dopplers do not give a count, only a pattern. It's highly unlikely that they would be able to discern between 170 and 200 bpm using them.

And that's if you can get to see a bloody midwife too!

Ah, I'm talking ultrasound dopplers at 30+ weeks, I'd imagine at 8weeks it would be a lot mroe intrusive trying to find the heartbeat etc?

jaynz - you're right - a lot of women really don't realise that they always have a choice about the treatment and tests they refuse, and can be pushed into test that they don't want.

what on earth is the point of a doppler that doesn't count beats per minute? that's the whole point surely!!!!!

Franny thats what I'm saying You have to be prepared to live with the consequences of the decision you make. Unfortunately until you have a baby with problems I don't really think you can be. I grew up surrounded by sn kids as my Mum was a Sn teacher all her career. I knew children were born like this but it didn't make it any easier to deal with. My ds was my 1st I've had 2 more since and accepted the testing willingly even though I was badly treated first time... It was my choice For me ignorance definately wasn't bliss

ahhh the charming receptionist handing me a bottle and squawking "piss" "in" "the" pot

antenatal care is not for faint hearted i lost all scraps of dignity when i got examined by someone i knew

had severe PE pg so got all tests, and daily monitoring laterally

scottishmummy - you can refuse to be examined by someone you know.

Refusing those non invasive tests and "tuning in" to your baby and body is luxury a practicing midwife can afford.

Jaynz, I'm not sure you are sending the right message to a general population that may not be as clued up as you.

Whilst I'm totally on your side now that I know my body better and pregnant with my second, I still think it's safer that testing should be the norm (with right to decline) rather than the other way round.

It is very hard to listen to your own body, especially when you experiencing pregnancy for the first time (and even if it's not the first time!)

All testing is weighing up pros and cons. It is the duty of health care providers to give out info for us to make an informed choice. but ultimately it is you who has to live with the results of that choice. Refusing testing because you don't like hospitals or the midwife upset you or the attitude of the receptionist is hardly informed. BUT IT IS YOUR CHOICE. I just think you shouldn't forget that you are making choices for your childs health too. let's be honest the whole pregnancy birth thing can be a little undignified... I remember a whole troop of medical students arriving to see my ds2 delivered as he was facing wrong way...undignified yes but he was born healthy and well and if those doctors now have experience of that type of birth then thats all good as far as i'm concerned

Jaynz you are obviously v well informed but many women arn't and may make these decisions for all the wrong reasons. We don't live in an ideal world and not all midwives / doctors are good. Some are awful, I know I met one, but failing there being a system where all women are well informed blanket testing is the best alternative imo.

One very important function of regular antenatal checks (bp and urine) is to screen for pre-eclampsia, which is a particular risk for first-time mothers. Even the young healthy ones who listen to their bodies. There are plenty of women on here, including myself and previous posters, who thought that all was fine until we discovered we were actually quite ill at a routine check. I agree it should be every woman's right to choose, and I'm really sorry for the people who have had bad experiences and lost their trust in the medical profession, but really, a five minute non-invasive check every 4 weeks or so to screen for a potentially fatal disease which may have no other symptoms? It's not that awful is it?

If you are having subsequent children with the same father with no history of PE then your risk is greatly decreased... but I would strongly urge all first-time mums to go for their bp and urine checks.