Feeling really dismissed by maternity triage
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I would insist that you want your go into be checked over
Unsure if you are uk based, but when I called triage before 20 weeks I was told to go to general a&e for any problems, if your worried I’d advise doing that!
You probably need to speak to your gp or community midwife or if it’s severe then A&E. The problem is that there is literally nothing maternity triage can do for you at this point unfortunately 😔
I had slight bleeding at 15 weeks. I called triage and was told, in a very unsympathetic tone, to put a pad on and if blood fills the pad then to go to A&e. She simply said if it's a miscarriage there is absolutely nothing they can do....Its my first pregnancy. So obviously, that left me in quite a state. I booked for a private scan. Baby was perfectly fine. I'm 23 weeks now and bumping along. I felt much like you. Even if there's nothing they can do, kind word of sympathy or encouragement can go a long way.
I would speak to your community midwife and they will advise if it's maternity related and where to go next. I know most places triage is 16 weeks+ but there's really not much they specifically can do at 18 weeks. With regards to your swelling, some swelling is normal, abnormal, sudden swelling is what they investigate and their next steps would be BP and urine which you'll have checked at your midwife appointments. I'm really sorry that they've deemed you as low risk and not needing to be seen but they will have their reasons, they may have a waiting room of high risk pregnancies showing really dangerous symptoms, they may be dealing with late term baby loss, you just don't know. The guidelines are to ring triage for just that, for them to triage you and make a decision on whether it warrants a trip in. There is always the option to change hospitals but most are very busy and they all follow the same guidelines and processes.
I would say trust your gut. If you feel something is serious and feel disregarded you could ring 111 (if in the UK). I did it once during my pregnancy and got seen by a midwife at hospital that day. Do not ever feel like you've wasted their time though! You are allowed to be concerned and are doing the right thing by seeking help.
If you are really worried and have already been dismissed, I’d call 111 and say you’re in lots of pain, you can’t sleep or move etc. they will send you to A&E. It’s worth getting it checked over
I had lower right abdomen pain, twisting and stabbing kind for 5hrs straight at 15wks. I was referred to A&E by 111 and Out of Hours GP to ensure that I was medically okay, I later spoke with early pregnancy unit as the day in a&e lasted forever but they cannot do much about the baby until mother is medically cleared.. i later got an emergency scan to ensure baby was okay too. In my opinion I would always call 111 first as they seem to take you more seriously as a patient rather than just a pregnant person
No I would 1000% complain, I was only 16 weeks when I phoned maternity triage and they let me come in to get checked and listen to baby’s heartbeat. That’s what they are there for
I've never had it. But the few times I went to triage (over the most trivial things sometimes) the doctors said "let's get an ultrasound to check if baby is fine" or at least get the Doppler out and check baby's heart rate. I would complain. If you've done what they said already I would insist on them checking you. I've heard too many sad stories to dismiss how my body feels.