No bloomin midwife appointments!!!

[Jen & Her Men]

Hi ladies,
sorry but I need to have a bit of a rant.
I have just moved to Rochdale and transferred doctors - had to go and get the pregancy confirmed again as I will be going to a different hospital now to have the baby and when I saw the doctor I asked about seeing a midwife as I cancelled my appointment with the midwife in my old area. SHe said to go to the desk to make an appointment so I did and the receptionist said very dismissively that there were no appointments available and I would have to call next week. I told her it was my first baby and that I had just moved and had actually cancelled a midwife appointment for the day before because I had moved but she seemed uninterested and i got told that I was still v early on in pregnancy and that I didnt really need to see a midwife yet anyway (Im 7 weeks gone). So I called up yesterday to be told that there were still no appointments and that they cant book new people in as there are only 3 slots for new pregnancies every week and the midwife was fully booked for the next 2 weeks and the receptionist didnt want to add me onto the list as the midwife got upset when she did that last time!! So she is going to tell the Midwife to call me on Thursday to book me in at some point! I tried to explain that I was nearly 8 weeks gone by now and had not seen anyone, and she just responded by saying that some people dont even know they are pregnant by my stage and not to worry!! But I have known I am pregnant since week 3 so thats 5 weeks so far without seeing anyone and with no prospects of seeing anyone anytime soon! I just feel really frustrated as I have loads of things I want to ask and of course I want to check that my baby is ok. I just think they are totally incompetent - its not just the fact that there are no appointments, its the way they treat you that really annoys me. Yes ok, they see lots and lots of pregnant women everyday, but Im not lots of women, Im me and this is my first pregnancy and I would like to be made to feel like Im a human being going through a very special time and not just a bloomin number!! Rant over now!! I feel so much better for that!!

 

[Ruthie]

Poor you... I hope you get your appointment soon and i hope your midwife is nicer and more compassionate than that horrible woman you had to deal with...

 

[AllieW]

Poor you! Can't have been a pleasant experience.

If it's any consolation, apart from my not very satisfactory appointment with my doctor, my next contact is not until this Friday for my 12 week scan. And I've only just found out today that I first see the midwife on the 8th August. After that the spacing seems a lot closer. Although that is when it's presumably more obvious to you how the pregnancy is going since you're beginning to feel things etc! Probably got something to do with funding, I reckon.

 

[Pregnopaws]

Ouch so sorry to hear they aren't being very agreeable! Its not just you that has to put up with this ignorance though, I've been waiting weeks for some recognition and only just got a midwife appointment next week (first time I will be seen too) and I am 11 weeks already. Chin up i am sure all is fine, and all you need to do is concentrate on looking after yourself and babby and the rest will all follow!!

 

[lisa&alex]

try not to worry. when you see your midwife she doesnt check the baby is fine or anything as she cant, all she will do is book you in and then make you a scan appointment. try not to stress and there are loads of us who have had babies before and might be able to ask any questions you may have? not sure if that will help.. good luck tho x

 

[poppy160]

I reckon you should complain! Have you moved to a small area or is it quite big? I've just had my first phone call from the midwife and she told me that 8 weeks is usually the time they see people, so she has booked me in for 2 weeks on Friday. If I was you I would go in there and have a word - Everyone is important, but the fact that you're so far on and it's your first they should book you in. It's disgusting!

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Dont worry about it il rant with you! because it has happened with both my babies andI just wish they would let us see the MW to put our mindsa at rest and get things sorted out.

 

[Babylicious]

 

[paradysso]

i know exactly how your feeling, last time i was pregnant i was in southampton..... and i found out at 20 weeks and went to dr who told me to go to desk and book midwife, and the receptionsist said there fully booked and i will be seen in about a month!!!!!

so 20 weeks already and no check ups what so ever, i was fuming and found my nearest birthing centre... which happen to be the one on living tv called "babes in the woods" and booked myself in there and they saw me the same day.

 

[Jen & Her Men]

Thanks for your responses everyone - feeling a bit better after reading those. Its now Thursday - the day the midwife is meant to be contacting me to make the appointment - and I have heard nothing so far...I dont think I will hold my breath!
My wonderful Fiance is going to book an appointment for a scan for me as we think we may have our dates wrong as I appear to be showing a little bit and I worked out my dates as 7 weeks! So we are going to go private for a dating ultrasound and if things get no better with the service from the NHS then we may even go private for the whole thing. It means having to sacrifice our holiday to pay for it but I would rather feel safe knowing my baby was being cared for properly than the shoddy approach I have received so far! I know I am very lucky as some people couldnt afford this option at all and I wish those of you who are in the same boat as me the best of luck. xx

 

[kellysomer]

The entire midwifery system is a bl*ody joke! I found out i was pregnant nearly 3 weeks ago and cant even get a booking in appointment. I have tried 2 hospitals and 3 doctors and no luck. Even phoning the hospital posing as a midwife i got no joy, just got told how bad the system is in terms that were obviously meant for another member of the proffession. I am somewhere between 7 and 16 weeks and need to see someone urgently. The wait for a scan is 4 weeks which is an outrage so i have gone through an abortion clinic for a scan now which is next weds, but still have no midwife.

This is an outrage i am shocked at the whole system.

