welshcakes79

June 7th 07 - woke feeling a bit iffy, OH in work so popped out to get a pg test as i had a sneaking suspicion thats what was up.... and one big fat postitive later confirmed it!!! OH came home and i told him and he said that he had booked a weekend in longleat for my birthday ( june 9th) as id been pestering him for last 3 years to go lol but was gutted when he said he'd cancel as we had to travel to london and wales to tell him mum and my parents.. (just the beginnning of many sacrifices hehe)

july 4th 07 - (approx 8 wks pg) moved back home to wales as i always told OH that if we were fortunate enough to have child/children then i wanted them born in wales, (not lincolnshire where we were living) so i had to move to start my anc whilst OH stayed up in lincs to continue managing the business he set up,... gutted as there is nowhere to rent and im back with my 'rents who as lovable as they are dont go down well with a hormonal 28 year old ...

july 17th 07 -(approx 10.5 wks pg) had booking in appointment with m/w at home, went through the usual blood tests, scans and check up explinations. had my bountry pack with tonnes of leaflets and info booklets so have a little "light" reading to do over coming weeks lol..

july 30th 07 - (approx 12 wks pg) had my first scan today, took my friend with me who i have nominated to be at the birth coz i was priviledged to witness her 2 being born and want to return the favour... sonographer was an hour behind and when i finally got seen she put the scanner on my belly and her first words were..."well at least its alive"( i kid you not those were her actual words).... i actually had to make sit down motions to my friend who was half way accross the room ready to hit her..!!!! then she scanned my ovaries and said "has the dr mentioned cysts too you" i said "no why?" she never said another word...(what a peachy woman eh) but at least noodle was ok just measuring 5 days behind my dates for LMP. so when i was at the desk paying for my scan picture the same sonographer walked past and looked at me and said " oh i didnt realise you were so small" ( im 4'11") before walking off....i really tried not to sent negative thoughts her way but am sad to say i failed ... but hey she was so rude she deserved it... it was only after id left the hopsital that i thought to complain

aug 28th 07 -(approx 16 wks pg) first A/N with m/w at the hospital, had blood taken, b/p and urine checked everything fine, got weighed ( had put on 3lb ) heard noodle's heartbeat for the first time it was hovering around the 140 bpm mark which m/w said was perfect ( i had such a proud parent smile on my chops lol). started buying little things like wipes and unisex clothes coz the summer sales had started.. (3 weeks later i had to have emergency dentist coz of abcess on root of back molar, he gave me antibiotics which i double checked with m/w and gp were safe to take, then week later had to go back to get tooth taken outso now im a gummy mummy!!)

sep 20th 07 - (approx 20 wks pg) had second scan today, symon travelled down overnight coz we were finding out the sex of noodle and i really wanted him to be there for it. had friend come with me again in case it was same sonographer ( i promised her she could maime her mildly if she said anything rude this time !!) but turns out we had a nice woman do it, she took measurments of noodle's head, tummy, leg and checked the heart chambers but noodle must have been napping coz she couldnt get to see the face or spine to check for cleft palate and spina bifida, was told to make another appointment for a weeks time. asked if she could tell the sex and she said yes, it wasnt a guarantee but she said she never says unless she gets a good look at that specific area so then she said id need a pink pram which we took to noodle being a girl..... symon did the proud dad grin and whisked me straight off shopping where he proceeded to spend £90 in next..on pink clothes ( im hoping the sonographer got it right haha!!) also bit miffed coz now noodle had better clothes than me and i always said i wanted to be a yummy mummy... instead im a mummy with a yummy daughter lol

Oct 26th 07 -(approx 24 wks pg) had a/n at home this time, midwife came and checked b/p and urine both fine, mentioned the pain in my pelvis like id been kicked inbetween the legs by someone wearing steel toecaps m/w said it sounded like spd... she also re-read my noted and coz of the family history of diabetes being so strong refered me for a gtt test for the following week. (did the test and have to say i would rather eat my own eyeball than do that again.. had to fast from midnight on the sun, my appointment was 10am monday, then had to drink the sugary/syrupy type squash which was revolting then sit for an hour and have my blood tested to see if i had gestational diabetes... yippee it came back all clear)


