march/April babies?

[baileybubs]

Aw sethsmummy that's a terrible story! I really hope your experience this time is much better!

And ukgirl I agree there is a lack of connection with midwives and doctors with pregnant women over here. I have so far seen 5 different midwives for my 6 midwife appointments so I don't feel like I am getting any sort of help or establishing a relationship with any medical professional. For me it's more sad but I worry about how it might be for a younger first time mum who might be wary and worried enough as it is, and how much a closer relationship with a midwife would benefit them (does that make sense?)

 

[ukgirl23]

Baileybubs I completely agree. You make perfect sense Ive often wondered the same thing. At my appointment last week I was barely in the door before she was springing a surprise blood test on me... I had no idea there was going to be one. Then she measured me for the firat time in my pregnancy and checked the hb then threw a load of breast feeding statistics at me before ushering me out the door... it felt really rushed. She didn't explain anything. She literally ticked off the paper work and then said see you in 6 weeks...

am I meant to be booking doctors appointments between the midwife ones? Or do you really not get seen that often here? Xx

 

[baileybubs]

6 weeks??! The further along you are the closer the appointments should be!! I get mine every 2-3 weeks since 28 weeks! Mind you they only ever do the same thing in the same rushed way you describe! They measure my bump, listen to the heartbeat, test my pee sample, do my bp and feel for baby's position. As well as very quickly asking if I'm ok and any problems, it takes no more than 5 mins!! I'd hate to think how they would react if I did actually have a problem I wished to discuss!!
I don't blame the actual midwives. It's not their fault they are so busy, it just always seems like they are so rushed!! I have a SIL who recently had a stillborn daughter and it worries me sometimes to think that if her midwives had been able to spend more time discussing baby, baby's activity etc with her then they might have spotted the problem.

 

[ukgirl23]

Sorry to hear about your SIL xx

Yeh my mum said the same thing that they are meant to see you quite often at the end. I got told to book my own appointment for 36 weeks :/ I have to book my own whooping cough vaccine too :/ I dont blame them either. they have a lot of stuff on the paper to get through in a short time. She is only in on fridays too which doesnt help things. xx

 

[baileybubs]

If I were you I would just book one for about 3 weeks time. I'm not in anyway high risk and I will be seen again at 33 weeks, I don't think it should be another 6 weeks til they check you again. Really they should be looking out high blood pressure or any signs if infection in your urine. They can't really do that if they don't see you! I find this so strange!

Does anyone else have such a big gap between appointments during third tri? Maybe I am lucky to be seen every 2-3 weeks I don't know.....

 

[Steph82]

I have 5 weeks between the last appointment and this one (32 week appointment)... The next one is 3 weeks, then every week after that.

 

[ukgirl23]

yea my last one was my 28 week one then she said book in for the next 6 weeks, so I will be 34 weeks then, but I'm worried because at my last appointment my blood pressure was higher than usual. I will get the gp to check it again when I get my whooping cough vaccine. I'll look in my notes later and put up the list of all the appointments they say I should have. xx

 

[sethsmummy]

thanks baileybubs

I had app at 28 weeks, then should have been 31, and then 34 weeks, but i have weekly appointments to keep an eye on my blood pressure.
I think i am quite lucky.. my usual midiwife is normally always running behind BUT she makes time for you if you need it. If you just need an in and out then thats what you get, but if you even mention a slight worry you can be sat there for a good 20 mins. Last week i was in there for 30 mins

I think booking your own whooping cough vaccine is routine. And i have to book all my own midwife appointments so i do it in advance. I have had the last 6 weeks worth booked for a while. I would have done the next block but i dont know whether i am seeing midwife or consultant and when after my 36 week scan so cant pre-book. xxx

 

[baileybubs]

I think I was told that from 20 weeks its every 4 weeks for appointments, then once you get to 28 weeks its every 2 to 3 weeks depending how you feel and what they find during the appointment. The one I just had was originally gonna have me come back in 4 weeks but when she realised that would make me 34 weeks she said it should be no longer than 3 weeks in between at this stage.
Must be a difference in local areas maybe. Although I can also phone up and book an appointment whenever I want if I am concerned coz my local midwives are at my gp surgery every Thursday. So I could have one this week or next if I wanted.
Only other reason I can think that I see mine more often is because my baby is breech, but that shouldn't really matter at this stage.

