antenatal visits

[kindred86]

hey, I am 29wks and so far have only had one u/s scan which was at my booking appointment when I was 12wks is it normal not to have any follow up u/s scans? I have so far had 6 urinary tract infections and been admitted to hosp, I still get sick a lot and now im becoming concerned that none of the midwifes or doctors i've seen are concerned about ill i constantly feel one midwife told me to adjust my attitude and read some books instead of sleeping (im severly aneamic). I have brought up the fact that I have only ever had one u/s scan and was told that thats the only one I will get but surely this can't be? I have another appointment to see my midwife in two days and was just wondering if i should bother bringing up the subject again or keep my mouth shut?

 

[Nicola]

Gosh I've had heaps of appointments (2 scans) as follows:

9 weeks - booking in
12 weeks - scan
16 weeks - check up
20 weeks - check up
21 weeks - scan
24 weeks - check up
28 weeks - check up
32 weeks - check up
34 weeks - check up
36 weeks - check up
38 weeks - check up (tomorrow, 8am)

I've also got a 40 week appointment booked (if needed) for 2 weeks time and would then (if still needed) see her again at 41 and 42 weeks by which time they would have discussed inductions etc with me. Evidently I won't be allowed to go past 42 weeks. Praying it's more like a 38/39 week delivery.

If you have an appointment pending I'd speak up then, see what they say. The scan at 20/21 weeks is vital to check he/she has all their internal organs, that baby has a brain that nothing is growing outside the skin or has holes in the skin etc, checking he/she has 2 kidneys, a heart, enough fluids etc....I really would ask about that, most people call it the "gender scan" but it's not what it's about...finding out the gender is just a bonus if your hospital shares that information with you (not all do due to areas of high colour, race, religions etc).

 

[trixipaws]

one midwife told me to adjust my attitude and read some books instead of sleeping

omg i wouldnt take shit like that!
u should hav had an anomaly scan at 20 weeks!
if ur feeling ill all the time u should expect more care from ur health service. if theyre being unhelpful can u not seek advice elsewhere?
what that MW said is so mean.

 

[leckershell]

The scan at 20/21 weeks is vital to check he/she has all their internal organs, that baby has a brain that nothing is growing outside the skin or has holes in the skin etc, checking he/she has 2 kidneys, a heart, enough fluids etc....I really would ask about that, most people call it the "gender scan" but it's not what it's about...finding out the gender is just a bonus if your hospital shares that information with you (not all do due to areas of high colour, race, religions etc).

Think it's called Anomaly Scan.

My midwife has been pretty awful compared to others but even I have had better treatment than you. I'd voice up your concerns, or can you move surgeries? Better late than never.

9 week app
12 week scan
20 week scan
24 week app
29 week app
31 week app
35 week app

and I have one tomorrow at 37 weeks.

I changed midwife and surgeries at 33 weeks. It wasn't a great plan but I feel a lot better now as my old midwife mocked me for asking about pre-eclampsia and my new one is much more professional.

 

[kindred86]

changing surgeries would seem the obvious thing to do i just really dont need the stress (i'm meant to be moving house this month) I have one really good midwife but theres never a garuntee of seeing her as there are two who share my surgerie and the other midwife is good too even the students they have are good but the midwifes I see when I can't see my own are the problems lol

I think if I have another bad appointment i'll be striaght in to see my own doc two mins after seeing the midwife to request a change of hospitals.

Any ideas on how you think I should go about bringing up the fact that i've only ever had a dating scan at 12wks, I dont think the way I brought it up before when I just asked straight out when my next scan was as its been a while really got through to the midwife??

Thanks

 

[clarem]

In the Glasgow area it is only a dating scan that is routinely carried out. The anomaly scan is not routinely carried out. I am 38 weeks pregnant and had a scan at 14 weeks. I did get a scan at 28 weeks when I was at the Queen Mums having my glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes as the midwife had difficulty assessing my abdomen so she got me scanned but that was the only reason for it. Most areas within the country do get a routine 20 week scan but there is the odd place in Scotland that does not provide it. At my last parentcraft class the midwife was talking about the lack of the 20 week scan and she seems to think that it will be introduced but who knows when. I intend to write to those in high places about the lack of the 20 week scan - It is not the fault of the midwives, these decisions are made by those in much higher places.

Where are you based in Glasgow? Is the Southern General an alternative for you? I am based in Clydebank and I have to say that the community midwives and my GP practice have been brilliant. I have not seen the midwives often as I have shared care with my GP. Saw a midwife at 14 weeks, GP at 16, 20, 24 weeks, midwife at 28 weeks, GP again at 32, 34 weeks. Midwife at 36 weeks, GP today at 38 weeks. Back to the midwife in 2 weeks. In between these appointments I have been able to access my GP antenatal clinic or the midwifery clinic by self referal (thankfully I have not needed to see anyone between routine appointments). I also have SPD and got referred to physio at the Queen Mums within 3 days of seeing the midwife. The physio's have also been very supportive and again I can self refer back to them at any point if I need to.

 

[kindred86]

my alternate hospital is the royal infirmary (my sister says its a great hospital all I know is that its in the city centre), I live in drumchapel and eventhough I grew up here I left when I was 17 and only came back last year so I dont even know where the southern general is lol I love the queen mums have been there several times and have had what I would call hell on earth a four day stay in the ward as I blacked out, the midwifes there were great but putting a 21y/o in a ward with women who are in labour probably wasn't the best idea as it put me right off having any sort of natural birth and I'm now adamant I want a c-section lol

Its strange that glasgow doesn't offer a 20wk scan if it is so common elsewhere and with all the medicine i've been taking and with how ill i've been I am kinda shocked that none of the midwifes I've seen have even considered another scan just to check that everything is ok with the baby then again they probably think im being a pain as when I go see my midwife tomorrow it will be the 8th visit in 6wks although 2 of them were made by the docs at the queen mums.

 

[BEX101]

I think some midwives and hospitals are quite dismissive with 1st time mum's. I was in hospital at 10 weeks due to a bleeding cyst and have been anemic and tired ever since. At every apointment i've had when they've asked how i'm feeling and i've discribed how exhausted i feel they have nodded calmly and given me one of those look's (she's a 1st time mum look) as if i dont know my own body and know when i'm not right. They all of a sudden have gone into panick mode and called me back in for further tests. Saying if i give birth with this level of anemia i could bleed to death. They have grilled me on how tired i'm feeling and light headed and stuff and acting like it's really important infomation that i should have told them earlier. (like i have at least a dozon times!)
Basicly they see mum's flapping about relativly small problems day in and day out and they get into the habit of switching off. Plus it shouldnt matter if the problem is "small" because to us the mum it's BIG and sometimes just a litle reasurance would go a long way.