Back with the IM's

Today I got to see my first Yorkshire Storks booking appointment!

It was a super early start, and as usual, a mile drive. I met Debs at her house, and we set off together for the short drive from hers. This gave me a really good opportunity to get to know Debs as we had only briefly crossed paths my first week at the team meeting, and had no other appointments with her. We chatted a lot on the drive down, about midwifery and her journey into independent midwifery after upping and leaving Germany rather abruptly! She talked a lot about her ethos, and sympathised with being a student and stuck in the middle of not being able to practice the way university teaches you, and so desperately wanting to give the absolute best care you can.

The booking was 3 hours long, which i'm told is usual for a booking no matter the previous history. It was lovely to get to know the woman and her story, and hear what she hoped to get from her care and she got some of her more awkward questions out of the way of her to navigate the NHS and such. 

I was surprised by the lack of information 'thrown' during the booking appointment, the ones i've partook in consisted of a LOT of questions and feeling like you were bombarding the woman with information all at the same time. My (short) reflection on this makes me think maybe this is because, in the NHS, the booking appointment is really the only time to attempt meaningful conversations and there is the most opportunity. Antenatal check ups are only 15min and trying to find time for conversations about movements, anti-d, birth options, and feeding can be tricky. 

The IM's don't have time constraints and parent craft and even clinical conversations are unhurried and very in-depth about topics. Things such as infant feeding, vitamin K, and newborn screening tests offered are discussed well in advance making the crucial post natal decisions mostly covered and decided, hopefully meaning a less stressful postnatal period, without things being 'sprung upon'! 

The appointment was also really great for me to get a good understanding of the usual appointment schedule, and a general overview of the services offered and what a pregnancy, birth and postpartum period with the Storks can look like. I have had the chance the ask, but you don't know what you don't know! And so this really made clear how this work, even in a logistical sense. I also learnt I don't like the national maternity notes! 😂 I don't find the readability very good and much prefer the SWHMR, even if we don't use it anymore!
'Logo' for the National Maternity Notes
Tomorrow is a longggggggg day, an early start with an appointment, the Storks team meeting, then another appointment with a woman I saw 2 weeks ago, followed by a long drive back up to Scotland to celebrate #IDM2018 with my own stall!

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