When do you notify your GP?

[blossom325]

Hello, we just found out I’m pregnant. It’s early days just estimating 4 weeks this Friday. When do you let your GP know and when do they book you in for tests and scans? Thank you! xx

Round here the GP doesn’t want to know- you self refer to midwife online. Nothing happens then until they book your first appointment at 8/9 weeks, which is very much just admin and form filling.

Congratulations though! It’s very exciting but you might give things move relatively slowly and not much medical interaction at all until the point of your 12 week scan.

Yep, you self refer here too - the hospital contact you around 8/9 weeks usually to sort booking in; although they’re doing them around 10 weeks here now for the pandemic.

Yep in my area you don't go to your GP at all. You choose a hospital you want to receive your midwifery care from and then self refer online using their form. They'll send you dates for a booking in appointment (between 8-11 weeks usually) and a 12 week scan.

In my area, you don’t. You ring the midwife team direct sometime before 8 weeks, they book you in for your booking appointment, usually done between 8 and 11 weeks, then they send notification to the GP.

Thank you, everyone!

Unlike others here - I did need to be referred by my GP to the midwife and needed an appointment to speak to them. As it wasn’t urgent I had to wait 10 days for a call! I’d suggest checking the guidelines for your local service if you can find them, and if it is not clear, the GP reception staff should know to advise you of next steps. If you’re barely 4 weeks, doing this at around 6 weeks might make sense.

@blossom325 I rang my gp the day after my BFP (4 weeks I guess) then they referred me (I'm London) to my preferred hospital maternity unit.
My booking in was over the phone and not seeing any nhs people until my first trimester appointment at 12w+5. This is my first pregnancy.

Generally you self refer to the midwife but they don't do much til you're 10+ weeks. I registered at 7-8 weeks.

However, i would recommend registering with your GP too at some point so you can get free flu jabs and if you have any medical needs (e.g. i needed higher dose folic acid and some help with acid reflux) then they are aware

I phoned the doctors as soon as I knew, they then referred me to the midwife.

I literally phoned up and said "I have no idea what to do" .

From there the midwives phoned me checked date estimates, I had a first appointment (phone call) which went through medical history etc and then at maybe 10 weeks had a face to face appointment for blood tests.

No need to tell your gp. Just book with the midwife. GP reception can give you the number if necessary

I made the same mistake! Rang my GP as soon as I had a positive pregnancy test of 3+ weeks and they told me to self refer online.