Checked my notes and was a bit surprised by how little I'l be seeing a MW in this pregnancy....

11wks - booking in and dating scan by MW (No nuchal testing offered).
17wks -MW app
20 wks - scan with sonographer - NO MW.
28 wks - MW app & Anti D injection.
34 wks - MW app at health centre
36 wks - MW app at health centre
38 wks - MW app ay health centre
41 wks - MW app and sweep

Reading this back I suppose its more frequent than I realised. It just feels like in the 1st 33/34 weeks of pregnancy you only see a MW 3 times

For a 1st baby they offer extra MW app's at 25, 31 and 40 wks. Im tempted to ask for them too, but unsure if Im just being a pain. Caitlin was healthy and I was pleased with my care, but from around 32 wks my BP was high and I had protein in urine on and off. It never developed onto Pre E, but I was induced on due date and scanned weekly by consultant from 35 weeks. I also measured small eg 4 wks behind and by 40 wks pg I still only measured 34wks so they thought Caitlin had IUGR (she was 8lb 1oz so they were wrong!) I spent most of my days in hospital being monitored from 35 wks and having bloods taken.

With my history, although it came to nothing, Id feel better being seen more frequently. Even if its just to detect early if im measuring out again, or to get a clearer pattern of my changing BP.

How often do you think people should see MW's in pregnancy? In American TV and from what Jade says about Cyprus it does seem like the monitoring isnt very frequent here. Maybe if you have straightforward pg's you dislike seeing MW too much...

Personally I think its enough - I'm not really the kind of person who needs to feel 'assured', I never went to antenatel and never see the HV.

I had OC, so with a second baby I think I'd get the same as a first baby...I think I remember that from the green book anyway?

They might book you in for more appointments near the end anyway given your history? If not id definately ask.

I ranted about this last night but I do think the maternity services here are absolutely apalling. Given the fact that I got pg with amelia 8 weeks after having a stillbirth so was very high risk I ended up having 2 scans with the hospital I was booked in with and seeing my consultant once at 8 weeks for a chat. I also saw the community midwife twice and they took absolutely no notice of me when I told them fetal movements had stopped and my bp was up. 3 days later my placenta abrupted and Amelia was born needing to be rescucitated because her heart had stopped.

I was ridiculously close to leaving her, literally the only reason shes still here was because it happened at the wedding and we were only 5 minutes away fom the hospital instead of 20 minutes, so much for high risk care.

Lisa - Do you mean you never saw the MW for antenatal apps? Oh actually am I being dim again and you mean the classes? I went to them but yeah they were a bit crap.

Whats OC? Im wondering with my BP whether they will offer to see me at 25 weeks anyway? I wasnt a worrier with Caitlin but am more worried this time about BP probs and what it could lead to.

Kayleigh - I think I will ask about being seen the same frequency as 1st time mums, but then like you say, it doesnt necessarily make a difference to the decisions they make about your care so is it worth it?

If they see you at least they are aware whats going on, its better than nothing its better than nothing.

I think the scariest thing though is that you cant actually make them do anything. If they think everythings fine its their opinion that counts. Obviously the are right in 99% of case but using mario and awen as an example sometimes they just stick to protocol when its blindingly obvious even to us on a forum that something is very wrong

Yeh the classes! I couldn't be doing with pushy NHS guidelines plus the MW/HVs own slant on things!

OC = obstetric colestatis .. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/complications/obstetriccholestasis/

Argh that would have drove me crazy Lisa! Im itching thinking about it. Id never heard of that before.

Personally I find I see the midwife enough.

The standard I have is..
8wks - booking in
12wks - scan &see a mw at hospital
16wks - 10min appointment at gp surgery
24wks - same^
28wks -
32wks
34wks
36wks
38wks
40wks
then if necessary 41 &42

I had a few problems from 32wks when pregnant with Immi so saw the MW every week and was sent to day unit about 3 times just for the smallest rise in my bp or headaches or anything little thing it seemed. So I felt they were really cautious with mel.l

I think my problem is that the care differs so greatly from area to area so it's really a lottery when it comes to patient care. Like I don't understand how some places offer nuchal fold checks as standard, some charge and some don't offer at all. That makes absolutely no sense to me and isn't fair at all.

I saw the mw, dr and consultant loads when I was pregnant because of various problems and think I would find it hard not to see them as much. My friend didn't see them as much and only found out her baby had tummy problems at 30ish weeks because she paid for a scan. I certainly think you should get more scans

i didnt feel like i seen the mw enough when i was pg with alfie - im not sure how often it was but i get really worried and im sure ill be the same this time. i was referred to consultant at about 32 weeks because of my SPD which i saw twice as well as my usual appts. If i get SPD next time ill make sure that im seen more often.

x

I Cant comment on how many MW appts cos i had ridiculous amounts of appts and scans but like Kayleigh said if no one is listening to you all the appts in the worlddont makea difference. I was seeing my mw every few days-even daily at one point because she was concerned but i kept getting brushed off by thr doctors. At one point my pre eclampsia markers in my blood had risen twice in 2 visits and the doctor told the mws to stopdoing my bloods when i went to DAU and basically made out i was being neurotic (not the 1st doc to do this to me). Im very glad they ignored her because at the next visit the levels rocketed and i inally met a doctor who listened and noticed all my symptoms and delivered awen the next day. So i think its quality of care as much as quantity. Less appts are fine as long as theres ways to access help in between if needed and if women are listened to. I told them from my 2nd trimester onwards i knew what was going on as it had aready happened to me once but the 'i know better whtas happening to YOUR body cos ive been to med school' meant it was 20 weeks later before i was listened to and sadly i think thats all too common- like kayleigh with amelia, kinkyangel with rhys, theres so many cases could be cited of it Attitudes need to change as much as anything else

I think I see my dr too much - it annoys me that I have to go see him every 3 weeks lol but I know that me and this baby are his responsibility and he goes out of his way to care for us.
I couldn't even handle only seeing a MW every 3 weeks (and from the sounds of it you don't even get that in the UK!)
They really do check everything over here, at every appointment I have (and he is a obstetrician gynaecologist - so not just a mw either - you only see a MW once you've had the baby/during labour) he asks about pain discharge swelling dizziness blurry vision etc checks weight bp and urine, then does a scan and each and every time will check the brain's developing normally, checks the hearts ok checks the stomach is ok and the bladder is full, check the placenta, the umbilical cord and the waters and then do measurements.

At 22/23 weeks they do an internal scan to check the length of the cervix (I assume this is to prevent any premature deliveries due to an incompetent cervix?)
and from 36 weeks you get the same scan and appointment weekly where they also look very carefully at the placenta to check it's calcification and how much it's deteriorate. They also don't take ANY chances with birth and labour, if they think there is a tiny chance that things won't go perfectly then you have a c section. It might seem extreme but at least I know that they will do whatever they can do deliv er my baby as quickly and safely as possible.

So yes snoopy I think the UK need to step up a bit and do more for pregnant women they seem to be one of the places that is so lax in maternity care!

We get the scan here to check your cervix but thats quite unusual in the uk. Thats something they could easily do for everyone

Iv never even heard of a scan to check your cervix!

I think they should add a routine scan in at 36/37 weeks to check placenta, fluid etc. I was checked then due to Caitlins growth problems (that were non existant!), and will find it hard this time if the last scan I get is at 20 weeks.

It really is such a lottery in the UK. The hospital Im delivering at do a scan at 30 ish weeks to check heart in more detail, but as my antenatal care is at my local hospital I dont get it.