"Antenatal Ward & Consultant"

I've had such a great experience with antenatal care...until now.

I'm supposed to see a consultant every 4 weeks at the hospital in my 3rd trimester because I'm considered "high risk" pregnancy. I have an underactive thyroid, overweight & PCOS. All = High risk.

- I went in for my first consultant antenatal appointment almost 4 weeks ago & told her I had Carpal Tunnel. (My right hand - thumb, index, middle & one side of my right ring finger are totally numb, tingly & painful at times making it hard for me to write). She told me I was wrong & that actually Carpal tunnel affects your pinky & ring finger only. Now, I felt awkward because I KNOW she was wrong but I didn't want to argue because she is the medical professional & I am not....but what she told me, was completely false. I left with no advice on that.

- Last week, I got a call from Antenatal reception to say the consultant had cancelled my June appointment because she would be on call. They tried to book me in a week earlier instead but I explained we had a wedding to go to (where my husband was a groomsman), so it would be impossible to attend. They said Ok & they would call back to rearrange....but I didn't hear back

- It turns out, despite me declining the appointment - they kept it & called me persistently on the day whilst I was at the wedding!!!! I couldn't answer as it was during the ceremony & I couldn't call back as it came from a private number (I found out today, it was indeed them trying to contact me). I received a call this morning, from a midwife (I've not spoken to before), saying "you didn't show to your appointment last week...." I was in shock! I explained I had declined it when it was offered & I've been waiting patiently for them to call back & rearrange - she had no answer for me. "I'm just going off the message I've been given".

- This Midwife continues to tell me that the Consultant was "Happy" for me to not see her until July...ok, but I'M NOT happy for that & I am waiting for the appointment they said they would rearrange for me & clearly don't intend to. Keeping in mind also, on my last appointment almost 4 weeks ago I was taken off to have an impromptu blood test at the hospital to check my thyroid levels as the consultant was concerned...& I've not heard back my results.

- I also explained that I had some other concerns that I had wanted to talk to the consultant about. Such as baby's persistent hiccups 5/6 sometimes 7 times every day without fail. Before I could tell her how frequent they were she cut me off & told me (in a very derogatory manor) that "Hiccups are normal".

I wanted to also explain that I've had some unusual discharge (spots of light pink blood on my liner) & I've been losing weight (now lighter than I was before I was pregnant...I'm 31weeks) but she seemed so disinterested & gave me the impression I was keeping her from her next task. I ended up hanging up because she was upsetting me so much & made me feel stupid. So disappointed.