Queen Charlottes, W12

[serendipity16]

Hi ladies. I'm new here

I was just wondering if anyone has had recent experience of the booking in appointment at Queen Charlottes?

I had my last baby there 4 years ago & since then have had 5 recurrent losses. Today i finally got my booking in appointment letter.

It says in the letter a few things that are new to me.

Firstly it says that 'you may also have a physical examination'. I've had kids there before but never had an examination at 12 weeks.

Secondly is says 'Note you will NOT have a scan at your booking in appointment', but still says to expect the appointment to last 3 hours. They estimated that the last time i was there but that included a 12 week scan.

Does anyone know when you get your 12 week scan, if its not at your booking in appointment? Also did anyone have a physical examination at their 12 week appointment.

I was so looking forward to a 12 week scan, a little gutted as i don't know if or when i'll get that scan.

Thank you ladies.

[toomuchtooyoung]

Hi there, so sorry for your losses, but congrats on your new pregnancy!

I'm at Queen Charlotte's and it's been a bit hit and miss so far. Booking in appointment only says it can last 3 hours as it depends when they get round to seeing you, take a good book along! Didn't have a physical examination just a series of questions and answers which were regurgitated on cue.

I had my 12 week scan at dot on 12 weeks, was arranged after the booking in appointment had finished but still had to wait a few weeks for the full result with bloods.

[KFW]

Hi

congratulations! 5 MCs is horrid, you poor thing.

I am also at QCH. My booking appointment took almost 3 hours, but the vast majority of that was sitting and waiting.

I didn't have an examination. They just took blood pressure and I think bloods and weighed me and I gave a urine sample. You have to queue up separately for pretty much each stage which is why it takes so ridiculously long!

I had had 3 MCs and was therefore a "recurrent MC patient" and so I don't think that that in itself would mean that you have an examination (if that is what you were asking)

I think that you book in for your 12 week scan at the booking appointment.

As toomuch says, take a GOOD book ...and a lot of patience

[serendipity16]

Thank you ladies, i appreciate the quick replies.

I remember the queues were long when i last went 4 years ago but it made it worth while when you had your scan on the same day.

I hated waiting for blood tests, that just takes ages. Its a shame the midwives can't do your bloods whilst you're seeing them, that would save some time.

I'm being seen at the rmc in the hammersmith hospital & they have been scanning me every week, however their machines aren't as good as the ones in the antenatal clinic so haven't had a good pic & haven't had a good look at baby.
Its amazing to get this far after 5 losses & i'm so excited. I just can't wait to have my 12 week appointment so i can tell everyone.

I will take a book with me as 3 hours is just so long.

Thank you once again ladies x

[KFW]

if you dont mind me asking, have you been with professor brosens at the recurrent mc clinic? i was with him until i was 12 weeks. (now 21+3) best of luck to you!

[serendipity16]

Hi, Yes i'm with Professor Brosens.
He's been really good with me & saw me before i was 4 weeks to scan me & do bloods. He's had me go back in every week for a scan. Maeve the nurse there scanned me today, she's lovely. The receptionist is lovely too, its terrible i don't even know his name but he knows my name as soon as he sees me.

He's got me on progesterone & clexane.
Were you on clexane too?

[KFW]

Yes he put me on progesterone and clexane, but I don't really know why. I think it's just a default prescription if there's nothing obviously wrong. There was nothing revealed by any tests and he thinks that I may just be unlucky and get pregnant too easily (if that doesn't sound a weird thing to say), where other people just wouldn't conceive. I didn't have any gap between any of my pregnancies and had a BFP 10 days after he told us me to try again for this one . They tested the 3rd fetus which died at 9+3 and it had chromosomal abnormalities which were incompatible with life.

I had a couple of big bleeds at around 7/8 weeks and so he took me off the clexane - I only did it for a about fortnight.

I am not complaining though - it was so good to have support and feel like someone was paying attention and I found the scans every Tuesday to be reassuring, even if it sometimes felt like an age for them to come along.

I wish you all the very best indeed!

PS I agree re Maeve. She's lovely. I think the receptionist is called Nick.

[serendipity16]

Nothing was found on any of the tests he did on me either.

After my ectopic in December he said he thought that all my losses had been ectopic & that the rest of them had just aborted themselves from my left tube. I thought it sounded crazy but maybe he was right. It seemed crazy to think that i'd had 5 ectopics & didn't know about 4 of them.

3 cycles later & what i consider to be a miracle... i got my bfp. I only ovulate from my left ovary & i had lost my left tube.

Maeve said she think i'll only be on Clexane til i'm 12 weeks but i haven't seen Prof Brosens to ask him if thats true or not, i thought i'd be on it til before i had my baby.

I feel the care i've received this time has been really good. Theres another male doctor there who i've seen a few times & i think he's lovely too.

I was terrible at giving myself the injections lol. It'd take me up to an hour to do it. As soon as that needle got near my skin my hand would freeze lol.

I'm still nervous about this pregnancy & still hoping & praying this baby will be ok.

Congratulations on your pregnancy too, how rude of me not to say that. Every pregnancy is a miracle but when you've suffered a few losses it really seems like a bigger miracle to get & stay pregnant. . . something my sister doesn't understand.... she's on baby No9.

[OneFishTwoFish]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I am 33 weeks with my first and waited 5 hours for my booking in appt at QCH. It was one of the snow days earlier this year so I assumed the wait was due to the weather but I waited for hours again for my second appt.

I would second the suggestion to make sure you take a good book as every time I have been to the ante-natal clinic it has been total chaos. The receptionists are hopeless and shockingly rude, it is packed (pregnant women standing while men sit down), children running around screaming, television blaring in a corner, etc. In fact, take an iPod as well as a book!

The actual booking in appt only lasted about 10 minutes once I got in there. I have now opted for a home birth with 1-1 midwife care and my midwife visits me at home, and I must say that that decision was in part influenced by the conditions of the ante-natal clinic at QCH.

On a more positive note, I have had 3 scans now (at 12, 20 and 32 weeks) and the ultrasound department was excellent. I was seen on time, offered a choice of appointment times and the staff were very professional. I'm sure you won't have to wait long to see your baby!

Congratulations again.

[Pidgin]

Hello, I am also at QCCH and would second what others have said about when you get your scan - I was booked in for mine at the booking-in appointment (which in my case was at 8 weeks), and didn't have a physical exam either time.

On a more positive note I have been really impressed so far by the hospital and its staff - my initial appointment did take 3 hours with lots of waiting, but given that you have to go through several different stages, it's not too bad. All the staff I've dealt with have been fine and the sonographers (I had two early scans due to bleeding) nothing short of wonderful.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

[Amberbop]

Hi Serendipity, congratulations on your pregnancy! I am at QCH and as others have said the booking in appt can easily take 3 hours, but 2 hrs 45 of that will be waiting. Snacks, drinks and reading material all essential. Also, there is no mobile phone coverage in the waiting room so don't rely on an iPhone to amuse you! I had no physical exam at booking in, just weight & height, form-filling, bloods and booking the 12 week scan. Subsequent waiting times for midwife appointments have been much faster, and never more than 20 mins for a scan so you get the worst first iyswim. Good luck!

[julezy]

Hi All,
I am really interested to hear some of you are with professor Brosens.
I have had recurrent misscarriages and have been referred to him.
I just really don't like the idea of daily injections, weekly scans and pesseries for the first 12 weeks of being pregnant and to be honest it is putting me off. I feel a bit like a subject with a hypothesis to prove. You hear of so many women having miscarriages but not having to go through this. It sounds like some of you have had to go through this treatment......how is it? Did you feel like me when you were first told?