First appointment with new midwife

I've had to join a new general practice now that we've moved. The one
in our area is actually one I've worked at a couple of years back, when
I needed to do some videos of my consultations for an exam I was doing
and this practice was the only one in the area with a video camera.
Ideally I'd have preferred not to be a patient at a practice I'd
previously worked for - no offence at all to the practice, which struck
me as a very good one, but it's just the idea of going from the
'colleague' role to the 'patient' role that can be a bit awkward.
However, since it's the only practice covering the area and I didn't
really want to sign on with a practice outside the area, I didn't really
have any other choice. It's not so bad - as I was only there for
videoed sessions, I didn't have that much to do with most of the doctors
there apart from the trainee at the time, who has since moved on. I
asked specifically not to be allocated to the lists of a couple of the
doctors whom I've had professional dealings with. The rest of the
doctors I can't remember, so they probably won't particularly remember
me either.

Anyway - today I had my first appointment with the midwife, and I was
really pleased. She told me almost straight away "If you end up
thinking 'Gosh, I don't want to be under the care of this terrible
woman' then that's no problem, you can just switch to someone else." I
didn't, but I thought it was great that she'd given me the choice. She
also asked if she could tempt me to a home birth. That's a no - I've
already decided I'd prefer the birthing centre - but, again, I thought
it was a really good sign that she'd asked, since presumably it means
that she likes keeping things low-tech for deliveries. She also offered
to come round to my home for the next appointment, on a Sunday
afternoon, as she's working in the community that day seeing mothers/new
babies and she needs to make a full-length appointment to get all my
background details down. I thought that was pretty impressive!

So it looks as if I'll be getting good care in this area, as long as
this pregnancy stays uncomplicated. (I'm less happy with the bits &
pieces I hear about the local hospital, so let's hope I don't end up
there.) This is good to know. ;-)


All the best,

Sarah

--
Sarah Vaughan

Hi Sarah

Its great to hear that you have had such a positive experience with your
midwife :-)

I would imagine that if your pregnancy is uncomplicated there will be no
need for you to see your doctor, I only ever saw the midwife.

Perhaps when you see her on Sunday you can ask her about the bits you are
less happy with at the local hospital, or ask if she does the Domino system
where she can come with you and deliver you in the birthing unit.

Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy

Helen the midwife
"Sarah Vaughan" wrote in message
...
I've had to join a new general practice now that we've moved. The one
in our area is actually one I've worked at a couple of years back, when
I needed to do some videos of my consultations for an exam I was doing
and this practice was the only one in the area with a video camera.
Ideally I'd have preferred not to be a patient at a practice I'd
previously worked for - no offence at all to the practice, which struck
me as a very good one, but it's just the idea of going from the
'colleague' role to the 'patient' role that can be a bit awkward.
However, since it's the only practice covering the area and I didn't
really want to sign on with a practice outside the area, I didn't really
have any other choice. It's not so bad - as I was only there for
videoed sessions, I didn't have that much to do with most of the doctors
there apart from the trainee at the time, who has since moved on. I
asked specifically not to be allocated to the lists of a couple of the
doctors whom I've had professional dealings with. The rest of the
doctors I can't remember, so they probably won't particularly remember
me either.

Anyway - today I had my first appointment with the midwife, and I was
really pleased. She told me almost straight away "If you end up
thinking 'Gosh, I don't want to be under the care of this terrible
woman' then that's no problem, you can just switch to someone else." I
didn't, but I thought it was great that she'd given me the choice. She
also asked if she could tempt me to a home birth. That's a no - I've
already decided I'd prefer the birthing centre - but, again, I thought
it was a really good sign that she'd asked, since presumably it means
that she likes keeping things low-tech for deliveries. She also offered
to come round to my home for the next appointment, on a Sunday
afternoon, as she's working in the community that day seeing mothers/new
babies and she needs to make a full-length appointment to get all my
background details down. I thought that was pretty impressive!

So it looks as if I'll be getting good care in this area, as long as
this pregnancy stays uncomplicated. (I'm less happy with the bits &
pieces I hear about the local hospital, so let's hope I don't end up
there.) This is good to know. ;-)


All the best,

Sarah

--
Sarah Vaughan

"Anyway - today I had my first appointment with the midwife...She...asked if
she could tempt me to a home birth..."
--Dr. Sarah Vaughan

Cool!

