Had first appointment...........the systems a farce!

[Lownthwaite]

Well I'm not happy.

Today I had my first midwife appointment. I've had to see a midwife at an antenatal clinic at a sure start centre (not a local one either!) as my GP no longer has a midwife.

She was lovely but they system is an absolute joke!

The maternity unit at my local hospital where I had my DD in 2010 has since been shut down. Leaving an option of 2 other hospitals which are nowhere near my house. I have picked one and went in armed with the knowledge of that's where I want to have my baby although it appears that it doesn't matter where i have the baby the system is shockingly unorganized!

I will have my baby at North Manchester, have my scan and antenatal appointments at my own boroughs hospital (where my DD was born), I'll have my midwife appointments at random childrens centres throughout the borough and if I need an on call midwife then they will come from the community midwives office the next borough over as my postcode falls in their jurisdiction! Visits at home once baby is born will also be from the neighboring borough even though my borough has their own midwife office!

The midwife today wasn't even meant to give me my green notes cause she's from my borough not the other! She gave me them anyway as she agreed the whole thing is ridiculous! She's sent off my referral for my 12 week scan but I won't see anyone else now until my scan.

I've got contact numbers should something be wrong but I've still not got my own appointed midwife! I just feel very alone and unsupported now. I had my own midwife all the way though with my DD so it's very strange to suddenly be cast aside because of my postcode!

I have no car and will really struggle to keep going to childrens centres with my 2 year old in tow to visit midwives now my GP doesn't have one. I was lucky today that my friend could give us a lift but that won't always be the case.

I'm just feeling very stressed about it all and to top it off I was told I can't use the new birthing unit at the hospital as this birth will be a vbac.

 

[iiTTCii]

God!!! That's awful!! Where abouts do you live?

From what I've experienced so far, the whole system is rubbish. I've been messed about loads already!

 

[Maze]

I am unfamiliar with the system over there but from what you explained that does sound awful. I am so sorry hun!

 

[Lownthwaite]

God!!! That's awful!! Where abouts do you live?

From what I've experienced so far, the whole system is rubbish. I've been messed about loads already!

Pm'd you

 

[KalonKiki]

I am also unfamiliar with the system over there as midwives are normally something you have to go out of your way to get here and they don't work with hospitals (we generally use obstetrician/gynecologists here). They normally do home births or work with a birthing center rather than a hospital, and they aren't very common here (I found one midwife practice in my area and it didn't seem to be worth my time). However it does sound an awful lot like total BS, I'm sorry that you have to go through that. ):

 

[babydevil1989]

how far is the hospital from you?

its very normal not to see a midwife til after your 12 week scan (i only saw mine for the first time last week and now i wont see her until 16 weeks.

we have to go to the childrens centre for our midwife appointment too (although it is always the same one)

i know its horrible not having a specific midwife as i didnt have an appointed one for DS i had 3 different ones.

if you struggle to get to appointnents they will have to cone to you xxx

 

[Lownthwaite]

how far is the hospital from you?

its very normal not to see a midwife til after your 12 week scan (i only saw mine for the first time last week and now i wont see her until 16 weeks.

we have to go to the childrens centre for our midwife appointment too (although it is always the same one)

i know its horrible not having a specific midwife as i didnt have an appointed one for DS i had 3 different ones.

if you struggle to get to appointnents they will have to cone to you xxx

It's over 9 miles away - which I know doesn't seem far for some but I'm panicking I think with not having our own transport etc.

I'm a stickler for not liking change and since it's so different this time than with my DD it's making me really uneasy.......that and I think my hormones have kicked into overdrive today!

 

[babydevil1989]

ours is 15 miles from us but we do have a car!

hormones play a big part hun and if your really worried phone the midwife and ask if they van explain whats happening with that situation xx

 

[RoxyRoo]

Try not to get stressed. I didn't have an appointed mw when pregnant with my DD, I saw a different one at every appointment and I'm not sure if it's just me but it didn't bother me as long as I was being seen. My appointments varied between my local surgery and the main hospital too but again, I just saw it as one of those things.

I had a home birth and I had 2 midwives who I'd never met before but as it turned out they were the loveliest midwives ever so I felt very lucky!

It's normal to not see anyone until after your 12 week scan (aside from your booking appointment.) I'm 9 weeks tomorrow and haven't seen anyone yet, I have my booking appointment in 2 weeks, then my scan will probably be the week after.

From what I've seen and read, all of the above just seems to be standard procedure now. Please don't get stressed, the important thing is that you're receiving care, regardless of who or where is providing it

 

[MorganEvans]

Thats a bad choice of options that you've been given :/ Lets hope that something good will happen!

 

[Sheffie]

So sorry for the stress! Hopefully things get better.

 

[Linz88]

A similar thing happened to me too.. I went to the doctors to make an appoitment to see my midwife, the woman looked at me like i was crazy, like i hadnt seen a midwife there 3 years ago when i was pregnant with DD (she was new) but she told me they'd changed it all now and i would have to book an appointment with my doctor to get refered to a midwife at the hospital (the appoinment is 2 weeks away on the 22nd) and then ill have to way for the midwife appointment to come through, i jus hope after i go to to the hospital things wil be ok, but i have a feeling its goin to be terrible as i doubt the hospital have enough midwifes to look after all the pregnant women in my area, any othet hospital is atleast 6 miles away. And thinking about it now, ive just remembered my local hospital no longer has s maternity ward so my midwife will probably be based 6 miles + away..

I think its terrible that there expecting you to see someone else most appointments, you should be able to build a relationship with your midwife,

 

[Brightstarshi]

so so sorry((((((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[goddess25]

Sorry that sounds really bad. No wonder your feeling uncomfortable. Over here I have a team of 4 midwices and I will meet them all before birth. Hope it improves for you.

 

[MommaCC]

Could you possibly change your doctors to one that has a midwife? X

 

[Lindss]

O gun that's terrible! I can't believe that you have to put up with that, talk about unnecessary stress!!! Here in Canada its very diff. I have two midwives and they are the only ones u see plus the ones that will deliver the baby. This is a nerve wracking sutuation (Pregnancy) already, is there anyway you can fund another gp?

 

[babydevil1989]

its different in the uk you usually have to go to your local GP also she has no transport anyway so it would just be the same as seeing the midwife x

 

[wang]

hmmm i am not too happy with my Midwife atm too, eventhough she is local, we had our introduction at 6 weeks, and 5 minutes in she told us she was the warrington hospital midwife. We told her we wanted to use Bolton hospital instead since we had our fertility treatment there.

She then told us she would have to ask for their paperwork, and would ring us to make another appointment. fast forward to today, i have rung her twice chasing as i still haven't heard a thing?

I am just going to ring her tomorrow and say we will go to the Warrington hospital, i can't be asked stressing over this.

 

[Lownthwaite]

Bit of an update ladies........

I spoke to a friend from work - his wife is a midwife I've known his wife for a good number of years - we meet up at xmas do's etc, she's lovely.

He got her to contact me, I explained what had happened and she said that after my 12 week scan to call her and she'll carry out all my antenatal appointments at her clinic. She said she'll also help me work on the birth and that she'll take care of me. I'm feeling so much better about it all now.


Thank heavens for friends in the right places!!

I'm sorry some of you ladies are having hard times too.

 

[littleblonde]

I saw all different ones as well, I think you where probably lucky with your eldest. After your 16 week midwife appointment you have 20 week scan then not seen till 28 weeks. Your dr will see you if you ever worried and midwife would cone to you. You will manage . Good luck x