What was involved at your 16 week midwife appointment?

[Chloe0789]

Just been to see the midwife for my 16 week appointment get in, she starts asking me about the booking bloods, did Walsall take any, answer no, only the quads! Well can you go to Walsall and get them done! Answer erm no, I have work! Well these were supposed to be done before 10 weeks, yeah no shit Sherlock, pretty sure I didn't even see her for my first appointment till after ten weeks, and she was the one who said she wouldn't do them cause Walsall will do them anyway! So when I go to Walsall for my next scan on the in August, I've got to ask them to do my booking in bloods by then 20weeks pregnant and 10 weeks late on the bloods!

Then asks for a urine sample as though I have one pre prepared, she never bothered to tell me last time that I need to try and take a sample each time! Why do they never give you that grey cardboard thing to urinate in and just expect you to have perfect aim?

Then we get to the end of the appointment and she starts talking about booking in the next appointment which has been booked on a day OH can't go which to us was fine as we thought we were getting to hear baby’s heartbeat this time, and then she finishes up and I'm like is it not at this appointment we get to hear the baby's heart beat? No that's at the next appointment! I’m pretty sure that's when I asked about it at my first appointment she said it was at the 16 week appointment

I’m so confused and annoyed and not at all happy

Edit next appointment with midwife isn’t until end of September when I’ll be 24/25 weeks

[kt_11]

Sorry you feel you’ve had a bad experience.

I can’t actually remember when I had bloods taken tbh but I did have to have a urine sample at each midwife appointment, blood pressure checked etc.

I did hear the heartbeat at my 16 week appointment but wasn’t necessarily expecting to as I’d heard from others that they don’t always do it until the next one. Although it is so amazing to hear it, I’m not sure I’d have had my OH come to the appointment just to hear it for a few seconds. Obviously if you really want him there that’s fine too.

My OH came to my 12 and 20 week scans though and the 20 week one in particular was really good for him to see what baby was up to (he saw more than I did at the scans really cos I was lying down and he was right in front of the screen!)

If you’re not happy with your care, you could consider contacting your GP surgery and asking if it’s possible to see someone else? xx

[Chloe0789 in reply to kt_11]

I wouldn’t mind but I asked about the heartbeat at the first appointment and I’m 99% sure that she said it would be at the 16 week appointment, but now she’s saying 24 week appointment,

This is our first pregnancy, and I would have preferred my OH to be as involved as possible, he works night shifts so currently all of the appointments he’s been able to go to without him having to take time out of work or wake up early before a shift, but now the 24 week appointment he can’t make, which when this is the first time we will hear the heartbeat is kind of annoying

[kt_11 in reply to Chloe0789]

That’s a shame. Sounds like she’s maybe given you the wrong information in the first place but if that’s the case she should have at least apologised for the miscommunication instead of just changing her tune.

My community midwives were really good (there were two that I saw due to annual leave etc) but they were great at answering questions and when I had some issues with whether it was safe to have a filling removed from my tooth, she immediately called to leave a message for my consultant and rang me with his response. It’s sad that the care seems to vary so greatly. It was my first pregnancy too following IVF so I know how it feels to rely on that support because you don’t know what to expect xx

[Chloe0789 in reply to kt_11]

I went to the hospital yesterday to get the booking in bloods as I rang and asked them about it and they said sooner rather than later, and I spoke to one of the Midwife’s there and she said the heartbeat isn’t till 24 weeks, so atleast now when I go to the next one I know I’ll be having it done,

Is the community midwife the one at the doctors?

[kt_11 in reply to Chloe0789]

Ah at least you’re getting it sorted now even if it sounds like it’s all been a bit of a faff up to now. Yeah the community midwife is the one at the GPs.

I was under a consultant at the hospital due to my IVF but saw the midwife at my doctors surgery.

[jessyjessy572]

Yep sounds about right, I find all my appt with midwife useless and no value add at all. I am now 31 weeks and moving to completely different area in the next 2 weeks I asked her is she can print my file and results etc and she said - no and the new region won’t have any access to my details so will be almost at the end of pregnancy without any previous history.

[Chloe0789 in reply to jessyjessy572]

What? How can she say no?

[Bexta6060 in reply to jessyjessy572]

You have a legal right to copies of your medical records, I would mention that to them, they cant refuse.

[kt_11 in reply to jessyjessy572]

Do you not have a maternity file that your midwife writes in at each appointment? I had my own maternity notes throughout which I then took into hospital to give birth but maybe this isn’t the case where you live?

If this isn’t the case, they need to contact the team in your new area to handover any info, results etc. Can you give them contact details of your new midwife/GPs etc and ensure they plan to do this?

[Hidden]

I had bloods at 11 weeks. The midwife was going to do it but my veins are awkward so went to the hospital. I also had bloods at my 12 week scan appointment. Mine did tell me about the urine so I always took one as how the hell do you pee in that little tube without getting it everywhere 😂. I heard the heartbeat but wasn’t expecting it at 16 weeks to be honest and hubby wasn’t there. We had heard it at at private scan at 16 weeks so that was fine he didn’t come. Don’t think I saw her again until after my 20 week scan so 24 weeks sounds about right.

