Early labour signs, but apparently it was toast.

[Raspberries]

I don't want to be a hypochondriac but lastnight I was kept awake by backache all night, strangely enough it felt like period pain backache. Didn't think too much of it and got a couple of hours sleep. This morning, since about 11am, I kept getting an achey stomach aswell as the back ache. So I had a bath, and then by around 1pm, they were very strong period-type pains in my lower stomach coming every 10 mins lasting for about 30 secs, my whole bump looks about 3 inches lower than it was and I had a bout of very bad diaorrhea.

I looked through my pregnancy notes and found that if I had symptoms such as these to ring my hospital as it could be signs of early labour.

I rang up the consultant led unit who then transferred me to the PANDA day assessment unit. The women asked what the matter was, so I told her. She then told me to hold on a moment, and in the background I heard her say, and I quote "Sheila, can you save me a hobnob? Not the plain one, a chocolate one!" and then came back on the line to tell me that I was wasting her time and that it must be a stomach upset and asked what I'd eaten so far. So I said toast. and she said "Yeah, well... toast can do that to you. Ring back only if it's a real problem please." and put the phone down.

I am so annoyed, if I thought it'd been just a stomach upset, I wouldn't have bothered ringing, I was genuinely worried but she made me feel like an idiot, if anything toast has always settled my stomach, never caused an upset. and the fact that whilst talking to me she was more concerned about missing out on the bloody chocolate biscuits has well pissed me off!

Now the pains are still there and feeling stronger, and every 8 mins but I don't want to ring back to talk to someone like that, who only thinks its a stomach upset. I'm really worried, what should I do?

 

[vinteenage]

Have you tried laying on your left side and drinking water?

Honestly, it does sound like labor to me though. Can you go to the emergency room at the hospital? They'll have to treat you and check you out.

 

[hurryupsept]

that's awful treatment. have you spoken directly to your midwife??

 

[Raspberries]

Yeah I've tried lying down and keeping hydrated, the women told me to eat chicken soup too, for goodness knows what reason.

Yeah I'm thinking of that, my OH finishes work in just over an hour so I'll have to wait til then to go check it out, I just hope its something else!

 

[Raspberries]

No, I don't have a midwife of my own as such, I get dealt with by 2 teen midwives and their number is a mobile phone thats checked once every 3 days for texts and is 'strictly for appointments only'.

 

[hurryupsept]

ohh right, well then it is probably best to go to get checked out. hope everything is ok

 

[SassyLou]

Firstly if you're concerned you must phone back! It may well be braxton hicks, but better to be sure.

Secondly, when you feel strong enough you need to report this womans treatment of you to your hospitals PALS service (patient advice liason service). I was a teenage mum 21 years ago and was treated terribly by the hospital and I just got upset but never said anything. Since then I've gone on to train as a nurse, have another two children and become much older (39) and wiser. It's unfair, distressing and unprofessional. If people don't complains things will never change.

Good luck to you xxx

 

[Raspberries]

Thankfully everything got sorted with baby. Either it wasn't early labour or it was signs that stopped.

Soo scary, my OH ended up having to work late but thankfully one of the 2 midwives whose care I'm in rang me up to re-schedule my next appointment and noticed I didn't sound right so I told her what was happening and she told me to lie on my left or right side, whichever is comfier, prop myself up with pillows, take some paracetamol and drink some tea to calm myself down and do something to take my mind off of everything. And although that number is normally appointments only, she said she'd ring me back in an hour and advise me then. Thankfully, the pains began to get less strong and further apart and by the time she rang me they were milder aches. She says its likely the stress of everything lately got me too worked up, and that stress can bring on labour-like pains.

Thank goodness its stopped, but I suppose its another reason why we shouldn't get so stressed thanks for your replies though, they did help whilst I was panicking.

And I'm not entirely sure who it was on the phone, she didn't tell me who she was, only that she was a midwife in the PANDA unit, but I'll mention it to my midwife when I hve my next appointment, its seems the women who work in the PANDA unit are quite as people-friendly as they should be.

 

[hurryupsept]

glad everything sorted itself out!

 

[QuintinsMommy]

glad everything is well

 

[baby.moo]

If your really worried you should go to the ER. Goodluck.