Nov 22nd 07 - (approx 28 wks pg) had mad spending spree in mothercare, eddershaws and babies are us this week, bought the steraliser, crib, pram, car seat, bottles and bedding (phew!) also had a/n and b/p and urine fine. was going back up to the flat in lincolnshire with symon for a week so asked m/w if anything wrong do i ring them or just go to neares hospital with my notes she replied nearest hsptl with notes but that i should be fine..haha famous last words.... on my 2nd day i caught a chest infection, tried vicks vapour rub, honey hot water and lemon and steaming inhilation but nothing worked, it got so bad that at 3am 5 days later i woke to find i was struggling to breath, with symon out on a night shift i was alone and couldnt get to hsptl so i rang the emergency number on my maternity notes for the m/w in wales... at this point i was so unwell i was sobbing on top of the fact i couldnt breath properly and i sounded like a cross between and asthmatic owl and a heavy breather which didnt impress the m/w on call who told me that there was nothing she could do 5 hours away and if it was that bad call and ambulance ( i explained that OH was in work with the car).. i rang OH and he said he would come straight home which he did but for some reason i was refusing to go to hsptal...your guess is as good as mine!!!... next day i rang my gp surgery only to be told my reception that all the dr's were busy and to go and ask the nearest pharmacist what i could take. i was so bad at this point everytime i coughed i was vomiting and noodle obviously didnt like it because i hadnt felt her move for a while, i had symon take me half way home where my parents met us nr b'ham to pick me up and take me straight to the dr, when i said noodle hadnt moved she checked for heartbeat but couldnt find it so i was whisked down to hospital and put on a foetal moniter where thankfully they got her heartbeat within seconds.. after being in for obs for a couple of hours i was allowed home where it took my 3 weeks to recover..

Dec 17th 07 - (approx 30/31 wks pg) had a/n but usual m/w off so had her cover, she had a student in with her who was lovely but m/w was so horrible, my b/p was fine but my urine had +2 lytasides (or something which indicated infection) so i had a swab done and whilst laying she tried to palp noodle but said she couldnt feel her coz i either had a) too much water or b) had gained too much weight... then when i tried to get up and couldnt (coz of spd) she huffed and said i dont usually help women get up but i suppose i can this once..( it must just be me i must just attract all the evil people?!) also asked her to refere me to physio coz spd was that bad. swab test came back 3 days later indicating that i have indeed got thrush... oh the joys of parenthood are never ending lol

dec 31st 07 - (approx 34 wks pg) had physio today, becky was lovely and taught me different ways to move and bend and positions for labour and gave me a support belt to wear which really makes a difference. as i was in the hsptl i called in to m/w coz id had a pins and needles pain under my right boob for couple of days and when jenny (my usual nice m/w) felt my tummy she said it was too tense to be normal so she sent me to bigger hsptl ( my a/n is in community one) and they again put me on foetal monitor and had dr come and take bloods to check liver function, then i was told i was being sent an outpatients appoint for another scan coz my fundal height wasnt corrisponding with my dates.. i should have been roughly 34 cm and i was measuring 40cm.. so downstairs to the scan department i went and had a scan where everything turned out fine, apparently noodle had long legs.. which wouldnt be funny except mine are 27" in length and her daddy's are 29"... i rang symon and told him that when we ordered noodle i think we put wrong order number in coz we have a tall couples child lol...

jan 14th 08- (approx 35.5 wks pg) had to re-arrange original a/n at home from 9.30 am to 2pm which i saw m/w face to face and she confirmed it was 2pm appointment but that it would be different m/w not her coming out, i sat and waited...and waited...and waited but no m/w turned up so i rang and left message to see if everything was ok and why no one had showed, next morn (jan 15th) i had a call from sonia (m/w who should have come out saying i was booked in for today(15th) not yesterday (14th))... by now this cock up has tipped me over the edge, after all the rudeness ive had to put up with in my hormonal state im finding it hard to be forgiving especially when i made the effort to drive down a nd speak with m/w face to face to conform a/n date and time... its around now that i start to feel mightly let down in the nhs and begin to feel down about being pregnant so we try again and rearrange a home appointment for the 18th..

jan 18th 08 - (approx 36 wks pg) m/w did turn up and brought a student with her. student was brill and took my b/p whilst m/w checked urine, both fine, they measured my fundal height which was still at 40cm and said that noodle was 4/5ths engaged. then we started on my birth plan, asked twice about a c-section but was told there is no medical reason for it ( felt like screaming what about an emotional reason) tried to be as flexible as poss but did state that i wanted every legal drug going, then when asked what milk i wanted to use to feed her i said aptimil its the one closest to breastmilk, i was then given a 5 minute lecture on how every milk now has the same ingridients and did i know how expensive aptimil was (yes its £7.48 a tin) i actually came close crying coz i have the best OH in the world and he told me no matter what the price get the best milk and seeing as the guy owns his own business which turns over a million pound per annum and his wage is £2,000 a week (im not kidding) i dont think a poxy tin of £7.48 milk a week is going to make a dent!!! and that brings me up to date as to why i have now asked my gp for a private referal to a consultant because i feel my antental care has been awful.. i will post next entry after next a/n on the 25th jan 08.. thanx for reading just needed to vent and so sorry its so long XX

