Sorry this a long one - I need to vent.

I think that I can honestly say that today has been in equal mesures been the most stressful and most relieving so in this pregnancy!

I had cramps and staining earlier in the week and although the staining stopped I still had pains. Bump has gotten bigger this week so I assumed it was everything stretching.

Anyway at lunchtime I went the loo and had a lot of blood. Firstly tried my MW and got her mobile VM. So rang my GP and got their out of hours service. An on call GP rang me back and basically said the earliest apt I could get was Wednesday. And if I started having uncontrollable bleeding and was passing clots bigger than my hand to worry!!!!!!! I thnk that it is fair to say that I flipped out and said that I wasn't going to accept that. I then rang the 24hr midwife unit for emergencies at Wantage.

I spoke to a lovely midwife there who spoke to the Gnyi unit at the JR and we were told to go straight in. We went to the JR and were seen by a lovely Doctor. Unfortunately the sonographers don't seem to work on a weekend and the Doc could only use a hand held unit to try and listen to the heartbeat.

Unfortunately despite his best efforts he wasn't able to hear the haeat beat and the earliest apt he could give us was Thursday. So we would be spending 6 days worrying, not knowing.

We'd been for a private scan at 12+5 to do the nuchal check because the 11+5 scan at the JR couldn't do it. So I rang the clinic. They don't work at weekends either BUT the Doctor was there and picked up straight away. I spoke to her, explained the situation and she told us to come straight over. We had a scan and the placenta is fine, the heart beat is fine and baby is as snug as a bug in a womb!

I'm just so glad we were able to see someone and didn't have the prospect of waiting and worrying until Thursday. I would have gone grey with the worry and the stress would probably have hurt the baby.

I can't believe that I am the only pregnant person in Oxfordshire having problems this weekend. I just don't understand why the NHS don't have sonographers available and that the prenatel unit is closed until Tuesday. Surely they could have someone on call??? And why didn't the on call GP know that I could go to the Gyni unit?

Is Oxfordshire the only place where everything closes and pregnant women get so shoddily treated over a weekend? I know that others have only praise for the NHS but today they let me and my baby down today.

Sorry to vent its been a hell of a rollercoaster today.

Hope you are feeling better having seen your baby. You are not the only person ive seen on here talking about sonographers not working weekends! Its ridiculous, and doesnt happen everywhere. I had the most horrendous bleed last Sat at 13 + 1 with twins. I soaked my pad, knickers, jeans and through onto the bed! It was awful. Anyway, we were told to go straight to A+E. Arrived at 7.45am, was seen, examined, SCANNED, and left almost reassured by 9.15am! I have since been back and same thing happened again on Monday. I have also spoken to the mw numerous times and she has told me that I can phone whenever I feel the need and I will be spoken to, whatever the time or day. Im in Norfolk. Maybe you should all come and live here!!!

Glad you saw your baby and all is fine. I know how worrying a bleed can be. I bled for 4 days, stopped on Tuesday, and have had lots of brown discharge ever since. Ive been off work and told not to go back until I have had 3 clear days. I havent had 1 yet! So, just a prewarning, it may not stop straight away but you should be able to talk to your mw if you are concerned. Im shocked at the differences between the nhs in different areas!

Gemma 14 + 1 with ID twins xxx

How scary for you. Glad you managed to see someone eventually who could put your mind at rest though. I'm not sure why everything shuts down. It's slightly different here as I know our Ante-natal Day Unit at the hospital is open all weekend. I have an appointment there on Monday and I know they are there today and tomorrow. Having said that, I know I would never be able to get hold of my community midwives. Even on a normal day, you have to ring and leave a message and they take 24 hours to get back to you! Maternity care is so variable - definitely a post code lottery

Hope you can now enjoy the rest of your weekend. Take it nice and easy

A
31+5 ID twins

I'm sorry what you've been thro, I can totally relate to this except mine is still unresovled, I had bleed on wed (just one episode and passed big clot), had my HCG levels rechecked and they have not doulbed in 6 days, so I am fearing an immintent miscarriage (6-7 weeks pg). on wed when this started, I was booked into EPU for this coming tues but after I got my HCG results back yesterday I rang the EPU via the gynae ward to explain and ask did I really still have to wait 5 days to find out.... they said they understood what I felt but basically the EPU is shut till tues and to go thro a&e, which we did yesterday evening, seen by nice drs, internal exam and told it could be ectopic or failing pregnancy or slow rising HCg and noone could scan till tues still so to go home and come back then, unless I get major bleeding/shoulder tip pain at weekend!
Now I'm not knocking any of the Dr's or nurses I have seen and spoken to as they've all been nice, I work in the NHS, I understand the 'system' but when it's happening to you it's a mighty hard pill to swallow.... so luckily I'm not bleeding at mo, I've got cramps but otherwise feel ok, basically I'm keeping busy and distracted until tues...... like others, I cannot believe there are no on call sonographers over bank holiday weekend and I appreciate whilst I may not be a physical ememrgency, my psychological health is not being helped by a 6 day wait from bleed to scan..... hey ho.

Starry_eyed - I think it was you I was thinking of when I said about there being others. Our EPU isnt open at weekends, but there are sonographers/gynie drs on all the time and rooms with scanners in. I didnt get much info when they scanned me on the Sat but we did see babies and hb's so could go away relatively reassured. Im sorry you are both having to go through the stress of all this!

I can't believe the differences in service that we are all getting. Don't get me wrong the nurses and doctors were really helpful but why didn't the GP know that I could go to the gyni ward for a check???? Totally rubbish.

What does EPU stand for again?

Early Pregnancy Unit hun xx

At the JR we have the prenatal diagnosis unit but when I tried to call the number they were closed today and are until Tuesday.

At least we had the option of a private scan - others aren't so lucky.