How do you feel about waiting in stuffy GP waiting room with ill people - to see midwife?

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

Quite frankly I'm pissed off at the thought. My midwife is a bit daft and always seems to work at half speed - last time she was running 1 hours 20 mins late. I have an appointment tomorrow - at 32 weeks. Also have to bring dd's 4 and 3 with me. I am really cross at the thought of having to spend 1 hour+ in the crappy hot waiting room stuffed with ill people. Given that pregnant women are not ill by default and given the current swine flu situation I am just not prepared to risk it. I'm going to ring the surgery in a bit and see what they say.

Yeap I hated it too

Don't let my dcs play with the toys either!

Sympathy.
Are you in an area with much swine flu?
Of course, in theory the people with flu should be at home, but I'm guessing some aren't.

Yep, I used to when living at my old flat. Now I go to a surestart centre for my MW appointments and it's great. Loads of space for the kids to play, and clean.

I think its a bit unfair to have a go about her running late. She may have had a mother in that had had bad news or needed extra care for some reason and that could happen to anyone so I think although it is an inconvienience for you there may have been a very valid reason.

As far as the waiting room goes I do agree and I am sure if they thought it through they could have a seperate waiting area for maternity services.
Especially with swine flu advice being what it is at the moment

i'm convinced i caught chicken pox when i was pregnant with dd2 from waiting for a midwife appointment in doctors surgery.

i really think they ought to find a way to avoid pregnant women having to sit for ages in doctors waiting rooms, particularly in the current climate.

hangingbelly - let us know what your surgery says. the advice is for pg women to avoid crowded places etc and surely one of the worst places they could go is a doctors waiting room, i completely agree with you.

according to my mil, back in the 'olden days' the appointments with the midwife were done in a different place to avoid spreading germs etc, i think this is what they should do now.

Well I totally wimped out - realised I'm seeing the consultant on Monday anyway so just rang up and cancelled without reason . Just couldn't face the waiting room. Midwife appointments at a Surestart centre sounds really good, our local centre is lovely.

i had to wait an hour in room full of coughing and sickies i have to say i was pist at it and tbh i wont do that again. im going to start seeing different midwife ( the one that runs my aquanatal) as my current midwife is off indef so always have stand ins

Erm - I don't do it. I call my mw at a point when I am pretty sure she will have filled all her clinic appts, apologise for my lateness, say I pregnant and scatty adn she books me in for a home visit! Sorry I that sounds naughty, but am not prepared to do it this time having regretted it last time. Am quite sure she can see through me (we get on very well) and she seems happy enough to go along with my strategy.

Totally sympathise. My GPs has a touch-screen thing where you confirm you've arrived for your appointment - it tells you what the approx delay is. I wash/wipe hands after using it and go back outside to sit in the garden on the picnic bench instead of the waiting room. Come in roughly when the delay was supposed to be, to minimise time in there. Touch as few surfaces as possible (in lots of public places really) and never touch my face or eat with hands until I've properly scrubbed.

Not worth getting too neurotic about all the things you could pick up airborne as opposed to contaminated surfaces.

Worse example though, I went for 20 week scan at the hosp and a woman also there for a scan had brought her older child with her who was covered in chicken pox spots! Was so shocked but I didn't say anything, then I did at my next mw appt at GPs. Not sure they could do anything about it by then.

Bloody hell Mogend, how come mine never offer me home visits? I've had hyperemesis and can't drive very well so it's actually a real struggle for me to get to her. I've been putting off going to see her because I know the effort will wipe me out and have me throwing up for several days after (seriously).

I'm worried about this too, I've got my 36 week check up with my gp on Tuesday and just don't want to sit in the waiting room. I might ask the receptionist if it's safe first . I'm not normally this neurotic but I can't seem to help it at the moment.

This might not work for many people, but now I know what time the afternoon clinic starts I always try to get the 1pm appointment. I'm first, there are usually only a couple of people in big waiting room because all the GPs are on their lunch etc. It's easier to do early on as there are such big gaps between appointments. Now 25 weeks but have booked the next 2 appointments in a row well in advance, with the excuse that I will need to give work lots of notice because they need to arrange cover (fib).