High risk,antenatal care,, should i being seeing someone/anyone

[koonelly]

Hi, just returned from my 16w antenatal app and was told next appointment at 28 weeks! I'm 40 had 3 m/c last baby 4 years ago had IUGR (ds was 4lb 11 at term)that was not picked up at all, had to have emergency c section, surely i should have seen consultant or midwife or somebody! I have got appointment for a scan at 21 weeks and asked whether i would be seeing dr/midwife told no just appointment for scan! Had 12 week scan and today's apppointment with m/w but not seen consultant at all? Is this normal? are there any other ladies out there that have had problems and were they given extra care? I spoke to m/w and she did say that i can pop in to weekly drop in clinic and get heartbeat checked but still worried that having got through early stages still have along way to go?

hmm, not sure, but I would say it sounds alright...if a problem (with baby's size, or whatever) is picked up on the scan at 21 weeks, then presumably you'll get to see a consultant then?

Do you know the reason for the IUGR? If so is it likely to be a recurrent problem? Even if small, I would have thought that baby is better off inside you than being interfered with before 28 weeks.

Sorry, waffling a bit, but on balance I would think nothing would be gained by seeing a consultant just yet. At 28 weeks you have plenty of time to decide on type of delivery etc.

I agree with Tissy, the scan is there to look for problems and potential problems, if there is anything doubtful they will involve a dr or consultant and scan you again and again (have jsut been through this situation myself a few weeks ago) so it's really much more thorough than a midwife appointment anyway. I would make sure you tell the sonographer about your concerns and about your ds' IUGR so they know what you're worried about.

I also think that if you're worried in between times, you should just ring up and ask if you can see the midwife. My appointment schedule has been quite similar to yours, but the midwives are quite happy to see you in between if you need them, even if that is mainly for emotional support.

I had an IUGR baby 7 weeks ago which was, thankfully due to an overzealous sonographer, picked up at my 22 week scan. From this point they scanned me every 4 weeks until about 30 weeks and then every 2 weeks till 37 weeks when dd had to come out. I have been told that when (if ?!) I have another I will be monitored more closely but I don't think anything would happen until after the 20 week scan. I agree with Mrs flowerpot that you should mention it to the sonographer so that even if it is a borderline case they will rescan you and keep it monitored. If they don't I would push for more monitoring later on anyway just to make sure. Hope that helps !

surely you can call your surgery and just make an appointment with the midwife there?

sorry, just read your post properly... if they have a weekly drop-in clinic why don't you go along and talk to someone there about your worries?

this gives the NHS guidelines for handling routine pregnancies and may give some idea what counts as a more complicated pregnancy therefore is seen as deserving of closer monitoring. But if you are worried, call your midwife or go along to the clinic and tell them!

guidelines

Thanks everyone, Edam as far as i can make out from guidelines i should be seem at least once more before 28 weeks evan if i had no adverse history! As it is won't officailly be having check up for 12 weeks!
Hazelnut, when i expressed my concerns re IUGR and asked if i would get any scans at later date, midwife said that they would pick up any problems? AS saame m/w failed to notice problem last time even though i expressed concerns and had lost weight i'm afraid i'm not as confident as i should be.
I think IUGR due to placenta insufficiency due to age,blood clotting problems, but have had nothing official as not been able to discuss with anyone!
Tissy, asked and definately will not be seeing m/w or consutant at scan appointment.
The m/w i saw yesterday is retiring tomorrow(same one who brushed me off last pg) so will wait till after then and speak to new lady, hopefully she will be more sympathetic to situation and i can arrange to see consultant to discuss my worries.

Sorry if sounded whiney yesterday was feeling low,as it was due date for last pg that m/c sept. I think i was just really scared that having got this far after lots of heartache didn't want it all to go wrong again. Am feeling better about situation today and going to do something about it!

As a high risk pregnancy I too was told it meant more consultant and more midwife appointments. I only met my midwife 3 times and saw a consultant once!

i had a c/s first time (emergency) and was simply given my first consultant again for 2nd pg, ie not just midwife visits, don't know why, the midwife just asked me at my booking what i wanted and i suppose i wanted to discuss birth options.

This does sound a bit odd. Although a scan is good for measuring fetal growth and checking for abnormalities, your wellbeing also needs to be monitored ie BP and urine. I suggest that you ring the community midwife at your GP's surgery and have a conversation with her about this.

Koonelly - Having had my experience I would definitely insist on more scans and not just let the mw pick it up through measurement (not sure if this is what they are saying ?) as my uterus always measured bang on date by the way they do it with a tape measure so it would not have been picked up this way. Also a lot of people (Drs, mws) have said they were surprised I was referred for moer scans as dd's measurements at 22 weeks were borderline but thankfully I was !! So push for as much consultation as poss - better safe than sorry ! Good luck !