So disappointed with my midwife care :(

[littlelamb]

I know I shouldn't be complaining, but with dd I had 1 midwife throughout my pregnancy and she was really lovely. This time, I had one midwife who emigrated, which I only found out about after going to be an appointment and meeting the new woman, and this morning I have just had a letter saying I have been passed to someone else I have had 2 appointments each with my previous midwifes, and I just don't want to have to explain everything again (have had problems with dp and depression this pg). I am 32 weeks and just dreading my labour. I had to stay overnoght in hospital a few months ago and the staff shortages were clear to see. I know continuity of care as a reality is a long way off but I feel completely unsupported by the very people who are supposed to be looking after me. Right, self-indulgent whinge over

littlelamb - I know how you feel. My Midwife saw mw to book me in and then was either on Holiday, Sick or at meetings whenever I had an appointment due. I think I finally saw her at about 38 weeks and then on my Due Date when I was already in Labour. I also had 2 differnet Midwives in Hospital due to Shift changes. I guess I am just unlucky too

The main problem is the repeating yourself thing - it drove me mad!

littlelamb - I know how you feel. My Midwife saw mw to book me in and then was either on Holiday, Sick or at meetings whenever I had an appointment due. I think I finally saw her at about 38 weeks and then on my Due Date when I was already in Labour. I also had 2 differnet Midwives in Hospital due to Shift changes. I guess I am just unlucky too

The main problem is the repeating yourself thing - it drove me mad!

Opps - I sneezed and hit post twice

LL so sorry to hear your care has been rubbish - but honestly you are lucky in a way - in my area we don't even HAVE a named midwife, just a team of 7 or 8 (I think).

Given you only have about 7 or 8 appointments you are exceedingly lucky if you see the same person twice.

They justify this by claiming it's to maximise the chance of you having a midwife that you know while in labour!

While in labour I had 4 midwives and not ONE was on the team I was assigned to.

LL,

I have had similar experiences to you throughout this pregnancy. The hospital I am attending is great in most ways but there are shortcomings. I had to be admitted recently for a DVT and the staff on the ward seemed never to have heard about basic nursing care. Information was passed slowly to me. I wasn't treated until late afternoon (I was admitted early morning) despite having a potentially serious condition. This is hard for anyone let alone someone with anxiety. At night they failed to understand my severe insomnia and when I got cold a nurse just threw a blanket at me.
I do not suffer from depression but I have had severe anxiety during the second 1/2 of my pregnancy. Pre-natal anxiety is not properly understood by the midwives and I have felt judged by one member of staff. Everyone feels I should be delighted to be pregnant after my history of infertility ( 4 years) ectpoic pregnancy (plus two) and IVF (sucessful cycle). I am now 33 weeks pregnant). I am of course and I wouldn't change anything for the world. It feels like magic to have a baby move around inside you after all that. I am shocked though that some staff (and it is only some) look at the current picture without seeing the whole. LL I hope you get it sorted. I too am nervous about labour (I will now have to be induced because of the DVT). Hope all goes well.

Lots of love and hugs

NS XXXXX

i saw a different mw for every app both times.

feel envious of people who have the same one.

and both labours never seem the mw before even when they changed shift.

Same here - a team of community mw so different one at each visit (all lovely). Different mw for every shift at the hospital (half lovely, half not). MW I had never seen before in my life, have no idea what her name was, in the delivery suite (not nice at all). I don't think she ever introduced herself, or in fact, said anything to me other than something along the lines of stop making a fuss.

Still, at least I know what to expect if I ever do it again. Rosy cheeked, smiley mw are mostly a myth, at least in this area.