Lack of Interest?

[FuzzyWuzzyWuz]

Hello all, recently discovered I am preggers after we'd been ttc for about 12 months. Have been to see GP who didn't seem that bothered, gave me a pack with leaflets in and told me to contact the midwife. Have made contact with midwife and attended pre booking appointment, which was a group thing where there was no opportunity to ask questions without everyone else in the room hearing. My next appointment isn't til the end of August and tbh I'm feeling a bit let down by the lack of interest. I've not been pregnant before, I'm feeling like crap and I hoped the midwife might have had a bit of time to talk to me one on one about stuff. I appreciate that the staff must all be busy but I was expecting a bit more advice than a bunch of leaflets. I don't know when I'm supposed to get my Mat B1, no one has even double checked if I'm pregnant or not, and due to the whole keeping quiet til 12 weeks thing I don't feel I can talk to people to see if this is normal for my area.

DP is trying his best but he's not done this before either so we're both feeling a bit lost.

So I guess after that little rant, my question is, is this normal? No one has double checked my pregnancy result (POAS once got a BFP), and there doesn't appear to be anyone I can talk to if I'm worried about anything - I haven't been given a phone number for the midwife, I just know where their clinic is.

Thanks for any help,

Bit of a let down for you!
I don't think I got doubled checked either. Have a read of the leaflets - they might give you all the info you need until you next see your midwife.
Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Tbh there isn't a lot to do at this stage.

Noone will check you are pregnant (HPTs are accurate so there is no need). There is nothing to do from a medical standpoint: although this obviously is a huge deal from your end, from a medical point of view it is kind of minor!

Nothing much really happens until the end of your first timester when you will have a scan and blood tests etc.

The lack of action is absolutely normal and nothing to worry about.

Hi, I'm afraid this all sounds very normal and I remember feeling like you do, first time round.

GPs don't do a pg test, they rely on you to have done one.

You won't get your MATB1 until your 25 week MW appointment.

If you are worried about anything, ask on here! You'll find MNers are generally v sympathetic and helpful.

Congrats btw.

Yes, its normal, usually don't get 1st booking appt with midwife until about 10 weeks. I am 12 weeks and haven't seen GP. GPs don't double check pregnancy tests because they are so accurate now!! Join antenatal thread on here, loads of advice and handholding But most importantly Congratulations

Second all that haliborange says.

Also you dont get mat B1 form till after 25 weeks

Thanks both. Wan't getting too worried until I stumbled upon a thread here where people were taking test after test even though they were positive, started to wonder if I was missing a trick and should be doing likewise...

Also, midwife seemed pretty down at the pre-booking, complaining that the department has been cut and it's all going to rats which was also a cause for concern cos I don't know what to expect from a well run department, let alone one that is apparently falling apart at the seems.

BTW, is it normal for midwives to not be allowed in the hospital? Something she said but didn't really expand on.

Thanks again, amazed and impressed by the quick response

oops, thanks all that should be

Fuzzy I have only taken one test, and now am really nervous that I didn't do more!! This is my 3rd so you'd think I would know what I was doing!!! I have my scan this week so fingers crossed.

Midwives delivered both my dds in hospital, I only ever saw a doctor to be discharged. I was with midwifery led care, so don't worry about it.

Ps Get a book (a funny one, nothing with pictures!!) to read and help, with my first pregnancy I was first in my family and among friends to become pregnant so it was a bit overwhelming with nobody to talk to.

Second everything already said. There's nothing really done until about 10 weeks when you see the midwife. Then they'll sort out the scan and make you fill in a huuuuuuuge form, take your blood pressure, weigh you and boring stuff like that. It's not until the scan that anything exciting happens.

I think they do an HCG levels test from your samples at your booking appointment, so they do check!

I'm impressed you got a pre-booking session, I just had to write to the midwives and wait for my booking appointment.

If you have any concerns before you get booked in you probably should be contacting your GP. I rang my maternity unit with concerns about pains when I was 16 weeks, and was told rather curtly that until I was 20 weeks, I should be going to my GP!

porcelin They dont check hcg levels from booking bloods! no need to just another expense, (speaking as a senior student mw)

all sounds normal, nothing is done before booking appt between 10-12 weeks, after that you will attend about 10 appointments through your first pregnancy.

congratualtions

Oh I recall being utterly CONSUMED with each of my two pregnancies on an almost hourly basis when the rest of the world thought "and...?" !!!

So I would say GREAT NEWS live and breathe every minute - I miss being pregnant still!! I hope it goes well for you.

