Guy thought hospital had a baby-hating ward

[tilly101]

I've come across a lot of SCs on a day to day basis recently. See when I'm at work, it's all just the SC's I get as my own customers. Now that I'm on leave, I'm exposed to them in the wild. It's scary lol

This one I'm placing under 'brain burps', because this guy wasn't an SC so much as just confused/overwhelmed.

As some of you will know from my other posts, I've been spending a fair amount of time in hospitals recently. The below took place the other day at the check-in desk in the ante-natal [maternity] ward

SC - the poor guy who didn't really have much of a clue
RL - reception lady behind the desk

I'm sitting there by myself in the nice quiet waiting room when this guy storms up and SLAMS a piece of paper down on the coutner

SC - 'Yeah I got told to come here to find my wife, I've been running all over the bloody hospital all morning trying to find where she is, this better be the right place!'

RL, reads the piece of paper SC has slammed down, checks something on her computer, then says to him - 'Ok sir, yes, I can see that your wife arrived here quite early this morning in the early stages if labour. We've got her in a ward, she's steady at the moment, no further progression, if you'd like to follow me I'll take you to see her now'

SC stands still, hands by his side clenched in fists, and says back in a raised voice, still very angry - 'Finally! Finally I find her! So what's she doing here then?!'

RL - 'I'm sorry sir? This is ante-natal check in, I'm not sure I understand what you mean'

SC - 'Exactly! EXACTLY! ANTE-natal! That's what they told me when I got here, but that's obviously not right, so I've been all over the hospital trying to find her! I went to the children's ward but she wasn't there! Why has she been placed in an ANTE-natal ward and not the children's ward?'

RL - 'Erm...well sir, I mean...the children's ward is where we admit and treat children. The ante-natal ward is where pregnant women are admitted prior to and for delivery'

SC - 'NO, NO! My wife has nothing against having this kid! We WANTED this kid! Why have you put her in the ANTE-natal ward, huh? She isn't 'ANTE' having kids, she has nothing against them!'

Yeah. The guy thought it was like ANTI. Like, the pregnant women who had some opposition to having kids were brought to this special little ward
RL eventually convinced him that that wasn't the case, and off they went.
Even though he was a bit yelly, I truly felt sorry for the guy.

[fireheart]

Poor guy.

I wonder what he thought "natal" meant.

Methinks that someone didn't accompany his wife/girlfriend to her appointments....

[PepperElf]

so an antechamber hates chambers then?

although since the latin "ante" means "before" ... antenatal makes sense. in fact my spellcheck likes the word too.

only thing i can think that might help him - and only if he chose to listen - is if they told him "it means 'prenatal'" or hand him a dictionary.

[dalesys]

... hand him a dictionary.

One with all the words.
[/Cosby]
On top of the head.

[Sparky]

He would have been better off in the US. We call it prenatal care and the hospital has the maternity ward.

On the other hand, you can keep him.

[shopgirl15]

What a moron.

[fireheart]

He would have been better off in the US. We call it prenatal care and the hospital has the maternity ward.

On the other hand, you can keep him.

Some GPs call it antenatal care too (depending on your clinic, a number of docs can provide antenatal care in conjunction with whichever hospital you give birth in.)

My local hospital just calls it labour and birthing and then postnatal care.

The guy was a moron.

[MoonCat]

Not good with logic either, is he? Who the hell ever heard of a hospital ward for people "who don't want kids"? I mean WTF?? And no common sense....wow.

[RenownedHack]

I was about to say that in the states, I've seen it termed antenatal before; in fact, when my mom had my youngest sister, it was antenatal at that particular hospital. In the area I live in now, though, it's always prenatal or maternity.

[fireheart]

Not good with logic either, is he? Who the hell ever heard of a hospital ward for people "who don't want kids"? I mean WTF?? And no common sense....wow.

Maybe he thought that women could get abortions in the third trimester? (That is on request, most people who get abortions usually do so in the first or early second trimester)

Or that women who adopt out their kids give birth in another wing of the hospital?

[Mishi]

Actually, my best friend's mum flipped out and started yelling at me when I told her that I had an antenatal appointment...yup, she thought that it was 'anti' and mistakenly thought that I was having an abortion. *facepalms* After having 7 kids, you would think that she would know the meaning of the word 'antenatal' by now!

[fireheart]

Actually, my best friend's mum flipped out and started yelling at me when I told her that I had an antenatal appointment...yup, she thought that it was 'anti' and mistakenly thought that I was having an abortion. *facepalms* After having 7 kids, you would think that she would know the meaning of the word 'antenatal' by now!

I have NEVER heard anyone refer to "antenatal" in regards to having an abortion. Ever.

[Sapphire Silk]

He would have been better off in the US. We call it prenatal care and the hospital has the maternity ward.

On the other hand, you can keep him.

We use the word antenatal regularly in the US, and fairly interchangeably with prenatal.

I'm just stunned I've never come across a reaction like this from a patient or family member before.

This is why we need good sex education in public schools.

[Cat Herder]

You mean "antenatal" has nothing to do with being against a certain South African province?

[Cat Herder]

I'm against flooding! I'm antediluvian!

I'm against chambers! I'm antechamber!

I'm against lopes! I'm an antelope!