"Missed a place with the midwives"

My doctor sent through my referral to the Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) when I was nearly 17 weeks pregnant and I was advised that they would contact me, appoint a midwife and that my first appointment with my midwife would be around week 20.

I had not heard back anything from them but assumed all was fine as it was over the public holiday period. When I had still not heard back from them I contacted the specialist centre at the hospital and they informed me that they had not received my referral. I went back to my GP who sent off the referral again that day and I contacted the specialist centre to make sure they received it, which this time they had.

In the following days, the specialist centre contacted me to book me in for my first appointment which I assumed would be with my midwife. It wasn’t until I arrived at the hospital and had my consultation that I was informed that I had missed out on a place with the MGP and would not be getting a midwife because my referral came so late. I am still on the waiting list, however, and was told that if someone goes into preterm labour I will get a midwife?!

I was deeply disappointed by this. I have so many friends in Broome who have had babies here and had such a wonderful experience and loved their midwife, and I was really looking forward to this part of my pregnancy journey. It’s not as if I won’t be getting care, I’ll still go to Broome hospital for all my appointments from here on, and the staff there couldn’t be more lovely! It’s just scary being a first-time pregnant woman and soon to be a first-time mother, and I’m sad I’ll be missing out on a personalised experience. As previously stated above everyone I know raves about how amazing their midwife was in Broome, how they go above and beyond for you and your baby, and I was looking forward to meeting my amazing midwife. 

I feel a bit isolated I guess and that I’m alone, mainly just disappointed because being pregnant is nerve-wracking and you do have so many questions. I wasn’t at all aware that the MGP only had a limited number of spots and that not getting one was even an option. 

My doctor has a record of the referral being sent off on the original date and how was I meant to know the hospital didn’t receive it when you have to wait for the specialist centre of MGP to contact you?