Thank you all for your replies, guess I just have to sit tight til the last week in August for my booking appointment

My GP did a pregnancy test to confirm, then referred me to the midwife, midwife appointment involved chatter, weighing, height check. Told me I would hear from hospital for booking in there and scan, which I did and that I didn't need to see her again till I was 16 weeks. I am now 28 and have seen her twice since then but had 20 week scan in between.

I think it varies quite a bit depending on where you are and what Doctors you are at,this is my 2nd, but first time I have had a community midwife before 27+ weeks as my previous Doctors refused to assign me one as I wasn't attending the right catchment hospital, they were very unhelpful and until I had to have an early scan due to possible ectopic and my 12 week scan and a consultant appointment due to cyst and previous history, I was left with no outside care and no midwife contact information or notes. However once I got past my 12 weeks scan I had regular appointments at the hopital and they took my community care on as well as my consultant care, until I decided to change Doctors at 27 weeks and they were much better, they are my local doctors but are still in the catchment area for another hospital. Am pregnant again and they have been just as good, being based at a different hospital hasn't caused me any problems at all.

Sorry waffled far to much there.

You may find your next appointment will be more informative and helpful hopefully. Congratulations by the way.

Congratulations!

My GP didn't do a test. I don't remember when i first saw my midwife, but i clearly remember her asking me questions and filling a form. She also told me to consider home birth! It was the first appointment and both me and DH had questions about pregnancy. I thought it was strange to skip the pregnancy bit and mention the birth straight away!

She didn't give me a phone number and I was pretty much left alone in the first trimester. My family knew I was pregnant so I had the much needed support from them.

I had excellent support both from midwife and maternity hospital from the second trimester.

Good luck and (try to) enjoy your pregnancy :)

Sorry yes its normal. My GP just asked - what hospital should I refer you to, and that was the end of the appointment. I saw midwife for booking in at around 10 weeks and had first scan at around 12 weeks. So no support etc at the start. This was my 3rd pregnancy so I knew thats what to expect.

The reason is that medically as long as you aren't have terrible side effects (eg dehydration from sickness) you don't actually need any medical help.

Hi there, I had the same, more or less, my first PG too. I don't know if you have particularly strong feelings either way re. telling people, but DH and I decided to tell our parents and close friends from about six weeks because a) I was feeling pretty ill most of the time and b) if anything had gone wrong, I would want them to know why I was upset without having to explain it all.
Of course everyone's different, and not everyone will want to say before 12 weeks, but it really helped me.

PS CONGRATULATIONS! XX

Just chiming along with everyone else about how much of an anti-climax it is! I couldn;t get over not being checked that I was actually pregnant and not some fantasist!

Anyway, there are lots of good books around depening on whether you want chatty, factual, spiritual etc etc. (don;t forget your local library rather than buying loads) Also the MN online guide (and all of us) here is good.

Hope the pregnancy goes well.

Thanks all, have been to see Dr this morning as was feeling totally crap and needed a bit of reassurance, she's been much better than MW so far, and seems happy to talk to me if I feel I need it so I think I've got my support there until I get on the MW's books properly.

I have told my M&D and DP's brother & sister in law but SIL had her (complicated) babies with another trust so couldn't tell me if my first experience was normal for here.

Anyhoo, thanks for all the comments, I guess I should be grateful everything is boringly normal

Same experience as you which was a let down as it is the biggest thing to me! Also when tiredness/ nausea kick in it's hard to know if it's all normal. I spent a lot of time googling/ reading in the first trimester!

I was asked to participate in a clical study at my booking appointment (as part of a control group) which means that I get extra scans, tests and check ups with a bunch of lovely people who are happy to give you a bit of extra time to answer any questions because your giving them yours.

If you get the chance to participate in anything like that go for it. We found it really worthwhile.

Gracie xx

Congratulations FuzzyWuzz, I too know how this waiting game feels. I am pregnant with my first and was so excited that I guess I expected to be presented with a medal or something

Up to about 12 weeks everything seems to move soooo slowly, it's quite frustrating.

I too have been advised that the less attention you actually get, the less you have to worry about! All the best x

It is pretty much what I had, first time around I was really disappointed and felt let down. Second time I just phoned GP surgery and they booked me in with midwife and I waited to hear from her. Even at booking appointment the midwife was saying after you've had your scan send this and after you've had your scan make an appointment for that, so I think there's really not a lot they can do until everything is confirmed at your 12 week scan.

I know how you feel I wanted someone to do/say something before then and later on when baby is moving I felt that a lot was unecessary as I knew my baby was fine and don't really like being fussed over.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, especially after trying so long (it took me 6 months to conceive my first and it was heart breaking each month) and do try to enjoy all of the journey.