Is this what you would expect for the handling of a supposedly high risk pregnancy?

[MsBrandybuck]

I will be 21 weeks tomorrow when I see my community midwife. Due to my age (will be 43 at EDD) and high BMI I am considered too high risk to give birth at my local hospital. So I have chosen to give birth 30 miles away (45 minute drive). Out of the 3 hospitals I could have opted for this is the furthest away but the easiest/quickest to get to. This seemed important as my first labour was 1 hr 50 minutes for all 3 stages.

So, my notes have been transferred to the new hospital and I got a consultant appointment for later this month which I am unable to make. I will have no transport that day as DH is working and my mother is on holiday. The next available appointment I now have is at the end of June. Meanwhile my 20 week scan appt at my local hospital has been cancelled because I have transferred to a different Trust. Because my midwife only wrote on the covering note along with my notes "20 week scan needs to be arranged" instead of filling out the correct form (bearing in mind she works for a different Trust) no scan has been arranged at the new hospital.

I couldn't get a MW appt last week so went to see my GP to ask him to try to do something. To top everything off nicely I have SPD once more (a lot earlier than last time) so needed to see GP about that anyway. After showing me a picture in a book of pelvic bones and kindly informing me that they are separating more than usual causing the pain (you don't say ), I was told it was "one of those things" and a trip to a physiotherapist would unfortunately be of no help.

So I left in tears, with a prescription for a huge quantity of paracetamol and codeine and a card for a private general physiotherapist who may or may not be able to help. And the scan? "No sorry, I really would prefer not to get involved as it's not my field" He did eventually agree to contact my consultant as they should be sorting out the problem. I asked if it was worth me hanging around to catch the midwife at the end of her clinic as she was the one who referred me. No, apparently not.

It's taken me nearly a week to post about this just because I couldn't find the words so sorry if it's come out as a ramble.

I now don't want to give birth at this particular hospital but I'm no more keen on the alternatives either.

Trying to get my thoughts in order before seeing my MW tomorrow.

Just a quickie as I'm racing off to work. Ring your new hospital and ask to be put thru to the antenatal clinic and talk to someone there about a scan. They may be able to help. Good luck

Thanks SKSS

Sorry, I should have added (but my OP was too long already that the day before the bank holiday weekend I spent most of the afternoon on the phone to the new hospital. Got passed around so much I came to a conclusion about arses and elbows but very little else. It ended up with them telling me to get onto my GP which brings me back to my OP.

Arrgh things like this make me really angry. I had to self-refer for my DS first scan at 16 bloody weeks after my GP continually lied and said he had faxed a referral letter (had not even referred me to community MW team as he was supposed to). I wrote my own letter and turned up at the hospital crying - they scanned me that day. Worth faxing them (and PALS and the head of obstetrics ) a written letter from yourself IMO - can't miss an important scan because some idiot can't fill a form in properly.

Your GP is wrong. Physio WILL help. I got SPD MUCH earlier this time, and the physio exercises have really stopped it from worsening too quickly, and I'm still managing to work and function as a normal, if slow and grumpy, member of society... unlike last time.

BTW, I wish my GP would give me codeine! He said I couldn't take it in third trimester, so I refused earlier. Now I'm gearing myself up to go begging for some!

I'm feeling so much happier now after seeing my midwife! She is referring me to physio. The therapist will apparently visit me at home to advise me on sleeping positions as well as excercise. Hawkmoth MW doesn't think paracetamol and codeine is a good idea, told me to stick with paracetamol alone.
I should also hear from the hospital with a scan appt in the morning so my MW is going to phone me tomorrow afternoon to check that they have done so. It was interesting to see MW being given the same runaround as me, no wonder I had no joy.

I forgot to add that I also got to hear my baby's strong heartbeat and they were according to the midwife doing flips and kicking nicely

Physio will help with SPD... You dont have to put up with it. I was told the same thing from 11 weeks into my pregnancy I took soo much codeine and paracetamol. Eventually at 33 weeks (about) I was given a belt and was shown some excercises that would help...

What a load of tosh your doctor speaks.......

Thanks Cazzaben. I'm not intending to visit my GP for anything else pregnancy related from now on.