how do you contact your midwife?

[morocco]

(sorry I just realised this is really long)

I'm pregnant and living abroad but going back to the UK for a month this summer. I'd really like to have my baby in the UK cos I'd like to be with my mum this time for moral support and help with my toddler but I wouldn't be able to come back to the UK again until about 6 weeks/a month before the birth. Last time though I had such a bad experience with my GP and trying to get in touch with a midwife to come and check out my pre-eclampsia that it took 5 weeks to see anyone at all (and I was 30 weeks pregnant when I arrived in the UK). I'm terrified that it will be like last time and that I'll end up having another c section. I think part of the problem was that last time my brain just seemed to vanish and I couldn't cope with the whole bureaucracy and couldn't be remotely pushy which was obviously what was needed.

so I want to make the most of my 5 weeks in the UK now when my brain is not too mushy to set the ball rolling and find out things like which hospital I can go to, their policy on vbac, how I get to see midwives and consultants etc etc. But I have no idea what to do. Is it OK to phone up or go and visit the hospital direct? Do I have to go via my GP (hope not)? Will the midwives just think I'm wasting their time as I'm only 6 weeks pregnant now? Do you think a tour of the hospitals might be possible? In other words, where do I begin? I'm really really nervous about this, could someone try and point me in the right direction.

Many thanks

I don't know how it all works I'm afraid, but I do know that the hospitals like to be notified as soon as possible. So have a look around a few, I did at 12 weeks because it was bothering me so much. Pregnancy care is different town to town, practice to practice, but if you don't normally have a gp in the UK then i think nows the time to sort that out. Another thought to make it even easier is to have a tour of some midwifery units, then you can sign up to a midwife straight away and you can have all your ante-natel care there and have your baby there. This might bypass alot of paperwork and if it is sorted out now then you will feel a lot calmer during your preganancy. Good luck and Congratulations!

I think that at my GPs practice, if you went in and said you were pregnant and you wanted an appointment with the midwife, they'd sort it out for you without having to go through the GP. Worth giving the practice a call??

I don't know how the system works BUT you are very unlikely to have pre-eclampsia again... so I'd say - if your pregnancy is all very straight forward.... write a PROPER birth plan and just turn up once in labour to the labour ward. To the MW there it will make NO difference....