Todd


"Sarah Vaughan" wrote in message
...
I've had to join a new general practice now that we've moved. The one in
our area is actually one I've worked at a couple of years back, when I
needed to do some videos of my consultations for an exam I was doing and
this practice was the only one in the area with a video camera. Ideally
I'd have preferred not to be a patient at a practice I'd previously worked
for - no offence at all to the practice, which struck me as a very good
one, but it's just the idea of going from the 'colleague' role to the
'patient' role that can be a bit awkward. However, since it's the only
practice covering the area and I didn't really want to sign on with a
practice outside the area, I didn't really have any other choice. It's
not so bad - as I was only there for videoed sessions, I didn't have that
much to do with most of the doctors there apart from the trainee at the
time, who has since moved on. I asked specifically not to be allocated to
the lists of a couple of the doctors whom I've had professional dealings
with. The rest of the doctors I can't remember, so they probably won't
particularly remember me either.

Anyway - today I had my first appointment with the midwife, and I was
really pleased. She told me almost straight away "If you end up thinking
'Gosh, I don't want to be under the care of this terrible woman' then
that's no problem, you can just switch to someone else." I didn't, but I
thought it was great that she'd given me the choice. She also asked if
she could tempt me to a home birth. That's a no - I've already decided
I'd prefer the birthing centre - but, again, I thought it was a really
good sign that she'd asked, since presumably it means that she likes
keeping things low-tech for deliveries. She also offered to come round to
my home for the next appointment, on a Sunday afternoon, as she's working
in the community that day seeing mothers/new babies and she needs to make
a full-length appointment to get all my background details down. I
thought that was pretty impressive!

So it looks as if I'll be getting good care in this area, as long as this
pregnancy stays uncomplicated. (I'm less happy with the bits & pieces I
hear about the local hospital, so let's hope I don't end up there.) This
is good to know. ;-)


All the best,

Sarah

--
Sarah Vaughan

She
also asked if she could tempt me to a home birth. That's a no - I've
already decided I'd prefer the birthing centre - but, again, I thought
it was a really good sign that she'd asked, since presumably it means
that she likes keeping things low-tech for deliveries. She also offered
to come round to my home for the next appointment, on a Sunday
afternoon, as she's working in the community that day seeing mothers/new
babies and she needs to make a full-length appointment to get all my
background details down. I thought that was pretty impressive!

this sounds soooo like the midwife I have, but I recall you mentioned you
are about an hour away from me, so I know it isn't, I would never have
thought of a home birth if it hadn't have been for the midwife suggesting it

Sarah Vaughan wrote:

Ideally I'd have preferred not to be a patient at a practice I'd
previously worked for - no offence at all to the practice, which struck
me as a very good one, but it's just the idea of going from the
'colleague' role to the 'patient' role that can be a bit awkward.

But at least you know your way around the place, right? ;-)

I'm glad you like your midwife.

In message , Helen
writes
Hi Sarah

Its great to hear that you have had such a positive experience with your
midwife :-)

I would imagine that if your pregnancy is uncomplicated there will be no
need for you to see your doctor, I only ever saw the midwife.

Quite, but then there's always the possibility of me needing to see them
about some other problem. My main concern is that if I have to see them
about something like piles or postnatal depression, it could feel a bit
awkward! Oh, well, I'll worry about that if it happens. ;-)

Also, the baby's bound to need to see a doctor about something at some
point, and I can see that being difficult - after all, presumably
they'll expect me to know more about baby complaints than the average
mum, and I suppose I _do_ know more about baby complaints than the
average mum, but I suspect I'll lose a bit of objectivity once it's my
own baby. So I can imagine myself thinking "Oh, help, if I take the
baby to the doctor with this will they secretly be thinking that as a GP
I should have known that he doesn't really need to see anyone?" Though
I suppose that'll be a problem whichever GP I go to, so it's not really
a specific issue with me knowing the GPs there.

Perhaps when you see her on Sunday you can ask her about the bits you are
less happy with at the local hospital,

I don't think I'll bother - after all, the only way I'll end up there is

ummm I guess that could potentially be difficult, and certainly cause you
some anxiety. I had similar sort of fears. I was booked to deliver in the
hospital where I work I had planned a 6 hour discharge because I was so
anxious, but things never go to plan and I had to stay in for 24 hours of
observations as I had PROM.

I admit that whilst I was pregnant I spent a lot of time worrying about how
I would be perceived both during the pregnancy, during the labour and
following the delivery that was one of my worst fears. I envied the women I
cared for in a way, and I hope that doesn't sound silly or patronising. Its
just that when I was the 'patient' for want of a better word, I didn't think
the same way as when I was 'working', I guess what I'm trying to say is that
it is very different when its you. I was lucky.

