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Original poster

When did you have your 'postnatal check'?

22 replies

BlueJellie · 10/11/2008 19:32

I had my baby on the 24th Sept by emergency csection. Midwifes and health visitor kept banging on about a 6 week check. Well at 5 weeks I cotacted the receptionist at the doctor's who said there wasnt an appointment for me on the system but I would most likely get a letter with an appointment on, if I hadnt had one by 6 weeks to ring them back. Well rung them back, still hadn't got an appointment - and now I've been told they can't fit me in until 28th November. I asked why it was called a 6 weeks check when I wasn't getting it at 6 weeks and she said she didn't know! Is this their fault or is it just normal to get it so late?? What is it they do at these checks? I was hoping to talk about contraception etc, can you go on the combined pill if you are overweight? Wil they give me an internal exam even though I have had a section? Sorry for all the questions!

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 10/11/2008 19:34

i had mine at 8 weeks.

They have never given me an internal after childbirth, ive had 3...

They will feel your tummy to check uterus has shrunk, and talk about contraception with you, maongst other things.

EyeballsintheSky · 10/11/2008 19:34

Never had one. DD is 10 months and no one has mentioned it... I'd just make a general appointment if there are things you want to discuss.

thisisyesterday · 10/11/2008 19:35

well, I had to make my own appt. I don't think they come automatically do they???

all they did at both of mine was say "how are you feeling" fine. "do you want to be examined?" no. and with ds1 "how are the stitches?" fine.

that was that.

compo · 10/11/2008 19:36

god that is crap
I got a letter through the post and it was at about 8 weeks
They just ask you if you're okay really
If you don't have any concerns i wouldn't worry but it is still very crap
Maybe change gp's to a more effiicent one?

FiveGoMadInDorset · 10/11/2008 19:37

All my appointments have come automatically.

HeadFairy · 10/11/2008 19:40

I had to make my own appt at 6 weeks. I had cs too and there was no internal. Just checked my cs wound was healing ok and checked uterus had shrunk back and I think checked my stomach muscles were coming back together again (after being stretched by pregnancy). We did discuss contraception, but I decided against as I was bfing full time and we were pretty keen to get started again anyway (madness? )

naturalblonde · 10/11/2008 19:45

I had to make my own appts. With dd1 they did her 8 wk check and my 6 wk check together.

With dd2 (had 6 week check last week) doctor sked if i had any problems, how I was bonding with baby, asked about labour, how she was sleeping (baby not doctor!), she checked my tear as midwife had said stitches weren't healing so I asked her to have a look, and discussed contraception. Although I was thinking about the Mirena coil, and she said if I wanted an in depth chat about it to make appt to speak to someone who fitted them as she didn't and didn't know that much about it beyond the basic info.

Althoug I've gotta say, the lovely lady doctor I had this time was a huge improvement on the grumpy, uninterested male doc i had with dd1, who acted as if i was wasting his time, and merely said ' are you ok?' and that was my 6 wk check over with.

PortAndLemon · 10/11/2008 19:47

My GP's surgery do them at 8 weeks, so that you can get the baby's 8 week check and first lot of jabs done at the same time. Mind you, this time round I fell through the gaps in the system and didn't get seen until 16 weeks (I didn't call them to chase, though).

I've never had an internal exam at a postnatal check with or without a section. IME thy just ask if you're OK and have a look at your scar if you've had a section. How overweight are you? The more overweight you are the greater the chances of a contraceptive failure, and if you're extremely overweight then they may be reluctant to prescribe it because of the high blood pressure/thrombosis link.

yomellamoHelly · 10/11/2008 19:52

Had 2 "postnatal checks" and never been checked over. Bt didn't want/need to be either. Dss given a cursory once over though tbh I don't think they've got the experience to know what they're looking for. Only point as far as I can see is to sort out contraception. Waste of time. Just get an ordinary app.

Simplysally · 10/11/2008 19:53

I had mine about 6/7 weeks, they felt my tummy and asked me how my bf-ing was going - they wanted to do a smear test as mine was overdue but was unable to as my period hadn't stopped. From what I can remember it was about 10 minutes with the nurse. Sometimes they combine it with a check-up on the baby as well.

BroccoliSpears · 10/11/2008 19:53

I made my own appointment for dd and no one really seemed to know why I'd gone to see them.

Me: I'm here for my 6 week check.
Dr: Okay... umm... is everything okay?
Me: Think so, yes.
Dr: Good. Umm... good. Bye bye then.

Never bothered to make an appointment after ds and no one ever contacted me about it. 3rd degree tear too.

ShowOfHands · 10/11/2008 19:55

8 weeks. Asked if I was ok, didn't touch me.

Examined dd briefly.

Sent on merry way.

Had a cs btw. And episiotomy. Nothing looked at.

ThingOne · 10/11/2008 20:02

My old surgery arranged mother and baby checks at six weeks post partum automatically. Very straightforward. I had an internal second time around as I wanted the GP to check my tear had healed properly. This was at my request. At my first check DS1 peed on the GP's tie. Fantastic aim!

cyteen · 10/11/2008 20:05

I had to make my own combined appt for mine and DS' 6 week checks...since DS was asleep when we got there, he spent the entire time yelling about being woken up. Consequently my check was limited to the doctor shouting "HOW ARE THINGS WITH YOU?" and me shouting back "FINE" as I wrestled DS back into his clothes

cmotdibbler · 10/11/2008 20:15

I had to make my own appt. DS got examined. I didn't get asked anything or examined at all, even though I was still bleeding.

EachPeachPearMum · 10/11/2008 20:19

Blimey SoH- you had a cs AND an episiotomy? You poor lady.

Mine was at 6 weeks- drs sent out appointment letter automatically (though they had seen dd and myself about 3 dozen times by that point (pfb, reflux, torticollis, for dd and recurring utis for me!)

They just asked some basic questions, and that was about it. No examination. They did check DD over though- including hips, eyes etc.

Littlefish · 10/11/2008 20:21

They don't do them in my area.

Original poster
BlueJellie · 12/11/2008 08:05

also, my period came back this week! Is it safe to use tampons now or is there still a risk of infection?

OP posts:
LoveBeingAMummy · 12/11/2008 08:53

As lots have said mine was done with babys check.

Highlander · 12/11/2008 11:51

3 months with DS1.

didn't bother with Ds2

Original poster
BlueJellie · 12/11/2008 14:36

3 months! maybe i should stop complaining lol!

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 12/11/2008 14:46

6 or 8 weeks I think.

Same as scorpio

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