16 weeks - Midwife Appointment

16 week chubbs photo
10 August 2010


My first proper midwife appointment and I was quite excited. Not sure what to expect but I was still looking forward to it! I should however, have already learnt that things are never as you would expect through the NHS.....




I had a list of questions to cover:
- stuff to help with sciatica.
- Pregnacare made me constipated, gave me heartburn etc so should I be taking some other vitamins.
- 3D scan - we would like one but don't want to know the sex. We've heard that it's quite obviously to see the sex on the 3D scan.
- period type pains - is this normal.
- what exercises should I be doing.

Anyway... in a nutshell, the midwife was 10 mins overdue for my appointment, got my term wrong on her calculations (calculated me at 26 weeks and not 16!), expected me to have a urine sample (without giving me a sample jar), didn't ask me how I was feeling and basically ended the appointment before I jumped in and said I had some questions. She then responded with 'we don't really have time' and after I continued asking the questions anyway she responded with, 'most patients find it best to look on the internet'. WHAT THE F£&K..... you are my midwife, you tell me the answer!!!

So, I left the surgery crying and called Dan at work (bet he loved that!) afterwards I popped round to Dan's mum for a cuppa and a shoulder to cry on, which was so so helpful!

I have now learnt that at the midwife appointments which I have every 4 weeks, they pretty much just test my urine (if I bring it with me), listen to the baby's heart beat (which is so cool to hear) and take my blood pressure! I will take Dan next time as morale support! Oh, and they didn't even weigh me??!!? I really hate the NHS!

I must start weighing myself to make sure I'm not putting on too much weight. Luckily so far, I don't feel my body putting on weight except around my tum, so fingers crossed I will just get a lovely neat bump at the front.

Oh, this was funny and really topped it off .... she found the baby heart beat and said to me, 'does that sound ok?'. What?!?!? how the hell do I know, you tell me!! For all I knew it could have been my heartbeat! I was amazing to hear the little heartbeat though, so cute and reassuring that he/she was still working hard at developing.

I am going to see what NCT can offer through my membership thing and see if they have a helpline or something for advice. I will complain to the doctors and make sure I have a different midwife next time I go.

I hope I get a much nicer nurse to come and see me when I am struggling with breast feeding and trying to get my baby to sleep. At least once they are in my house I can bribe them to stay and listen to me with cups of tea :0)

I am so lucky to have two sets of mums that have been through it. I will be calling on both of them for advice and help with the baby when it comes (I will have to get my mum down to stay with me when it's born. At least we will have a much bigger house by then too!)