midwife booking appointment

[blackbettybambalam]

Aibu to be stressing about this?

What do they ask you about previous mental health problems? Do they rely on me to disclose or do they have access to my medical records?

You shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed about it tho blackbetty.
I think most people have a point in their lives where they have a bit of a wobble.
I do feel that MH is something that needs to be spoken about more openly to break down the stigma.
Depression isn't a sign of weakness or madness, it's a sign that you're human xx

Some hospitals do part of the appointment without your partner present so that you can disclose information that you want to keep private. I think it started to ask about DV but it would be ideal for your situation too.

OP, can you name the hospital you are going to to see if anyone else knows what their procedure is?
At my hospital, you get your booking in appointment with midwives in their office and then get taken to another room for the scan, and can chose to have your partner with you or waiting outside for either of those.
I told them I had suffered from an eating disorder years ago, and the conversation went the same way as the one LargeGlassofWhite describes.

A friend of mine disclosed something at her booking in appointment from years and years ago that a few months on, she wasn't comfortable having displayed on her notes that were being seen by lots of people, discussed it with the midwife and they prepared a new set of notes for her without reference to it...

The previous posts are not relevant in my case: I didn't disclose some medical history (partly from
Being ashamed, partly from forgetting) my Gp wrote to the midwife asking for my care to be shared and included a brief summery of my medical history in his letter. This included depression, migraines etc. I was embarrassed.

This letter is in my green notes and was discussed at booking in. Later when I went to
Hospital to be monitored for rfm a note was made in the admissions sheet of my "history of depression"
Which I felt was trying to indicate I might be more anxious than the average person. Again I felt embarrassed.

They do, in terms of how you are feeling now and you need to be honest.

They also ask about DV in current/previous relationships. This shocked me and left me upset for a few days, because I wasn't expecting it and then had to give a quick rundown of the DV in my previous relationship then harp on about how lovely current dp is and that I'm fine now. It got marked down on my notes though and it did worry me that I would be flagged up as possible pnd to look out for once the baby was born.

But, on subsequent visits I've struck up a rapour with the midwife and feel that they have faith in me and that we were just ticking boxes initially.

So, yes they do ask. You are supposed to go alone to this visit. No partners allowed. Be prepared, be honest. But don't worry (like I did!!) because they are just checking your current mental health status in relation to having a baby. They wouldn't be doing their job correctly if they didn't.

Good luck x

If the MW is based at your GP surgery then she will probably have access your GP records, but she's unlikely to look through pages of notes unless she had a specific concern. A short period of a minor mental health problem would not even register on her radar (a huge number of women suffer poor mental health at some stage). Even if you had been significantly unwell, they only ask so they can decide how best to support you.

And if there is anything you don't want written on your handheld notes, just say. MWs understand that you're expected to carry around sensitive information in handheld notes and that it might not always be appropriate (disclosing medical history etc.). They can put a marker on your notes to indicate there is sensitive information held elsewhere.

You could always call your mw before your appointment, and just say that you'd like to disclose a minor MH issue, but that you don't wish to discuss it at the appointment because your partner will be there. I'm sure she would be very understanding to your situation.

Please don't worry about your appointment.

If you've seen the GP about MH problems in the past, they may well have put it on the referral. In general, you need to only take someone to the appointment if you're happy for them to hear what is discussed - as a GP I would generally assume that if the patient has brought a friend/relative, they are happy for them to be there, though I might be cautious about discussing a previous TOP. But it isn't safe to skate round past medical history because someone else is in the room. You might be best off going alone if you're worried about that.

Many partners expect to attend the booking appointment so they can listen to the screening info, health advice etc. and it's certainly not discouraged where I am. Women usually want to involve their partners in the decision regarding whether or not to accept screening, and they usually want to hear all of the information first hand together.

