20 week midwife appointment yet again a dissappointment

excited4baby · Jul 31, 2010 4:25AM

Hi ladies

You may remember i posted that at my 17 wk midwife check she advised that they dont check babies heartbeat until 20 weeks. Well today I am 20 weeks and had my 20 week appt to be told they dont check heartbeat till 25 wks.

I have my scan on Wednesday so trying not to worry but I am not liking this conflicting information I seem to be receiving.

She checked my wee, spent lots of time filling in notes and took my blood pressure, the only physical examination I had was she pressed my belly and said it was all in the right place. Was only in 10 minutes and during that time she took a call for half of the appt.

I have not had the same midwife consistently when I go to the surgery always a different one, I read conflicting things on here and told conflicting things at the surgery - im so angry at the minute what would you girls do, is this normal i think the quality of care i have received so far has been pretty below average

kirsty23 · Jul 30, 2010 5:49AM

My mw did check the heart beat at 16 weeks. The appointment was probably only 10 mins as well but I didn't have any questions etc.

I know that some places u can't guarantee to have the same mw but they should all be giving out the same information.

Have u ur 20 week scan soon?

I was paranoid about the baby as everyone keeps on about feeling the lo and I haven't yet (is still early days I know). But anyway I bought an angel sounds fetal doppler on eBay for just over 20 pounds and it was well worth the money if u can afford it.

Is it worth complaining about the mws to say ur experience and that they all give out conflicting information?

Take care. Xx

arls0308 · Jul 30, 2010 6:48AM

Hi,

I've been ok with my MW check-ups. I alternate between the doctor and the community MW for my ante-natal checks and have only ever seen the same MW twice, every other time it's been a different one. Some sessions seem like yours - in and out and others have been longer, but they have always listened to the heartbeat at every session.

Like lIttlewolf says, before your next appointment, write down any questions and don't leave until you have them answered to your satisfaction.

Hope you have a better appointment next time

Arls
xxx

Minnie76 · Jul 30, 2010 6:54AM

To be honest, I don't understand why they would have a policy of not listening to the hb until 25 weeks. They usually wait until 16 weeks as it may be difficult to find before that and they don't want to stress the mims out but my mw warned me at 16 weeks that she may take a while to find it and it was fine. I'd call your nhs patient care helpline and ask. I think she was either to busy to bother or not confident enough to do it.

MummyJC · Jul 30, 2010 6:57AM

I had an appt at 15 wks and my mw checked the hb then.
I would prob ring and make a general complaint.
I'm lucky in that my doctors only has 2 midwives so I get to see the same one. Down side is they both work part time so getting hold of them is like gold dust!! Lol

Good luck and hope you get to hear the hb soon.

Xx

MrsLH · Jul 30, 2010 7:15AM

Hi

They listened to my bubs heartbeat at 16 weeks too. They said at that appt that they would every time after that, which they have.

Its a shame you havent heard it yet, i would be disapointed too.

Enjoy your scan though!

Laura

25+5

xxx

BeckyWoo1 · Jul 30, 2010 7:34AM

I didn't even get a 20 week MW appointment only a 18 week and 25 week!

But your appointment sounds similar to mine, it was very quick, I did get to hear the HB but I think that's cause the MW just so happened to be my aunt's sister. I didn't have any questions and she just checked my blood pressure and that was it, not sure there's much else that can be done?! From my notes I was given at the booking in appointment it seems that the more in depth stuff (ie. measuring of bumps etc) start at 25 weeks x

Socksxx · Jul 30, 2010 1:14PM

I am not surprosed you are disappointed. I have heard the heartbeat at every appointment since 14 weeks, and in fact when they couldn't find it at 14 weeks they whiped me off for a scan just to check! Poor you! Hope you get to hear it at your scan xx

xCALLEIGHx · Jul 30, 2010 3:10PM

i would phone the surgery to speak to the manager and tell themyouve received different information at each appointment, which is different to your own findings, which is 16 weeks. how annoying for you.

Socksxx · Jul 30, 2010 5:02PM

Littlewolf, I didn't ask for them to check for the hb, I was really surprised they did it actually I was also not worried when they couldn't find it, they did just automatically took me along dispite me saying it was fine and I understood, they had already sent the mw along to switch in the scanner. Consultant did it himself. I still think it is a bit odd though that she hasn't heard it yet. My mw told me they would check every appointment from 16 weeks. ps I have no idea what IYSWIM means!!! xx

[Modified by: socks on July 30, 2010 10:25 PM]

lelly · Jul 31, 2010 3:45AM

i personally would put in a complaint i have had rubbish midwife experience in both my pregnancys this one in particular does not fill me with confidence but its ridiculous they will not listen to the heartbeat if i was you id complain as its not right to be ruining this experience for you.

lelly
xxxxx

Potty_Totty · Jul 31, 2010 4:25AM

My Midwife is useless too. However for my pregnancy last year she checked for HB at 16 weeks - same as this pregnancy this year and had no problems finding it luckily as I'm small. She only measures my fundus height from 28 weeks onwards but asks me to find my pubic bone for her (?) so I could basically pick a point as low as I like or high as I like and she take the measurement. Maybe she's uncomfortable feeling for my bone? who knows but if you're a midwife I would have thought the female bits wouldnt frightened you?!

Last pregnany she also failed to tell me for 8 weeks after I had bloods taken that I was anemic. I didn;t find out until next appointment! she blamed the reception staff even though the results wee given to her days after the test.

This pregnancy i had bloods taken at 10 weeks booking in, and then at 28 weeks! I would have thought that considering I was anemic last time that she would take bloods a bit sooner than 18 weeks later?

She is the most dis-interested Midwife I know of. My first Midwive 8 years ago was an ANGEL!! she was lovely - she had her own kids (grown up and left the nest!) so she was very experienced and LOVED babies! She lived in my Road so used to come to me accept on days i needed blood taken or antiD jab. Towards the end of that pregnancy she visited al the time! never expected me to hump my stuff to her at the surgery across town!

THIS MIDWIVE is an entity on to herself! NO KIDS, wants to give up midwifery to travel the world, makes me travel from one end of town to the other with two children, different centres every appointment, never listens, is not interested in the slightest in an I ask or say about pain, homebirths, varicose veins, completely disappeared when I had my baby, I told her I my due date was wrong - she didn't listen - I gave birth exactly when i said i would! she went MIA (missing in action) I had a hospital birth and cam home ame day, no GP turned up for nearly two weeks! no midwife! two lovely Health Visitors came and overstayed their wellcome for nearly 3 hours! talking about any old crap and drinking my tea! it was a complete shambles! and my midwife never even bothered to visit?!
So this pregnancy I have same midwife - at least I am prepared for her being crap! so take it as it comes, I dont really bother talking to her or asking anything now. I'm due in October so not a lot of point changing and I dont even think there is another one anyway!

Funnily I just found out a friend on Facebook who I haven't seen in years has her as well! and has said shes just as uesless to her!
I know there are good midwives out there! I had one for my first baby, but the one who delivered me wasn't all that (she gave me a sodding smear test whilst I was in labour?!! and the Midwife who delivered my 2nd baby was amazing so much so that I will be asking if shes on duty for this one!! lol

They can all be so different and I think its a real postcode lottery who you get and how decent they are!
Its a shame as there should be a protocol they ALL follow ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, and the bad ones should be given further training or removed!

20 week midwife appointment yet again a dissappointment

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