"Excellent Antenatal Care"

I wanted to recognise the amazing antenatal care I have been recieving from the Angus Community Midwife Team. I have a few weeks still to go however I have required some additional appointments these last couple of weeks to monitor my blood pressure and the care has been excellent.

I have seen my designated midwife, Jeanette for all of my appointments. She has made sure she books me in around her days of and annual leave & have had an appointment in the system every 4 weeks since 8 weeks pregnant. Even on phone appointments my badgernet app is updated, I've had physio referrals done and paperwork in the post & recieved next day.

Due to some personal risk factors when my blood pressure started to increase a couple of weeks ago, a phone call to the unit had me in for assessment within the hour. The midwives and the two students I've seen, Kera and Tia, were so thorough & I felt so reassured to have extra monitoring, bloods, etc as a precaution. I've had additional appointments and leave the unit with the date/time for the next one. 

I have bad pelvic pain and I am unfortunately on crutches (I have also had an antenatal physio since 24 weeks)  Tia, one of the students, noticed me struggling getting on/off bed and recommended a glide sheet might help with these movements. I got one last week and it has totally changed my quality of life and my independence at home- I wasn't able to get out of bed unassisted for the weeks before this. It has also helped my pain overnight which means I am sleeping better. A small intervention but has had a huge impact on the day to day.

Kera, one of the other students on the unit, has been so reassuring during these unexpected appointments and after a big change to my birthing plan at the consultant appointment (which was only requested on Friday & I had on the Monday) she took the time to check I had understood everything and gave me more information about induction, etc.

Working in the NHS myself, I think I appreciate how patient-centered the care has been and I am so grateful to all the staff I have met so far. Despite there being some recent concerns regarding my health I feel so reassured because the care really feels like the gold standard every NHS service would want to provide. 

I want to recognise the hard work that is being done and reassure others that this community team will look after your ever-changing needs.

The student midwives, Kera and Tia, are clearly made to feel an integral part of the team because the only thing that identifies them as students is the uniform and ID badge. They're a credit to RGU & the midwives they work with who are mentoring them (Michelle & Lorna, who I have met). 

With the countdown on until we meet our little girl I am sure we have more people to meet along the way but I feel confident that whatever the next few weeks have in store we will be well looked after.