Can't contact midwife?

[Unsure1748]

Hello everyone. This is my first pregnancy so I'm not 100% sure how things work with midwives. I contacted my GP to arrange an appointment for pregnancy and they sent me a link to self refer myself for a midwife, so I did.

Now the midwife (team?) sent me an email the day after via my online doctor account with an appointment time. The time is unfortunately unsuitable but the e-mail did say I should call to rearrange if needed. I can't ring anybody either to speak to directly, nor can I text or e-mail. I have one number I can leave voicemails on and have left two asking to rearrange a few days ago and have received no response.

I also called the children's centre where they're apparently based and it just said they're on the phone despite my attempts. They're also only open 8-9 am on weekdays (1 hour only!) so it's very tight. I'm a teacher too so can't ring easily whilst teaching and nobody knows about my pregnancy yet so there is nowhere I can privately call at that time. A text/e-mail would've been much easier.

Is this normal? The midwife team only open an hour a day in the morning and I just leave voicemails on a phone number?

Thanks!

Yes it's normal, it's an archaic and under resourced system that will burn lots of your time and energy if you let it. I tried to be quite zen about it and allowed lots of time for late running appointments etc, I also told work earlier than I wanted in order to be able to go to appts rather than give myself pre-eclampsia trying to rearrange appointments to times that probably weren't available

Yes also my experience too, I also ended up telling work last time at 8 weeks. They're super stretched and you just get allocated appointments rather than being able to schedule them - fingers crossed someone gets back to you soon

Ah okay I understand that this is a common occurrence then. I wasn't sure if it was normal, or if it was just this particular team. It just feels so soon and premature to tell work as I only found out under a week ago myself and I'm still less than 5 weeks I think. I'll have to tell them soon though as if I just start going for regular medical appointments during office hours without having ever gone for a single medical appointment the entire time I've worked there, it will look odd and I'm sure my line manager will come to ask at some point if all is well.

Hi lovely,
yes..unfortunately. I had an absolute nightmare with mine to the point that the wonderful midwives at the hospital I was due to give birth at (out of area as no maternity hospital where I live) took over my care even though they were not really supposed to.

wirh regards to work I am a teacher also and had a tricky pregnancy so needed more appointments. I didn’t tell them until after my 12 week scan and honestly it made me so miserable as I was lying about where I was going (luckily they didn’t ask for any evidence) I also felt really ill during the first trimester but because I hadn’t told them I was just expected to get on with things normal whilst often having my head down the staff loo being sick! Could you maybe just tell the headteacher and staff you work closely with? There’s no reason for everyone to know but I really do with I’d told people sooner x