Sethsmummy - do you usually get the same midwife? I wish I did, but then I guess it makes no difference when you go into labour coz you get whoever is on duty lol!!

 

[baileybubs]

And ukgirl I would deffo get your bp checked if it was a little high last time.

 

[sethsmummy]

baileybubs, yeah i do I'v had weekly appointments since my 28 week appointment and usually see her unless its with my consultant. She is usually the midwife in on a Thursday afternoon so i always book in then (also means i dont have to pull DS1 from nursery to attend). I much rather her and hate when i see a different one as she is a big lady herself and is always so lovely to me.. ALSO she tells things how it is. It was her who said point blank when my Bp was all over the place that she didnt think i would make 39 weeks.. but so far so good x

 

[baileybubs]

You see I always have my appointment at 9am on a Thursday so I thought I'd always get the same one but they are always different. Oh well, they all seem very nice it's just a pain going over things again with a new one everytime! Especially if they ask about my previous pregnancy, such a pain! But by the sounds of it I am lucky to be seen as often as I am! How's your bp doing at the moment? Did you say you have the date for your c section booked? That must be exciting to know when your LO will be coming!

 

[ukgirl23]

okay so I found out my notes and these are the dates it says for appointments...

8-10 booking
11-14 scan +bloods
16 results of blood testing
18-20 detailed scan
25 weeks was crossed out
28 blood tests
34 (has gp written next to it) routine app
36 routine app
38 info re prolonged pregnancy and induction of labour
40 weeks was crossed out
41 induction of labour arranged

Apparently the ones they crossed out were for first time mums only.

So my next check is at 34 weeks with my GP then 36 weeks with the midwife.. I wish she had been clearer, If I hadn't checked my notes I wouldn't have known!

 

[baileybubs]

Ahh I forgot to account for the fact that this will be my first baby, maybe that's why I have more appointments

 

[ukgirl23]

I didnt realise that first time mums got seen more either. It makes sense I guess xxx

 

[Cherrybump]

Yeah in my folder its has at 32weeks i think it is because im first time mum lol. then ill get seen i think again at 34 weeks or 36weeks after that lol i cant remember now my folder is through in my bedroom. Just so i can look over them from time to time and i ve hide the scan piks in there to so Ryan can go a pinch then Heehee i nicked back the 2 he claimed.

Seths that list was pretty helpful thank you. My list i made isnt very long lol as im open to whatever else they suggest if need be lol Ive just left ti pretty simple and basic lol.

One thing ive noticed this week now im back to work is my belly as grew a little bit but my back is killing me when im sitting in the stupid thing they call a chair at the till lol and then when i stand (this is new for me) I can feel Paige stretches her bits out lol like she is trying to escape i though it was nice when i was in bed lying down but now that i can feel it standing up its kind of sore-ish. My belly tighest up on the top to and i know her legs go right up to my ribs now. I think she is going to be like mummy with her feet up there and me trying to get them down lol (mum keeps telling me i did this ) lol x

Now i kind of wish i had pasted these next 4 weeks as people thing i can bend so far forward still trying to grab there items or money when i sitting down so i keep a hanger next to me to pull them forward. I just wanna say to them and point to my belly (HELLO!) lol

xxxx

 

[doggylover]

My two cents- here FTM definitely get more appointments - every four weeks until 32 weeks, then every fortnight after that.

I have my 32 week midwife appointment tomorrow, then 34 weeks at the hospital then...no idea!

 

[MummyPony]

We have every 2 weeks from 28 week appointment

 

[NatalieW]

I think I have more appointments than a FTM. But that's not seeing the normal community midwife. I got to see consultant, extra scans as diabetic midwife ones. So at the moment I'm on fortnightly visits to the hospital. But last week I was there three times in just over a week.

 

[plastikpony]

I'm on private health care here in South Africa. We pay a lot but its worth it. I had appointments at 6,8,10 and 12 weeks, then every 4 weeks at 16, 20, 24 and 28 weeks, and now we are back to every two weeks at 30, 32 and 34 weeks and then I believe it goes to every week until delivery!

My major scans were at 12 and 20 weeks, but I get a scan every single time I go to the Gynae, and he does the scan himself so I have full confidence that its being done properly. He also tells me at every appointment whether he is happy with how things are going or not and gives me the baby's weight and size and answer any questions on the spot.

I think I'm spoiled