We often have women disclose something before or after the booking appointment and it's not a problem. MWs generally recognise that it can take a while to build a rapport with a woman and things are often disclosed later in the pregnancy, especially things like domestic abuse, which should be asked about several times throughout pregnancy when you are alone.

feck, how did the gp know you didn't disclose? I had mentioned it (very briefly) when I spoke to the midwife at my gp surgery, no issues there. I've to speak with the hospital midwife as a matter of routine to go through the pre preg questions at my scan routine (again, as a routine), but I was worried she would bring it up in front of the person I am with and expect me to go into further detail. Iyt really is a short period of anxiety following the birth of my last dc, but I didn't tell anyone about it, and now that it is resolved, I don't want to be telling anyone about it. It doesn't affect me at all... Just first time mum stress I think! Had a few follow up appointments then that was it. I just don't particularly want to drag up old ground in front of my supporter, as its all done and dealt with now

I have a previous 'episode' of mental health problems that I didn't want to discuss in front of anyone. I went to my booking appt alone (they like you to be alone for some of it anyway as they ask about domestic violence etc) and just explained the situation very briefly to the mw but that it was resolved and wasn't likely to reoccur as it was very specific to past circumstances. She was lovely, said that was fine and made a note of it but also noted that it was circumstance specific.

That's good got. I would like my partner to come to be part of it, but hoping they want to speak alone for a bit. I will skim over it if I have to, but don't want to go into detail or be probed about it! It doesn't sound like that's what has been happening to other through, so that's reassuring! I'm hopefully worrying about nothing... It really was quite minor and also circumstance specific

The GP wrote and sent the referral letter well before my booking in appointment - it was just an FYI about this patient, here is the relevant info.

In the meantime I received my green notes and filled them in, not mentioning some history. When we went through the notes in detail during the appointment the midwife compared the two and realised the Gp had stated some history I hadn't.

I was worried about my first appointment as I had previously had a termination that ny husband didn't know about. It was many years ago, prior to meeting him. I ended up attending on my own, but phoned and spoke to the MW before to let her know. She was fine and understood. The termination isn't on my notes.

I was asked to be alone so I had the opportunity to disclose any possible domestic violence, but it wasn't during my booking in appointment.

FWIW I disclosed depression whenever relevant - the only time it was questioned was during the hospital booking in process which was quite a long appointment. They were very happy with my "Suffered in the past, no longer a problem" line.

I needed it marked down though, I wanted to make sure to protect my baby from any PND or psychosis. I couldn't trust myself to get help if I was poorly.

I have had two children and no sign of issues though!

Depression is so so so so common. The GP should mention it on the referral letter, as it would be negligent not to, and the mw should ask if it is resolved now, but that is likely to be the height of it. I don't think you should bring your supporter in for the history taking bit, often the hospital insist you go in alone as otherwise women mightn't disclose important details like this, terminations, previous/current abuse etc. I am training to be a mw, and tbh I always ask for details if depression is mentioned in the history, I really do think it would be dreadful of me to not. Like I said it is extremely common, I would honestly guess that maybe half the women I have looked after have some history of depression or anxiety noted.

I went on my own. I told the midwife I'd been treated for depression 10 years ago and had been fine ever since. She ticked her box and moved on, no details required.

Thanks for posting this thread. I'm not pregnant yet but it's something that worries me. I attempted suicide in my teens and (as I have seen from glancing at the computer in GP apts) it still says 'overdose' on the screen every time I go to doctor. I am a survivor of childhood abuse and also of rape and DV and have never had any useful help from the NHS.

I am not sure how much I would want to disclose because if I tell them all this I'm afraid it will backfire and they will wrongly assume I'm somehow a risk to my child. But after a friend recently had her boob grabbed without permission and painfully squeezed by a so called breastfeeding support worker I really would want something saying nobody is to touch me without proper consent and explaining that I am a survivor of trauma, but as I say I worry it would backfire and they'd make assumptions about my capability to parent.

I should add I have had private therapy.