16 week midwife appointment - do I NEED to go?

[LeSquigh]

I am 18 weeks and have my 16 week appointment booked in for today. It was the first one I could get. I booked it weeks and weeks ago and knew at the time that it fell between night shifts and knew it wasn't a great idea but it was the only one I could get. So here I am absolutely exhausted and wondering if I should cancel? I have my scan in two weeks where my blood pressure and urine will be checked so do I REALLY need to go to this one? They don't do anything other than that do they?

[TeaBelle]

Yes you do. If there is a problem with either urine or bp youyou need to fix it now, not in 2 weeks

[shhhhSleeping]

Listen to babies heartbeat with the sonicaid too? It's good to go for peace of mind but in all likelihood everything will be fine, you'll be in and out in 10 mins and you'll wonder why you bothered.

[TeddyIsaHe]

Yes you do, the early stages are really important, and you need to be monitored. Plus you'd never forgive yourself if something happened and it could have been prevented. It's an hour out of your day. Doing things when exhausted is good practice for when baby gets here, they don't postpone anything just because you're tired!

[McBaby]

Yes you do they won't check urine or bp at 20 week scan.

[INeedNewShoes]

Please do go. As others have said the BP and urine checks are important.

Lots of women seem to get urine infections that go unnoticed in pregnancy until they do a urine sample (I think its because the extra blood flow to our uterus and surrounding area make everything feel different anyway so then we don't pick up on the discomfort from a urine infection in the same way).

Urine infections mustn't go untreated in pregnancy.

[ohidoliketobe]

It's up to you of course, but with the NHS as stretched as it is, it's not like they just dish out appointments for fun. There's surely a whole load of logic and case studies behind the reasoning for checking over pregnant women at 16 weeks. I was given blood test results at 16 week appointments so that's pretty important if there's any underlying issues you aren't aware of. I understand it isn't routine everywhere, but the midwife also checked baby's heartbeat with a doppler.

My blood pressure and urine weren't checked at any of my routine scans with either pregnancy (only at day unit checks when I had referral scans for growth in 3rd trimester).

[LeSquigh]

Ok thanks.

I am aware of how tiring kids can be, this isn't my first. I will get those things checked at scan because they are both checked at every appointment here. I don't think they listen to heartbeat until 28 weeks here either.

[Snowflakes1122]

Think they follow up on attendance to these appointments. I'd just go.

[Snowflakes1122]

Non not on!

[arbrighton]

Just go. Yes it will be tiring but as others have said, you need those checks on urine etc NOW not in 2 weeks.

They wouldn't timetable an appt at this stage if they didn't believe it was necessary

[chatnanny]

Where we live you don't get BP or urine tested at a scan, you only see the sonographer (or whatever it is called).
My niece's high BP and acute anaemia was picked up at 16 weeks. Other than being extra tired she had no symptoms but was put on immediate extra iron and has had much more monitoring ever since.

[Blastandtroph]

The 16 week appointment is also when your initial bloods (taken at booking) will be reviewed and plans made if any are out of range.