First midwife appointment

[tinkpeach]

Hi,
What will I expect at my first midwife appointment?
Do they check on baby at all or should I book a private scan for that?

Good info here: Your antenatal appointments - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
No, the midwife can't check baby at that stage (they offer to listen to heartbeat from 16 weeks but not always possible). I'd personally be cautious of a private scan, a lot of the places aren't regulated. And having a scan doesn't mean it'll all progress well.

very underwhelming to be honest.

Just advice re nutrition, folic acid and lifestyle. Some questions about lifestyle, past medical history etc.

Might check your blood pressure & weight but other than that it’s a very quick in and out.
They are not really interested until 2nd trimester I would say.

As pp says, be very wary of private early scans as they can cause far far more anxiety and unnecessary stress as they show so very little usable information.

Good luck.

The first appointment will be mostly about you, general health and medical history type stuff. You will probably get height and weight checked and blood pressure. I can't remember if they take blood for tests or if that's later.
Midwife will talk you through stuff like what you should avoid eating.
You can ask about anything you're concerned about.
You'll have a scan at around 12 weeks which I would wait for because as PP said private scanning companies aren't always properly qualified and there's not much to see in early stages anyway.

They test your wee for infection, do blood pressure checks, refer you for anything necessary like if you'll need a consultant.
They answer any questions you have and can advise you on the best things to do at this stage of pregnancy.
They don't check on baby. I had a private scan before my first midwife appt when I was 8 weeks. By 8 weeks they can see heartbeat and measure for dates. Any earlier you may not see heartbeat so if you know your dates and do it after then.
I was very happy to have the private scan. Made it feel real and made the endless vomiting more worth it!

It's weird but the only reason I was asking regarding them checking baby or a private scan is because sometimes I just don't feel pregnant! I have had a private scan at 6w and could see a heartbeat but feel like my 12w scan is forever away!

Basically they’ll ask you hundreds of questions to build up a picture of your health and life/lifestyle to identify any risks in your pregnancy. They’ll take some blood, urine and blood pressure etc. You’ll have to have urine and blood pressure checked at every appointment but they don’t always take bloods. They will help book your first scan in too.