Rant about lack of appointments

I’m sorry but the fact that you get seen 8 times in your WHOLE pregnancy as a second time mum (9 if you’re overdue) is just a joke. After my 16 week appointment today I don’t get seen by a midwife for 3 months! How is that okay? I honestly have nothing good to say about the NHS after my traumatic birth with my first baby but the fact that this time I’m being seen even less is just a total joke. I get very anxious during pregnancy due to countless bleeding I’ve had throughout both pregnancies and yet still get barely seen. Other countries get weekly or bi-weekly appointments and scans and we get seen 8 times 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄 Sorry rant over.
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I understand where you’re coming from. As one who has also had a previous complicated pregnancy the amount of appointments doesn’t really provide much comfort. I was so shocked when I went for my 16 week appointment and she said we won’t see you now until 28 weeks! Guess the NHS is so stretched already and that there wouldn’t be enough recourses for more appointments but defo agree the reassurance would be nice x

Yeah it’s just to do with the NHS being so underfunded, understaffed and stretched but it’s just sad that this is the care that you then receive at such an important and vulnerable time. I have friends who have had babies abroad and they are always asking me how I feel safe having babies in the UK and I tell them I don’t feel safe unfortunately but unless you have 25k spare to spend on private care this is the only option you have 🤷🏼‍♀️

i’m in scotland and i had my book appointment then 16 weeks, then 22, 27,32,36,38,40,41. i also have had an extra scan booked in a previous small baby

I feel the same after I had a traumatic birth with my first too! Even with the extra appointments for being high risk, I still feel anxious leaving it so long between appointments:(

It’s soooooo sad !

That’s ridiculous! I’m in Scotland and I’m sure I got all the same appointments with my second as I did with my first. Although 10 appointments still doesn’t feel like enough

That’s so frustrating! I’m a second time mum but where I live I’ve been offered my 24 week midwife appointment but yes I do agree there’s so much time and makes you so anxious no matter how many children you have or haven’t had!

The NHS is chronically underfunded. I still would rather have it than the US way of doing things. If you can afford to then I suppose you could book a private scan in midway for peace of mind

I’m high risk and haven’t even been given a 16 week appointment😖

@Danielle this is what I end up doing. Spending hundreds of pounds each pregnancy on private scans.

Write to your MP and ask what they're doing to improve NHS services There's definitely problems with the NHS, and my pregnancy and birth experience wasn't amazing either, but don't forget when you're comparing with other countries that in a lot of those countries people have to pay for private health insurance rather than getting it for free like we do here!

I am a first time mum at a high risk of developing pre eclampsia and until now I've had 2 appointments from them (I'm almost 19 weeks) The other 3 one I had is because I ended up being sick or unwell and had to go to the early pregnancy unit. It is worrying and really upsetting to be fair that despite some risks they are too busy to give more appointments

@Rebecca I had to message my midwife for my appointment and get it arranged. I think a lot of people are having to chase for them now. I also never got a dating scan without phoning constantly for it x

Totally understand. I find it totally crazy and it feels like forever between appointments. We’ve ended up forking out for private scans just for some reassurance as had the same issues with bleeding. But where’s the support please, advice?!

I am also shocked about it. My sister is pregnant in Germany and she has scans constantly and also sees both doctors and midwife constantly

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I've had 1 face to face appointment with my midwife. My 16 week appointment was a telephone appointment. But I see from people's comments on here that they have blood pressure and urine sample done again at 16 weeks so I've missed out with that but I didn't know until after my appointment. Also I was in absolute agony the other night for two hours with my stomach and lower back. When I finally got through to early pregnancy unit they said not to worry the body does all sorts of things during pregnancy. So I guess I will never know what really happened to be in that much pain.

That’s really a shame, I find urine sample tests cheap to do and reassuring. If they come out ok it’s clear that baby is most probably developing correctly as the all the fluids are right. To be fair I did call birth center and ask for emergency appointment to check heartbeat and urin as I haven’t put much weight and was sick for more than 4weeks to check if baby is ok and didn’t get any of bacteria that I had in my long chest infection and they took me. You should really have blood and urin check every now and then. That’s also what nhs website says, it’s not possible they do it on the phone

Honestly must just be me they’ve decreased them 😂 it felt like way too much with my first two children

I'm a FTM and I've seen a midwife twice... to even be seen 8 times sounds like a lot. I've got 1 more appointment booked so that's the 3rd. They're severely lacking but what can we expect from the nhs

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