I've just phoned my surgery to find out when I'll receive a midwife appt and hit a brick wall.

The midwives only work from 12.30 til 4pm Tues - Fri. They like to have a telephone appt first, then book the first appt for 1hour on a weds. I have no mobile signal at work and cannot receive calls on the work phone (we don't hear it ring) besides which I have no time to stop during my working hours (Mon-Fri 12-5) to take/make calls.

I work in a school and my employers (an outside company) do not know i'm PG yet, nor do my colleagues, the only person that does is my manager. I also work with my Mum (who doesn't know yet) so it will be extremely awkward to arrange anything.

I can't take time off as I only work part time anyway and I can't afford to have extra time off, also my contract states time off only to be in school hols due to the limited hours worked. The company that employ me are just not pleasant and I don't want them to know until Sept, so they can't find an excuse to let me go.

This means I can't speak to midwife until half term and then can't see her until summer hols, by which time I'll be 14 weeks.

I'm so furious and upset, the receptionist wasn't very helpful at all.

This is my first and I'm terrified. Up until this point my Dr's have been fab for everything over the years, quick appts, very helpful and considerate.

Rant over, I don't think anyone will be able to help, but I needed to vent

Well my MW only wors at my drs surgery on a friday between 1:30 and 3pm!!! They get booked up so quickly then when i get to see MW she says well your a couple of weeks overdue seeing me, to which i replied well make more appts available and ill be able to come on time!!
But yours seem silly wanting a like a telephone interview 1st!! xxx

Hun ,
Legally your employer HAS to let you have time off for appointments & they can not refuse to do so either. If you have no warnings or anything then i'd tell work you are pregnant ideally they should know as soon as you are ready to tell them, for health & safety reasons hun. They can't fire you for being pregnant either, so they would have to go through the normal warning system too.
So yes get an appointment booked & go, You legally get time off for them so you have no reason why you cant go Maybe tell the docs you can't answer calls at work so to leave you an answer phone message & you will ring them straight back on a break or something ? or tell them you need the appointment in writing ? xx

I know legally work have to let you have time off, but as I work part time it is considered reasonable to arrange appt outside of work hours, which as we have about 17 weeks of hols and I only work 5 hours/day is a reasonable request.

I can't take calls at work and the only break I get is long enough for lunch where we eat together. I won't have answerphone on my mobile because of previous abusive messages.

As my immediate manager knows for health and safety (although there aren't any issues), I don't need or want to tell the awkward company until I have to. I'm not ready for people to know yet. I have an early scan tomorrow (6+2/3) and I've just been online to book an appt with my lovely GP tomorrow morning as well, I know he will help me and at least try to book me in next weds for my first appt. It doesn't help that Weds and Thurs are our busiest days, and the only cover we can get comes in as an extra on those days anyway.

I just feel really let down, by my previously wonderful surgery.

Aww hun not easy with the sounds of it.
I hope you get things sorted soon xx

Thanks Dizzy - I can't believe that midwives have such a fixed timetable. I assumed they would have some mornings, some afternoons and possibly some early eves (our surgery have a well womens clinic until 7pm one night for pills/smears etc) So that most people could arrange a suitable time without disrupting work before work need to know. I guess they can't be that useful

Id be annoyed too , can you go to the well woman one? xx

I think that is Dr and nurse, not midwife, but I might try if I have to.

If I get a quiet 5 mins today I'll talk to my manager, but it's really difficult when other people are around and we rarely get any quiet time without others about.

I must stop moaning now and get to work. I hope my Dr will work his usual magic. He gave me the physio clinic number so I could see them at a suitable time around my work, maybe he'll send me elsewhere for midwife.

Thanks for listening to my grumbles

I would speak to your doctor and see if the midwife can do a home visit - they do it up here if there is no other way of getting you to the surgery xxx

i think the problem is with your work not your drs...my midwife only does one wednesday but tells me in plenty of time when my next app should be and the drs let me book it then and there..work have to let you have time off even if you work part time...

but the problem really is with your work and your not willing to tell them so dont feel let down by your drs...

midwifes have a hard time as they do home visits and most of them work out of differnt surgerys aswell..the only other thing you could do which my midwife explained was some area hold an open session with midwifes on a saturday which means you just go and sit and wait to be seen...might be worth looking at...