Midwife's growth chart

Midwife's growth chart
Originally uploaded by chiggster

Went to see the midwife today. While I had been waiting a stroppy madam had swept into reception and demanded (rather than asked) so see a midwife. She was told that sorry, they were fully booked. Was it an emergency? She simply said she wanted to see her today and tried for tomorrow. The midwives are at a different surgery tomorrow. They're back with us on Weds, but again they were fully booked. The receptionist suggested that this girl called the midwife and asked to be fitted in (which is normal, I've done it), but warned her that 3 people were already being squeezed in. At this point the girl swore and stormed off, complaining that she had walked all that way for nothing...

Now, I have suffered with pre-natal rage so I can understand the need to blow up occasionally.... but at the same time I can't help but wonder why she didn't call in advance, or simply agree to call the midwife (I'm sure reception would have let her use their phone, and even dialed the number if she'd asked) and - failing all that - MAKE AN APPOINTMENT for the next available slot.... otherwise she'll have the same problem next time. Our doctors surgery is a really really good one, with very good midwives. And that poor receptionist did not deserve to be sworn at! I wanted today's apt for last week, but I left it too late to call and it was fully booked. So I waited a week. Without having a tantrum. If it had been an emergency they would have sorted something out for me, or got me in to see a doctor. Anything more serious and I would have just gone to the hospital and had done.

Anyway... back to me and my Squiggle-bump. I saw one of the best midwives today (not that any are nasty, but there's one who is a little colder than the rest). It's the first time I've seen her this preg but she remembered me from having Jack, asking how old he was, did we still live on that daft hill, did my husband still have that beard... We had a nice giggle together. I told her about the daft lass in reception and she was horrified!

She took my blood pressure. No problems there. She tested my pee. Just for once it did NOT have anything nasty in it! (First time this preg!). She let me listen to Squiggle's heartbeat, which was "good and strong" just like Squiggle's movements. She measured me and reassured me that (at least for now) this baby is not a massive giant mega baby. She showed me my chart and my bump is measured right in side the normal range, part way between "100% spot on" and "small side of average but still normal".

Just where I want this baby to be!