Is it unusual for midwife to have never checked baby heart beat at appointments?

[Tami]

I'm coming upto 27 weeks now and while I know baby is okay, I feel her moving around in there, and she's been perfect at scans, it worries me that my midwife never bothers to check the heartbeat.
I don't know if this is standard practice in my area?
I've probably seen my midwife a whole 3 times and can't say I'll be sad to change midwife when we move house. She didn't even tell me when she'd gone on holiday and I can never reach her!

But anyway, the original question, has anyone else NOT had the heartbeat checked at all?
I am classed as high risk because of my BMI and low thyroid, so would have thought they'd want to listen to it.

 

[NIKKIA]

I've had hb check at 16 week app and 24 week. I thought it was standard to check from 16 weeeks?

 

[Athena]

I didn't have mine listened to until my 28 week appt and that was for all of 2 seconds, I must say I'm appalled at my MW lack of interest in me or my pregnancy. She is constantly getting my name wrong and asking if this is my first baby (it's my third) like she can't even be bothered to read my notes! It was not like this in my previous pregnancies.

 

[Tami]

I didn't have mine listened to until my 28 week appt and that was for all of 2 seconds, I must say I'm appalled at my MW lack of interest in me or my pregnancy. She is constantly getting my name wrong and asking if this is my first baby (it's my third) like she can't even be bothered to read my notes! It was not like this in my previous pregnancies.

I've had this problem too, I end up explaining things three or four times even though it's written in front of her, but given this is my first child I have no idea what to expect really!

 

[nickynora]

I never had mine checked till my 28 week check when I was 27+4!!

 

[kitchenware]

Like Tami and Athena, my midwife has no idea who I am, what stage I'm at and sometimes apparently why I am even there!

Met here 4 times now and everytime she introduces herself to me like we've never met!

She also keeps asking me if I want to have a next appointment - like its optional?

 

[MrsSmartie]

The NICE guidelines state that there is no reason to listen to the fetal heart as long as mum is feeling good movements as it does not reveal anything. However, mums enjoy it and most midwives still do it as part of the appointments as a reassurance. Even my midwife does and I am a midwife (not that I am fussed if she does or not as I feel good movements)! Maybe it is standard in your area but it does seem a bit mean. Also, sorry to hear you are not sensing much interest, that is a shame. In their defence though with remembering you, they do have a MASSIVE caseload of women and it is so hard to remember everyone even when you really want to. Sometimes people grab me in the street whose babies I have delivered and I just can't remember who they are until they give me some more details, sad but true! X

 

[Smudge101]

The MW has used the Doppler on me at every appointment, she even tried at my booking in appointment even though she said she knew she wouldn't be able to find it.

I find it odd how differently things are done. I don't live that far away from the OP but clearly things are very different.

 

[ArchangelLou]

I have had babies heart beat measured from 24 weeks at every appointment although I am yet to see the same midwife twice some I have had have been lovely and there are others who can't wait to get rid of me

 

[SparkleUK]

I'm 34 weeks and have never had heartbeat checked!
I'm low dependency, great fetal movements, great bp and so all is okay and has never been checked!
Baby is head down and all is smooth sailing x

 

[disneydarling]

My midwife has checked baby's heartbeat at every appointment since 16 weeks.

However I do agree with what the majority of people are saying on here, very uninterested in me and my pregnancy. All of my appointments are so routine, she listens to heartbeat and checks baby's position, checks my wee sample and blood pressure then sends me on my way. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I just feel like I'm just a box for her to tick and she doesn't really have any interest in talking to me about things.

 

[SparkleUK]

Oh see I find my midwife appointments fab!!
We have a really good chat, and discuss alsorts! That's why I'm not too bothered about checking heartbeat coz I end up chatting for 30 mins about labour and other things!
X

 

[Dani_Ldn]

Heartbeat has been checked at every appt since 16 weeks. The midwives I have had are all lovely, I had the same lady at my booking in appt & again at my 28 week appt & she remembered me!

 

[Athena]

I'm in and out of there within a few mins. I hate slagging people off but she honestly is rubbish compared with my first two pregnancies. She's very scatty which makes me nervous. She took blood at my booking appt and again at 28 weeks and couldn't do it either time but insisted on keeping trying and trying, she said at the 28 week one, this never happens to me and was really annoyed she couldn't get blood and yet she couldn't do it at booking either, this has never happened to me before, my arm was bruised from elbow to wrist! Both times I've had to see practice nurse and she got it first time.

And I don't expect her to remember me per se but at least have a quick look at my notes and see my name and that I have two other children! She didn't refer me to the MLU either and wrote in my notes I wanted a hospital birth, umm no I do not!!

Feel bad for being mean but I just feel the level of care is not the same as I had before which is a shame, although I do appreciate the case load and how it must be a very hard job.

On a side note does anyone know what week you go to the parentcraft classes? Just in case she forgets to tell me when they are I'll know when to ask lol!

 

[ispeakinsongs]

very strange. Mine ALWAYS checks the heartbeat!!!! At every appointment.

 

[TTCBean]

That's really weird, must be a UK thing! My midwife has listened to the HB since around 14 weeks. She does it for at least 1/2 a minute... she also interacts with my baby, talks to him while touching my tummy. It's really great. She knows who I am and when we start the appointments she knows exactly what's going on and past things we've discussed, etc. I wouldn't put up with otherwise... then again, I'm paying and if they don't do their job correctly or treat me and my baby like someone they care about, I can take my business elsewhere really easily.

 

[summer rain]

No it's not unusual, there is a policy in many areas that they don't check HB until 28 weeks. This is because at 16 weeks it can sometimes be very hard to find the heartbeat and this causes additional worry, and possibly having to have extra scans just to check all is ok. In my old area the policy was like that and the midwives simply were not allowed to check the HB before 28 weeks. In that area though the hospitals had scanning equipment with sound so you could hear and see the heartbeat wavelength on the scan. Where I live now they check the HB from 16 weeks but the ultrasound machines are far more low tech and don't have audio. Xx

 

[cupcakekate]

My midwife first listened to heartbeat at 16 weeks. x