I never found my midwife particularly helpful or easy to warm to xx

[Chloe0789 in reply to Hidden]

No mine either, I left mine a voicemail (wasn’t a particularly important question) and she never got back to me and then claimed that it was cause she had had a new phone, same number and lost her voicemails

[Kempton]

I was very disappointed at my 16 week check up as I was expecting to hear heartbeat and they don't do that until about 24 I think! With my last baby (different hospital) I heard the heartbeat at 16 weeks and they checked/measured my bump. So I guess it varies from trust to trust. I'm just glad my first pregnancy and hospital were so great, as I'm having to ask for a lot more this time around that I just wouldn't have known about if this was my first.

It sounds like there were some mix ups at the start, which is frustrating but I guess it happens. Hopefully your care will be better from now. I know it doesn't help to hear it but I've not met my midwife once and I'm just over 30 weeks. There's always some reason....she's on annual leave or whatever. I wouldn't mind as I didn't see the same midwife with my first pregnancy, it's just the way they make such a big deal of saying "continuous care". Fingers crossed for better care from now. And don't worry about your aim, mine is dreadful and I doubt we're alone 😂

[Chloe0789 in reply to Kempton]

My friend has said the same, 1st pregnancy midwife was useless but second pregnancy midwife was good!

[roxannacar]

I did have my booking blood at 12weeks with my first.

I think re the pee, nobody expects you to have a perfect aim... trust me gets harder when you're 40weeks pregnant, however a bit if pee on ones hands never killed anyone and you just wash your hands after. Babies do much worse!!

As for heartbeat, we sisnt get to listen in at 16 weeks with with neither of mine, and not routinely done at 16 weeks I've been told.

As for the schedule of when the midwife sees you, its outlined on pregnancy book or NHS website and it standard for all.low risk pregnancies so I'm not surprised re. Your next appointment being at 25weeks.

[Arya10]

Sorry to hear you’re having a difficult and frustrating time with your midwife. I’ve not found mine much use either. At my 8 week appointment (after me telling her how we’d been trying for 3 years and it hadn’t sunk in and I was really scared of miscarriage) she asked what my birth plan was 🤔 ‘umm to get to the birth?’

My 16 week appointment lasted about 12 minutes, she gave me a leaflet about what to look out for with baby movement and told me to think about the whooping cough vaccine and took a Urine sample. That was pretty much it.

She always says to ask any questions at all, when I ask one she rolls her eyes, is flippant in response and makes me feel like it was stupid to ask. I’d ask for someone else but she’s the only one for my area.

I thought there would be more to the appointments but perhaps that comes later. I’ve gotten a lot more information and reassurance from my acupuncturist.

Hopefully your experience gets better from here. xx

[Kempton in reply to Arya10]

That's really quite silly to ask what your birth plan is at 8 weeks! As if you even bloody have a clue then, especially if it's your first. Hope you're feeling less anxious and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

I think the care is always a lot better when you see a hospital midwife, which I did with my first but have only once with my second, due to complications (all ok now - phew!). The community midwives seem very busy and rushed. I guess they see a load of women each day.

[Arya10 in reply to Kempton]

I know right! And yes it’s my first. Yes, feeling less anxious as we pass each milestone. Thank you.

That’s interesting re hospital midwives, I had an emergency scan at the hospital at 9 weeks and found them so much better to deal with. Glad everything is ok now.

Mine is not busy, she even said so 😂 possibly just jaded in her job, but I can imagine most are under lots of pressure.

[Kempton in reply to Arya10]

I think because they do it day in day out, they can forget that this is a very special time for a lot of women and how much we look forward to these appointments, to hear the latest about our baby!

[Chloe0789 in reply to Arya10]

Mine hasn’t asked anything like that, yeah my appointment lasted about 20 minutes, she basically did my blood pressure tested my urine and booked in for the next appointment

[Octoberbaby2019]

I think the midwifes are over subscribed and can only spend 15 minutes on a mom to be. I've moved areas so have 2 midwifes to compare and tbh found going to these appointments useless. I thought they'd give you information on things or are there to help you but other than banging on about the benefits of breastfeeding in each appointment (even thou I already said yes I want to breastfeed) I wasn't told anything enlightening. If you ever gave any concerns call the hospital maternity numbers, the midwifes/nurses at the hospital actually give advice and take care of you.

In regards to bloods, they should have sent you a blood test form that you could go to any clinic or a specific one to get it done also don't worry being 10 weeks late on it cos when I moved at 26 weeks they made me redo those again cos they can't share previous results with each other or don't seem to trust them.

[Chloe0789 in reply to Octoberbaby2019]

The only blood test form I got was for QUADS, and that was given to me by the hospital, i don’t understand why she couldn’t have just done them herself when I first saw her

[HeatherJ02]

Hi,

I'm in a similar boat really, just don't know what to expect and when!

At my first appointment I had my bloods taken and urine tested. Luckily I did as I had an infection that needed treating.

For my 16 week appointment she's recommended that my partner comes as we can hear baby's heartbeat. Will also need to do urine and blood pressure again.

H x