Mumsnet induced paranoia or reason to call MW?

[roary]

So, I've been helpfully posting on various heartburn threads because after suffering terribly in my first pregnancy and not getting prescribed anything useful until 37 weeks I wanted to spread the gospel of Zantac to the masses.

In the course of doing this I have seen all the OMG, it's not heartburn, it could be HELLP posts and then, inevitably, started to worry. I'm 30 weeks, almost 31.

THe thing is I feel pretty....rubbish. I have terrible heartburn all the time. I have pain on my upper RH side which can be very, very bad at night (although I had this in my first pregnancy too). I have had a couple of bad headaches over the past couple of days, after having had none throughout. THe baby is transverse apparently and my bump is very, very sore and feels crampy all the time (but not contraction like or braxton hicks).
The question is, then, do I call the MW and go sit in the Day Assessment Unit for a day (when I have a TON of work to do) only to be told: 1. I'm fine and 2. my bump hurts b/c baby is transverse or do I accept that this is internet induced paranoia and stop looking at heartburn threads???

You should go in for assessment. Not to induce any more internet based paranoia, but headaches and abdominal pain can also be symptoms of pre-eclampsia (my BP sometimes high and I've been told to look out for these symptoms).

Your health is also more important than work.

Agree with pecanpie. Please get checked, better to be told you are fine, than second guess & hope & something go wrong.

Thanks ladies - have felt better throughout the day today, will see how I go overnight and call in the morning. My bp has been really, really low all along. But I know that if I called the MW with that list of symptoms she'd probably make me go in!

roary, I feel your pain. I had problems in my last pregnancy and as a result I have been much neurotic vigilant this time round. I have had lots of false alarms and horrid internal examinations as a result of my concerns. I phoned the hospital today as I am worried I may be leaking amniotic fluid and they told me to come in but I have decided not to go. I have been so nervous this pregnancy that I have forgotten what is normal for me and what isn't.

Dollshouse, I strongly suspect I am fine, but do wonder about my combination of symptoms...I think the reality is that being pregnant doesn't particularly agree with me and I am feeling rubbish because I feel rubbish while pregnant!

I can relate to that Roary. It doesn't agree much with me either.

Always best to check one time to often than one time too little.

I "wasted" four and a half hours of my own time and a smaller chunk of midwife and obstetrician time at the maternity ward last week by going in with reduced fetal movement at 36 weeks, I was paranoid. All was fine, baby started kicking madly even while I was in the waiting room. But I'm glad I referred myself as afterwards I could stop worrying about it and know that all was well with me and baby.

Don't worry about being told "You're both fine, go home." and feeling stupid. That's the outcome we all want, after all.

DAU really won't mind. They told me a thousand times that they would rather check ten "worried well" than miss one worried not so well

I really think you should both be checked out...

Dollshouse, you were worried enough to call, were told to go in & aren't going? That seems a little odd to me.

Roary...you posted here concerned, are worried about a combination of symptoms, but aren't going to get checked?

I am sorry ladies, but you sound more worried about 'wasting time' (which, incidentally...I don't think it is) than your babies. I know that sounds harsh....but really, why start threads/ring for advise & then not follow it?

Another vote for getting checked out. You don't need the stress of fretting about what this might be - get yourself reassured that it's nothing by a professional (am sure you'll be fine but who am I?!?!)

And comfort yourself with others need for reassurance - I rang gp when pg with ds3 as I had the most awful chest pains and was scared I was dying. Dr said that if gaviscon didn't sort it out, I needed to go to hospital straight away. I bought gaviscon and got better - I had just never had heartburn before, my it smarts

differentnameforthis. You are right of course. My situation is in my first pregnancy I had a slow rupture of my waters which was picked up at 33 weeks. My previous experience has made me very very anxious in this pregnancy and I have already been to the hospital on countless occasions as well has having a private scan.

If it wasn't for my previous experience I wouldn't be worried in the slightest. I'm not worried about wasting their time, I'm more worried that they will give me another internal examination which I want to avoid and then tell me nothing is wrong. It is difficult to tell from internal examinations if your waters are leaking and in my first pregnancy the internal examinations all came back negative although the scan showed that I had hardly any amniotic fluid left.

It is also a logistical nightmare to get to the hospital, dh doesn't work locally so I would have to get 3 buses to get to the hospital even though it is only 15 miles away. If I could afford it I would book myself in at BUPA for a private scan as it is the only way of finding out if my waters are going for sure. My gut feeling is that they aren't leaking, I think I am just being over anxious.

I'm off to the GP this afternoon, so don't worry, I am listening!

In addition to your words of advice, I realized that if my reason for not calling the MW was that she would make me go to see someone was not actually an excuse to avoid calling the MW. It's just striking the balance between thinking you might be being a wimp and realizing that you need some attention....and also not being able to face the misery of having to sit in DAU for hours, which I did in my last pregnancy (sent by MW because she thought baby had turned breech at 38 weeks).

Am tapping this out from hospital where (predictably) gp has sent me for further checks!

Roary, how did you get on?

Sat in delivery suite for 4 hours, with the conclusion that my liver may be enlarged but that all liver function tests are normal and BP fine! But it was good to get answers and my very nice and great GP, who sent me in, said it was exactly the right thing to do. I have to see the MW next week (which I would be doing anyway)

Glad to hear things seem to be ok. Hope baby turns soon.