I worried about someone I know delivering me, which was kind of inevitable
as I know most people, it was actually someone I knew very well because I
work only nights and had frequently worked the wards with just the two of
us, I had actually said to her while we were working together that I didn't
want her caring for me cos I wouldn't get an epidural with her, something we
laughed at after my delivery which was speedy with NO epidural.

I worried loads about needing help with breast feeding which I did because
Madeline had a very bad tongue tie. Mainly I just worried about being
expected to know everything because I am a midwife, and people thinking
badly of me if I didn't know.

I do think its was quite difficult for them to, do they treat you as a
patient which could be incredibly patronizing, or as a pregnant or new mum.
I think that in a way its up to us to take the lead, admit when we are
concerned or need some support or advice, there is no shame in it. we cant
know everything.

sorry I do go on :s

Helen the Midwife
Madeline 17/5/04
Beanie due 25/4/05


"Sarah Vaughan" wrote in message
...
In message , Helen
writes
Hi Sarah

Its great to hear that you have had such a positive experience with your
midwife :-)

I would imagine that if your pregnancy is uncomplicated there will be no
need for you to see your doctor, I only ever saw the midwife.

Quite, but then there's always the possibility of me needing to see them
about some other problem. My main concern is that if I have to see them
about something like piles or postnatal depression, it could feel a bit
awkward! Oh, well, I'll worry about that if it happens. ;-)

Also, the baby's bound to need to see a doctor about something at some
point, and I can see that being difficult - after all, presumably they'll
expect me to know more about baby complaints than the average mum, and I
suppose I _do_ know more about baby complaints than the average mum, but I
suspect I'll lose a bit of objectivity once it's my own baby. So I can
imagine myself thinking "Oh, help, if I take the baby to the doctor with
this will they secretly be thinking that as a GP I should have known that
he doesn't really need to see anyone?" Though I suppose that'll be a
problem whichever GP I go to, so it's not really a specific issue with me
knowing the GPs there.

Perhaps when you see her on Sunday you can ask her about the bits you are
less happy with at the local hospital,

I don't think I'll bother - after all, the only way I'll end up there is

On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 22:02:04 +0100, Sarah Vaughan
wrote:


So I can imagine myself thinking "Oh, help, if I take the
baby to the doctor with this will they secretly be thinking that as a GP
I should have known that he doesn't really need to see anyone?" Though
I suppose that'll be a problem whichever GP I go to, so it's not really
a specific issue with me knowing the GPs there.

It might be worth trying to find out which of the GPs have kids
themselves - after all they'll undoubtedly have been in the same
position. Most doctors I know say that its foolish to treat your own
family anyway, precisely because you can't be objective, so I
shouldn't think they will think any less of you for seeing them about
stuff and not just knowing it all yourself.

Megan
--
Seoras David Montgomery, 7th May 2003, 17 hours. http://seoras.farr-montgomery.com
EDD 11th March 2005

In message , Sarah Vaughan
writes
Perhaps when you see her on Sunday you can ask her about the bits you are
less happy with at the local hospital,

I don't think I'll bother - after all, the only way I'll end up there
is

blink That's weird - I wrote several paragraphs more in this post,
and it seems to have disappeared. Demon's been doing some seriously
weird stuff lately. :-(

Oh, well.... I was trying to say that the only way I would end up at the
hospital was if some complication developed that meant that I no longer
had the option of the birthing centre & hence _had_ to go to the
hospital. Then I burbled on for a while about the problems I'd heard
about with the hospital, none of which are appalling or insurmountable
but which were enough to leave me feeling that it wouldn't be my first
choice of where to deliver. I don't think it was unmissable
information. ;-)


All the best,

Sarah

--
"I once requested an urgent admission for a homeopath who had become depressed
and taken a massive underdose" - Phil Peverley

In message , Helen
writes
I do think its was quite difficult for them to, do they treat you as a
patient which could be incredibly patronizing, or as a pregnant or new
mum. I think that in a way its up to us to take the lead, admit when we
are concerned or need some support or advice, there is no shame in it.
we cant know everything.

Very good point - it's difficult from both POV. I don't envy you
delivering in a place where the people delivering you were your
colleagues! I'd have found that overwhelmingly awkward.

Been meaning to ask you - where do you work?


All the best,

Sarah

--
"I once requested an urgent admission for a homeopath who had become depressed
and taken a massive underdose" - Phil Peverley