If you have a premature baby, do you still have the 10 day midwife visit?

[LittleBairn]

Bit of an odd question, I'm currently trying to organise/prepare for a premature baby.
I have had serious issues with my community midwives in previous pregnancies, as far as in concerned their poor care contributed to my DDs death. I have refused to be seen by them in my current pregnancy, all my care is taking place a fetal medicine.

So if you had a baby early that spent time hospitalised afterwards did you still have the 10 day community midwife visit afterwards?

Interesting question, and interesting answers.

I had my first, 27 weeker in August 2013, and after EMCS on Sunday evening, was discharged from hospital on Thursday. Midwife came to house on Friday, and Saturday (two different ladies, and not MY midwife), and stitch taken out on Saturday. Midwife who came on the Saturday said I could be followed up in the hospital from then on.

When I went back to the delivery ward to check this, was told 'um...no... why would we be doing it? We can't/don't/won't', which then led to me having a complete breakdown, as my delivery had been unexpected, with a very sick baby.

I phoned up the community Midwife team, but nobody ever got back to me, so I did without care on Days 6 - 10 (some of those days, I was still injecting the anti-clotting stuff).

When I followed it up at a later date with my Midwife, she was appalled, and raised it at a team meeting. I should never have been directed back to the hospital for my care.

Feel quite upset, thinking back to it. I was at a greater risk of PND, and just fell out of the system. Now from everybody elses responses, I can see it is not unusual!

heart I'm sorry about the attitude and lack of care you received. This is exactly the sort of thing I experienced post partum after my first two pregnancies, after my first I was really in need of some after care especially since it was near Christmas and my GP surgery was closed.
It does seem to be a wide spread problem that post natally there is little support and care for the mothers.
I certainly won't be waiting in all day for midwifes if I have a baby still in hospital.

When I called up the community midwifes the one of the phone called out over the reception room "why is she calling us her baby is dead we deal with the living." I hung up.
They admitted after my DH furious call that they were supposed to be cari g for me, it was all a mix up needless to say we told them to get lost.

I didn't. In both the UK and Germany. The only visitor we had was the Lifeline support worker who came and saw DC to help them adjust to have any ill siblings, I had no MW come and see me as my babies were still in hospital, although when DD came home, a HV did visit for an hour and never saw her again, and by the time DS came home we were in another country.

This time around I have Gyno appointment at 8 weeks to check to see how I'm doing but as baby is still in hospital I am no longer under MW/Consultant care so I'll receive no visits after that appointment, and neither will DS, he'll just have outpatient and Pead appointments, I'm guessing.

Ah, meant child life specialist. No idea where the lifeline came from blames the Papa Roach song I'm singing

Just checked my paperwork and if baby was born full-term; I would have had 8 weeks post-natal care. Every day for the first 10 days and then once a week. Baby would have also had to be taken to a Pediatrician for a second examination between three and ten days old - but as baby is in hospital these are no longer applicable except for my well being check-up at 8 weeks.

I had a home visit from the HV a week or so after I gave birth. She said the house seemed very quiet, were the babies upstairs sleeping?

Since one had been stillborn and the other was in NICU after arriving at 26+2, I was underwhelmed to say the least.

MultipleMama I hope your little one comes home soon. A specialist to help the older kids sounds like a good idea.

penguin I'm sorry about your DC and such insenstive treatment.
This is why I'd rather not have vists afterwards I'm not sure I could be trusted to hold my tongue in such a situation.

little - It'll be a while before he's home but we're keeping our fingers crossed! :) The Specialist also helps parents and other family members as well as siblings/children. Which really helped; more than the counseller they recommended actually. We're in the process of getting one. We're hoping they'll do home visits so that they can play etc with the Dc like last time but also talk to family members (mainly PiL) to help them grip the situation. I found them invaluble. So if you can access their help I recommend it. :)

Thank you I will look into it that is one service that sounds valuable to families.