notes -- did you really carry them with you everywhere?

[barelyutterly]

Had my first appt with the midwife earlier this week, the long one where she fills out your notes in great detail. She didn't actually give them to me yet, apparently I'll get them after my scan in 2 weeks. This is my first pregnancy, I'm at nearly 11 weeks now and so far low risk and pretty normal.

She did say when I get them, I have to have them with me everywhere I go. I'm a pretty active cyclist, runner, I walk almost everywhere in our little town. She said "on the bike, on a run, you have to take them". I get the impression she doesn't fully understand what it means to go cycling or running, it's not exactly easy to bring along a binder full of notes.

So I'm curious what other people do or have done. Certainly when I get further along I'll be more inclined to keep them close by, but at the moment if something happened to me I can't see the doctors being able to help me and the fetus anyway. So it seems a bit of a faff. If it's a question of people needing to know I'm pregnant, I'd rather wear a medic-alert bracelet or whatever temporarily.

Thoughts?

No way, not everywhere, wouldn't fit into any regular sized handbag! Did take them out if I was on a day out all day/night and did let DH & Mum know where they were in house if ever required.

Tip - If you're sentimental about keeping these notes as a reminder of your pregnancy, then photocopy them towards the end of pregnancy as they get taken off of you and stored. I personally couldn't have cared less but know friends who were v. upset they didn't get to keep them!

Always. I did colour photocopy at work that I took everywhere, and kept the original at home. It helped that I tended to have either a roomy handbag or a tote for work stuff on me anyway.

Yes with DS1. Until I lost them

Then I realised it was a bit daft.

No, never took them anywhere - except in the hosital bag at 42 weeks! Probably a bit slack now I come to think of it ...

I keep mine in the car because generally where my car is...I am too!

I went away for a weekend when I was 20 weeks and because it was only about an hour away I didn't bother taking them. Guess what, I ended up having to go to the hospital to be checked out and they were quite annoyed I didn't have my notes . Now I just keep them in the boot of the car so they will be easy to get to or if DH has the car he can drive them over without having to find them.

I went away for a weekend when I was 20 weeks and because it was only about an hour away I didn't bother taking them. Guess what, I ended up having to go to the hospital to be checked out and they were quite annoyed I didn't have my notes . Now I just keep them in the boot of the car so they will be easy to get to or if DH has the car he can drive them over without having to find them.

I didn't realise I was supposed to! Oops. Oh well, I'm not going to carry them around just yet (only 24 weeks). Maybe later on when I'm more likely to suddenly go into labour.

The only thing I was carrying to work was a tea-stained compliments slip from the midwife (the tea stains were me!) with a scribbled note asking if my appointment could be changed to the previous day. My boss asked if I had a letter showing when my appointment was, so I was able to show it to him, but mostly I wouldn't have. I was really quite angry because it sounds like he doesn't trust me to be telling the truth about appointments! On calmer reflection I think it was just him doing his usual OTT thing - he thought he had to scan them and send them to HR. HR couldn't care less!

No. They're too big to carry around everywhere. I took mine to Scotland when I went away for a few days, but left them in my suitcase at my sister's house. I reason that if I need to rush to hospital I can get DH to rush home and get them. So far at least there is nothing in there that I couldn't just tell a dr myself until he got there with them anyway.

Only from about 30 weeks (used to leave them in the car so they were 'nearby') this was after my MW told me that baby looked ready to go & would probably be early & she doubted that I'd even make it to my due date! DD arrived 9 days late! Don't think it's necessary unless you are going to be far from home or on holiday!

I have mine in the car now that I'm in the third trimester, but usually they are on the kitchen table. Or somewhere.

I think, though, the idea is not that you need to let people know you're pregnant, but in the event of an accident or pregnancy incident, they will need to know your history, blood group, problems etc.

Agree they're too bulky to carry in a bag though!

I definitely wouldn't have taken them out for a run!! Or on my bike - in those circumstances, if there had been a problem, I would have expected DH to meet me at the hospital/GPs/MWs with my notes. However, I went on a day journey for work at 17ish weeks, started being sick on the train, fainted, got carted off to a hospital 2 hours from home, and they wouldn't believe I was pg until I gave them a wee sample, which was tricky as I had no fluid left from being sick. When I started bleeding and sobbing that I was losing my baby - they finally took me at my word. (DD is now chewing a cardboard box at my feet!) Next time, my notes will be in any bag when I will be more than a few miles from home!

Hmmm I'm 15wks pregnant with my second baby and had no idea we were suppposed to carry them with us! Definately wasnt told that last time or this time I'm sure of it

I'm out of the country from 16wks to 29wks and will be taking them with me on the plane just in case but would never even consider taking them along on my day to day business LOL

Nope. Heck no! What's the point?

When I was in the US with my second pregnancy I brought them with me. I was diagnosed with incompetent cervix at 18 weeks and needed immediate surgery. I showed them my notes, they peered at them a bit, broke the binder on them trying to photocopy them(!) and never used anything from them.

I transferred my care to another hospital at 24 weeks (back in the UK) and they made me a whole new set of notes as they didn't want my old ones or anything in them.

Seriously, what is in them that you can't tell them yourself in an emergency that would actually make a real difference? I'm struggling to think of anything! If you're in no state to tell anyone you're also probably in no state to tell them that your notes are buried in the bottom of your enormous handbag you purchased especially for the purposes of lugging those stupid notes around..

35 weeks plus I'd take mine with me though in case of labour just to avoid the midwives getting shirty ;-)

I was told to but don't. I'm the kind of person who will lose them if I have them on me 24/7. Am planning a trip to Brussels in December and will take them then and if we carry out plans to visit relative a two-hour drive away at Christmas they'll come with me.

As time goes on I might make a photocopy to carry just in case.

Oh and I forgot to say, we have cleared a shelf on the bookshelf and my notes and all pregnancy paperwork are always kept there so I can ring DP and demand them if I need them.

Yes, it was easy for me as only have the one handbag that I take everywhere. Saying that, when i was rushed to hospital at 23 weeks with suspected eclampsia it was a good job i had them (dp not there, just friend who had no idea of my medical history). I would say def worth keeping them with you.

I keep mine in the car - I don't take them out if I'm out on walks or anything.

I keep a copy in my handbag. It's handy for phone numbers if nothing else.

Mine are in my work bag which is massive. But only because that is now the "official" place I keep them and would lose them if I put them anywhere else - I always have my work bag with me at mw appts. They are also very scruffy from being carried around everywhere

Im high risk on a couple of counts too so yes they go everywhere with me. I have my whole hospital file to carry as well :)

Really I would take them. As lunatic says, even if low risk things can go very badly wrong very quickly, was the same for me - I couldn't tell them anything as I was fitting, but midwives knew to check my bag for the notes.