jan 24th 08 - (37+5 wks pg) today was D-day to find out if i could have a c-section. had an appointment with the consultant at 9.30am so i got there with my cousin in plenty of time (creepy building though, a converted old convent >shudder<) went into my meeting and the consultant was fab, he read through my notes and then asked me why i wanted a c-section, i explained what i was terrified of and managed to cry at the same time (which must have looked attractive lol) but he sat and listened and never once said my fears were unjustified, then when i had finished snorting he said that no one could force me to have a birth i didnt want, he said he'd book the c-section for 39 weeks because if i changed my mind and didnt want one it would be easier to cancel a pre booked one than try and find a slot to book me in at 39 weeks.. he wanted me to stop having antenatal with the m/w's up here coz he didnt like the way i had been spoken to and said that i was under his care from now untill delivery then there was bits and bobs of what i understood of a c-section and how he wanted me to talk to a councilor next week, but outcome is i pretty much got my c-section which is like, i dunno 6 tonnes of brick loads of weight off my shoulders!!

jan 25th 08 - (37+6 wks pg) m/w came today and i told her that i had gone private and that i was to go under the consultants care... and she replied "you should have said you wanted a c-section i'd have refered you on the nhs"... you could have slapped me with a fish!!! i had told her.. twice...she obviously has selective memory!!! my b/p was up but she put it down to how upset i was, and my urine showed no protein but did show lytazides (or lycasidez?!?!) so she has sent it off for analysis, i did mention that my ankles had swollen to hippo proportion but she said that as my urine was protein free she wasnt overly concerned and that it was natural at this stage to get swelling but to keep an eye out if it got any worse with accompanying symtpoms such as headaches or flashing spots in my vision and then to call her... she explained who the people were taking over my care (she corrisponds with them regularly) what a c-section involves and that any time i changed my mind to give her a call and she would then take back over my care.. im gutted that ante natal care didnt turn out how i expected it too im dissapointed in the nhs it sucks, its put a real dampner on what should have been an exiting first pregnancy for me!!!

jan 30th 08 - (38+4 wks pg) Went into hospital today to have my pre-op checks and to speak with the anaesthatist and to get my tablets ready for fri. spoke to a lovely woman who is a senior m/w and councilor and she said that it was just her place to tell me the pro's and cons of a natural V cesarean birth and all the risks associated with such a major op. must admitt it did feel like i she was trying to change my mind by saying how lovely it was when the baby is born naturally and lifted onto ur tummy still attatched by the cord.. honestly im glad i skipped breakfast i nearly vomited ..bleeeuugh the thought just soooo doesnt appeal...!! ive only got to pack my hospital bag, fill car with petrol, wait for OH to get back from Lincolnshire and then come dinner time Fri, fingers crossed i should be holding my brand new beautifull baby girl....

Jazzy

wow hun, that was an interesting read, as for rude midwives, I'd have gone private by now

welshcakes79

i would have OH kept telling me too but for some reason i wanted to have faith in nhs, i have a friend who is a m/w on labour ward and she is fantastic ive been able to ring her with any query ive had and i just took it for granted that all m/w's were like that...guess their not huh ah well live and learn lol...

jenny873

ive seen a few horrible midwives too, there rude and make u feel like ur being nosey or questioning their knowledge or something when u just ask a simple question, interesting journal though, wish id done 1 lol! stick to the nhs though if i was you they tax us enough so let them pay 4 u it will all be over soon xxx

welshcakes79

thnx jenny, cant believe someone who spent 18mths to 3 yrs trainning in a specific career could turn out so rude.. if they dont like their jobs why train lol?? and it does ruin it for pregnant women by taking away how special the whole experience is... its half the reason why in seriously considering only having this one baby.. i dont know if i could go through the whole rude V hormones thing again haha

welshcakes79

jan 24th 08 - (37+5 wks pg) today was D-day to find out if i could have a c-section. had an appointment with the consultant at 9.30am so i got there with my cousin in plenty of time (creepy building though, a converted old convent >shudder<) went into my meeting and the consultant was fab, he read through my notes and then asked me why i wanted a c-section, i explained what i was terrified of and managed to cry at the same time (which must have looked attractive lol) but he sat and listened and never once said my fears were unjustified, then when i had finished snorting he said that no one could force me to have a birth i didnt want, he said he'd book the c-section for 39 weeks because if i changed my mind and didnt want one it would be easier to cancel a pre booked one than try and find a slot to book me in at 39 weeks.. he wanted me to stop having antenatal with the m/w's up here coz he didnt like the way i had been spoken to and said that i was under his care from now untill delivery then there was bits and bobs of what i understood of a c-section and how he wanted me to talk to a councilor next week, but outcome is i pretty much got my c-section which is like, i dunno 6 tonnes of brick loads of weight off my shoulders!!

will add another post tomorow as i have last a/n with m/w in the morn