 

[Jen & Her Men]

Oh I do sympathise with you so much! I know exactly how you feel and I know that this is probably a very contoversial statement, but I cant believe how people who are having terminations get scans pretty much straight away, yet people like us who want to proceed with the pregnancy cant get a scan for love nor money, never mind a bloody midwife! I just feel in total limbo at the mo, if it wasnt for the way I was feeling my body change I wouldnt believe I was pregnant because aside from this website which has been a godsend, I have had zero support at all.

 

[AllieW]

but I cant believe how people who are having terminations get scans pretty much straight away,

I expect it's because, with terminations, the earlier the better. And there is a time limit on it legally speaking. Certainly understand your frustration, though.

 

[paradysso]

The entire midwifery system is a bl*ody joke! I found out i was pregnant nearly 3 weeks ago and cant even get a booking in appointment. I have tried 2 hospitals and 3 doctors and no luck. Even phoning the hospital posing as a midwife i got no joy, just got told how bad the system is in terms that were obviously meant for another member of the proffession. I am somewhere between 7 and 16 weeks and need to see someone urgently. The wait for a scan is 4 weeks which is an outrage so i have gone through an abortion clinic for a scan now which is next weds, but still have no midwife.

This is an outrage i am shocked at the whole system.

cant u been seen at the birthing centre???

 

[Jen & Her Men]

AAARRGGHHHH!!!! I dont believe this!! I have just called my doctors and spoke to the horrible receptionist again. I need a referral to go private for an Ultra Sound. Horror-bag-receptionist-from-hell stated that I needed to go back to my doctors to see the doctor again before I could be referred. I explained that I had been in to see the doctor and she had confirmed the pregnancy and the reason I wanted to be referred was due to the delay in getting any assistance through the NHS and I would have thought it would be a wasted appointment to go in and see the doctor again to go through the same thing just to get a referral for a scan which I clearly need as Im pregnant! She told me to call back tomorrow!!!! I told her I was in Barcelona tomorrow for the weekend so that was not possible and surely the doctor could just write me a letter as I have been referred by a previous doctor for private treatment without having to go back in to see the doctor! So now it looks like I will have to wait til next week to see the doctor again, to get a referral to go private. Im just so frustrated with all of this! I know a week isnt that much normally but when I keep getting fobbed off week after week with "call back next week" or "call back tomorrow" Im just sick and tired of it! I dont understand why they are making more hard work for themselves by insisting on seeing me - its no wonder NHS waiting times are so long!

 

[enn]

yea they suck, is there no other doctor surgery near where u are except that one?

think i saw mine at 8weeks or 10weeks something like that as to i knew i was pregnant but didnt have proof from docs. couldnt do a home test cause i didnt know my dates. oh just said end of oct.mw worked out a date and she worked it out right according to hosp when i went there for the 12weeks 3day scan

i hope they se u soon cause stress is the last thing u need. cant your partner ring up for you instead of u ringing and getting stressed?

 

[maybebaby]

It's horrible how they treat women in the early stages of pregnancy. My sister went to the doctor to get her pregnancy confirmed & was told that the MW wouldn't see her until 12 weeks & "so much could still go wrong, it hardly seems making the appointment yet"!!!

I hope you can get it sorted soon, is there another doctors you could go to instead?

 

[AllieW]

It's horrible how they treat women in the early stages of pregnancy. My sister went to the doctor to get her pregnancy confirmed & was told that the MW wouldn't see her until 12 weeks & "so much could still go wrong, it hardly seems making the appointment yet"!!!
quote]

Oh my word! What a horrible thing to say! Do you suppose they've read their Hippocratic Oath recently? If I recall correctly it says something about 'First do no harm' and in my book that includes emotional/psychological! (I'm sure I read somewhere, too, that 85% of pregnancies proceed beyond 12 weeks so, statistically speaking, they're talking rot too.)

 

[Anna B]

Oh I do sympathise with you so much! I know exactly how you feel and I know that this is probably a very contoversial statement, but I cant believe how people who are having terminations get scans pretty much straight away, yet people like us who want to proceed with the pregnancy cant get a scan for love nor money.

I'm sorry, but I find this statement very insulting and upsetting.

5 weeks ago tomorrow I had a termination. My baby was wanted very much, and the decision to say goodbye to him was the hardest thig I have ever had to do in my life. My baby would most likely have died before he was full term, and had he survived, he would have had severe spina bifida, and been severly brain damaged from Hydrocephallus.

My point is, not everyone having a termination is having it because they don't want the baby, because it was an accident or unplanned. Not everyone is a teenager who had made a mistake, or a career woman who doesn't want to take a break. Loving couples who have little other choice, who want and love their babies very much also have to go through with terminations, and that is not to be taken lightly, nor are we to blame for others not being able to get scans or other treatments.

My suggestion for the lady with the original problem here (sorry, forgot your name) is to go back to your doctors, and ask to see the practice manager. If the receptionist asks why, tell her it is to complain that you have been refused a booking appointment for the midwife, I think you might see a change in her attitude then!! You may not have to complain at all, you might get booked in right away. Do it even if you are going to go private, I'm sure others must have the same problem as you at this practice, and it might just help them out too.

 

[Gem & Leland]

ive got my booking in appointment 30th july think its when im 8 weeks ! she wanted to see me betwen 8 and 12 weeks and ofcause i picked 8 weeks