16 week appointment

[Luckyelephant1]

Interested to know exactly what happens at the 16 week appointment and what everyone's experiences have been. Mines in a couple of weeks.

NHS website says it's to discuss results of screening, measure blood pressure and take a urine sample plus discuss if you may need extra supplements such as iron, but that's about it.

Other sites also say you 'may' get to hear the baby's heartbeat if the midwife listens with a doppler. Would be good to see how many of you had this as I'm hoping I do, which will help with the anxiety during the long wait between 12 and 20 week scans!

Anything else that happens at this stage?

[Lou98]

I had my 16 week appointment at the end of November. Due to coronavirus mine was over the phone so never got to hear heartbeat or have my blood pressure etc checked. Other than that it was really just a conversation, the midwife let me know the results of my blood test for DS and the repeat iron test I had, all was normal. Other than that she just asked how I was doing etc and that was it really

[Luckyelephant1]

Ah right thanks, I should probably bear in mind they might change it to a phone appointment although its currently face to face so keeping fingers crossed!

[DueMay2021]

I had my 16 week appointment before Christmas. I went in person the midwife was lovely. I had to take a wee sample and she did my blood pressure. We had a chat just about my general health and if I had any questions concerns. I asked if we were going to listen to the Heartbeat and she said we could try but sometimes it's difficult to find at 16 weeks depending on how baby is positioned so some people don't like to because if she can't find it for whatever reason people start panicking but we found it pretty much straight away and listened for a little bit until baby moved. She filled in some notes told me to book for my whooping cough vaccine and said she'd see me again at 25 weeks but in the meantime gave me her email address in case I had any questions.

Hope this helps

[peachypetite]

Mine was a phone call and lasted about sixty seconds.

[Terracottasaur]

I got to hear the heartbeat at mine, though it took an age to find it which was slightly stressful.

[Nat4392]

Mine was in person thankfully. She did a urine sample, checked BP, generally asked if I was ok etc. She also listened to baby’s heartbeat and gave me my whooping cough vaccine. My DH was able to come along which was great as he really wanted to hear the heartbeat.

[luxxlisbon]

Mine is crossed out on my notes and says N/A. First pregnancy.
Slightly annoying as it means I will only have had a booking appointment and the two scans then nothing until 25 weeks!

[JemimaTiggywinkle]

Mine was just blood pressure/urine sample.

I think different areas have different policies on this, but where I am they don’t listen to heartbeat. Midwife said because the baby is so small they can’t always find it, and it obviously causes a lot anxiety if they can’t find it.

I had a private 16 week scan because I felt like it was such a long time between 12 and 20 weeks.

[Luckyelephant1]

Oh a real mixed bag, seems like such a lottery. I guess it's a good sign mines in person so really hope I can listen to the heartbeat! I also want to finally meet my allocated midwife too as so far it's just been whoever, the one who did my booking appointment made a point of saying she's not my actual midwife.

[FTM91]

Just had mine, which was over the phone so no blood pressure etc.

In addition to what's been mentioned already she booked me in for Flu and Whooping cough vaccinations, booked in our 25 week appointment and told me that was when I would get my MATB1. She gave me her mobile number too and gave me info on who I should call at different points in my pregnancy if I was worried about anything.

It's also an opportunity for you to ask questions, so I would write a list before so you don't forget to ask what you want to! Having read most of Mumsnet I didn't have much to ask!!

[hjbells2703]

@luxxlisbon
Hi, I would ring your midwives and check to see whether that is correct or not.

If anything, women in their first pregnancies see a midwife more often. But regardless of this, the 16 week appt is for all women. It is a chanvce to check in, make sure all the blood results came back, the scan went ok, the 20 week scan is booked in and hopefully have a listen into baby.
It might be that they are reducing appts due to COVID - but that doesn't seem right.