getting the grips with ante-natal app

[cierzo]

I'm 9 weeks pregnant, and as soon as I knew I went to my GP to start the process for receiving ante-natal care. So far I have not received any letter confirming appointments, no midwife has contacted me, and I'm getting concern I'm going to be doing everything in a rush.

I contacted the Hospital, and they do have me in their records, but the lady said that they were dealing with a backlog, and I will be contacted soon. that was a week ago, but then I thought that the 1st proper visit, I will have not only the scan I would also speak with doctor/midwife regarding my health and worries, but it seems I may be having one appointment around the 17th July and other with the scan 1 week later, for what the lady said on the phone. I have not mentioned anything to work yet, but I can't be taking days off with that short notice. Also my partner and me want to wait, to know everything is ok, before we tell family and friends. The other issue is that I'm frankly worry, this is my 1st pregnancy, so far, so good, no morning sickness, and no much difference, only few pricking pains, from time to time, and period pain like, but because my brother is handicap, I want to be check out properly that everything goes well, and at the moment I feel a bit let down and on my own. My partner says it should be fine and not to worry, but I would like to speak with someone, at least to get all properly recorded and so on. I did mentioned this to the GP, but not sure what to do now.

I do have a friend that is a week less than me, but lives in another part of the country and has seen the midwife already, and me here waiting. Also I would prefer to be dealing with a doctor rather than a midwife, is it possible to ask for this in the NHS? Considering my worries and precedents in family of special needs sibling.

What sort of test the do on the 1st scan, do they give you the results there and then, how long they take. I'm so confused and worried that I want to know what to expect and what should be happening.

I would be a bit annoyed if I were you, but not sure what you can do about it. The "12 week" scan should be anywhere between 8 and 14 weeks, they check heartbeat and look for arms and legs, measure the baby from head to bum (crown-rump length), and from that they can accurately date the pregnancy, and you will be offered Down's screening.

If you have Down's screening then it takes about a week for blood tests to come back but other than that they can give you all the results there and then.

You separately have a booking appointment with the midwife, when they will take your medical history, talk about what you can and can't do in preganancy and take blood and urine tests for various infections and diabetes. You have to wait for these results, tbh I'm 15 weeks and still haven't had these results, but am seeing the midwife next week and just assuming I'll get them then. with my first pregnancy they detected an infection in my urine and the midwife called me with the result straight away.

Re asking for doctor care instead of midwives - not sure if this is possible or not in the NHS but don't forget that midwives are the absolute experts in normal, healthy pregnancies, not doctors. If any abnormalities are detected then you would be referred to the right consultant anyway and if not then there's no reason to think you won't have a normal pregnancy. If you explain your family history to the midwife then she can talk you through the risks, if there are any, to your baby.

Re work - just tell them you have a doctor's appointment. If they get really difficult then it might be easier to tell your manager that you're pregnant - they are then obliged to let you have time off for antenatal appointments, and your manager should respect your right to privacy until you're ready to go public.

HTH