"very mixed, but 32 weeks and scared as hell, not..."

What I liked

Some of the midwives I have been speaking to have been very pleasant, helpful and understanding of my work situation which makes it difficult for me to get to the community surgery on the one afternoon a week she visits and up until today I was very well accommodated.

What could be improved

The midwives I saw today, when I came into the postnatal drop in clinic for my 32 week check.as advised by the community midwife who comes to my local.surgery made me feel like absolute rubbish. Two ladies in particular took issue with me coming for my check to this drop in centre and told me that it was "very naughty" for me to have been told to.come here and.that the local midwife to me should have been working that day so she could see me, "but it wasnt a problem, they would see me anyway". Why I care about nhs administration at 32 weeks pregnant and terrified about having my first baby I don't know! Then throughout my check the second midwife continually talked about how my midwife should be organising my visits through her and that they couldn't "just have women turning up" which isn't what I did, and made me feel like I was an enormous inconvenience. She then said that midwives didn't do home visits because they "didn't have the time for that" and nearly frogmarched me back to the antenatal ward so that together we could call the Shipston midwife team, who I had already been in touch with so I don't know what that would have done! I was told how important my antenatal checks are as they "need to know if something goes wrong with the baby" I told her I was suffering unusual abdominal pain and persistent itching which are both on the list of problems to notify your midwife about in my green notes and she said "that could be anythong really". She stuck a bit of litmus paper in my wee, measured my bump and took my blood pressure, which I could have done myself! I understand the nhs is a stressful place to work but its not my fault!

I am now really quite afraid of going back to this hospital for risk of being.treated like this again and I don't want either of the women I saw today anywhere near me when my baby is born. I am investigating what my other options are through my GP. Both me and my husband were shocked by out experience.

Anything else?

Some midwives have madr it very easy for me and I felt like I was no trouble at all, and I have felt valued and well cared for by the ease of using them and getting in touch with the service. Today I was sorely let down and I have been left very scared about my health and my baby's.