"Aberdeen Maternity Triage/Reduced Movements"

I’ve had a straight forward pregnancy aside from having two growth scans and thinking baby was breech up until a scan recently showed they are head down. My care has been solely with my community midwife who has been absolutely amazing. She referred me for a growth and position scan at AMH, the first time I’ve been there as I usually go to the nearby community hospital.

First impressions were that the reception staff have a conversation with you from about 4 metres behind a screen (I know covid is an issue but it seems excessive), I asked where to go for the scan and a woman just shouted ‘through there’, through where I thought? Having never set foot in AMH before. There’s also a hand sanitising and mask station at the front door with a board above it and I couldn’t help notice there was a woman’s name pinned to it with a note saying her family could visit any time. Surely there’s a better way to communicate that to the security guard rather than have everyone see the patients name at the front door. 

Anyway, the scan was fine, sonographer was pleasant and aside from someone walking in and out of the room whilst I was being scanned and them discussing what other scans they had to still do it was okay. She was a bit concerned that baby’s heart rate was erratic but they were moving lots, she asked me to go and have a seat whilst she spoke to the consultant and she would try to get another tracing once baby had calmed down. She came back and said I could just go home, the consultant was unconcerned. I left, not feeling totally reassured but I was happy to go and just speak to my community midwife later. 

The next day I felt that my baby hadn’t been as active throughout the afternoon so I called triage in the evening and explained that their movements had reduced compared to normal and I had tried having a drink and a shower etc, still not much happening. The triage midwife asked me to try for another hour.. at this point I said ‘even though I’m saying throughout the afternoon baby’s movements have been a lot less?’ She said yes, my scan was reassuring, my pregnancy uncomplicated and she wanted me to try for another hour. I’ve never called about reduced movements before and my concern was real, I don’t think they realise that most women go through a process at home without immediately picking up the phone to triage. So late on in my pregnancy I thought they might want to see me but no, they seemed less than interested. I went for a walk, had my dinner and felt a huge amount of mum guilt about not wanting to bother them again.

My baby did eventually pick up their movements and I’ve had reassurance from my community midwife but I don’t feel very welcome to phone triage at AMH again unless I absolutely am struggling. I understand they are busy, I work in the NHS. But I wouldn’t let my patients ride out their symptoms for another hour when it’ll give both them and me peace of mind to make sure all is well.  I have had a healthy pregnancy, but things can change day to day! My hope is that I don’t have to go back to AMH and the rest of my care and birth of my baby can be facilitated in a community midwife unit.