Booking in appointment and scan advice for 1st timer

[Suitcase5]

Hi there mums and mums-to-be I am hoping you may be able to explain a few things to me about this pregnancy lark.

I am now 10 weeks 5 days pregnant with my first baby :) we were extremely fortunate to have successful ivf first time round and are both super excited but also lost as hell as to what should be happening!

after confirmation of the pregnancy we were told to speak to our doctors to get a midwife which we have done, midwife filled in some forms and told me i would also have to see a consultant at the local hospital because we had ivf. Heard nothing, chased hospital and they said they've booked me a midwife appointment for 10th sep when I would be 13 weeks. This seems pretty late if I then have to wait after that for a scan appointment – there’s no chance they would fit me in that week for a scan and we are desperate to find out if everything is okay and I think I read the nuchal test must be done before 14 weeks which seems cutting it fine.

I asked them about it and they said I could go to a group midwife session on the 4th sep and that’s my only other option. Is this normal? If im going to a group session it doesn’t sound like a consultant thing because we had ivf and if I just need to see a midwife, why not just the local gp surgery one? Very confused. What should be happening?!

Sorry for the long post. x

[Fuzzyduck21]

Sounds strange. Did you have ivf on nhs? if so could you contact your old consultant? they should offer you an early scan to let you know all is well. I've heard other ivf couples have an early scan to double check all is ok. I only had clomid so just paid for a private scan before 12 wk scan. Even then midwife didn't get her act together quick enough for a nuchal before the cut off and so I ended up paying privately for that too.

Yes that's cutting it fine for nuchal scan. Can you call hospital direct? Wouldn't wait for midwife - mine was useless.

Massive congratulations btw! xx

[Suitcase5]

Thanks so much for the reply fuzzyduck :) great name btw. We did have an early scan at the clinic which was wonderful - seems like ages ago now!

I can definitely see us having to pay for the nuchal scan to get it in time but will call the hospital as suggested. They just dont fill me with confidence! when we were referred there for the ivf in the first place they seemed to constantly misplace our notes and results and always sound so flustered on the phone that they dont really listen. ah well. sure it will all be okay.

Thanks again for taking time to answer, it's all a bit daunting when you first start out :)

[BadgerFace]

At my hospital the midwife and scan appointments are independent of each other so once I was referred by my GP to the midwives I got one letter from them about the midwife booking appointment and then a second letter from the ultrasound department about the 12 week scan (which was at 13 weeks for me). I coincidentally got both letters the same day but I am sure there is usually a lag between the two.

I was consultant led for my first pregnancy (also IVF!) and my current one (due to EMCS first time round). My consultant appointments weren't/aren't until about 24/26 weeks. They were booked in at the end of my first midwife's appointment.

Definitely call the hospital scanning department to discuss your nuchal scan appointment. They have a duty of care to see you before the cut off date for nuchal tests (which I think is either 13+6 or 14+1, I forget which!). Hopefully they will be able to confirm your letter is in the post/book you in over the phone/tell you how to get booked in.

Good luck, the appointments all feel like a bit of a minefield although once you've had the first on both sides the rest follow on fairly easily as they are booked at the appointments.