Confused about receiving maternity notes/test results

[tebbles]

I am a little confused about when you get the result of all the blood/urine tests.

Went in for scan last week and they didnt mention anything about the blood tests I had done a few weeks ago. I forgot to ask about them at the time.

Also had some more blood taken for Downs screening and asked if a letter would be sent with the results. They said they don't send letters anymore and if the results were of a concern they would phone, otherwise I wouldnt hear anything about the results until the 20 week scan which is in 2 months time.

Also am possibly leaving the country, and not returning until after the birth and am concerned that I wont have any records (or even knowledge of anything pregnancy related) to take with me. Would I have to request these records in advance? I would like to have all the blood/urine results as well as bp checks to take with me. Would I get them from the hospital or the GP? I know I will have to see the GP to get written approval to fly, so will the doctor be able to make the decision without seeing my records or are all the rsults sent automatically to him?

I am really confused about all this. Are you really meant to just wait and see if you are contacted with bad results?

This all seems rather strange. I was given my pregnancy notes at my 10 week booking in appointment and my results at my 12 week scan.

You need to book an appointment with your MW and explain your situation - you should at very least have your notes already but if you are going to be leaving the country you need your other results before you go.

I didn't get any results for bloods (i.e. iron levels) except for the Downs test, which was sent in a letter. If you get a high risk Downs result some people may want to get a diagnostic test etc... as a next step so it makes no sense for them not to tell you as early as possible.

This may be a case of miscommunication - all the way through pregnancy I've had different midwives / doctors telling me different things, so do check and if necessary demand to know what your results are. Someone out there knows!

Oh, and the other blood results were written into my notes at my next mw appt, so do ask at that point as they should tell you.

I'm not in the UK si the system is different but it tends to be 'oh we'll call if there's a problem' assuming you have bloodwork done at the hospital. Ditto urine tests at each appointment. I hate that approach because I hate being left in the dark!

It depends whether things go through you or your doctor/MW. I only gut my handheld maternity notes yesterday too.

My blood and urine results are generally written in my green hand-held notes, but no one tells me whether they are ok or not. I am a nurse so I can read things like my Hb level and know what that is and whether it is normal, but most people won't know. I am also used to decoding doctors' writing with its medical terms and abbreviations, but still struggle sometimes and miss thing the hospital haven't told me. Because all my results are in my green notes, I don't know if my GP gets copies or if he would just look at my notes if I went to see him. In your situation you should probably contact the GP early about needing approval to fly and needing medical information about your pregnancy to pass on to doctors wherever you are going. The information must be documented somewhere even he has to contact the hospital and ask them but that might take some time.

In my trust it is standard to get blood test results at 20 weeks although they do write if any of the results are abnormal for instance I had a letter informing me that I was rhesus negative and I would have had other letters had any of the other results been abnormal. It really is a case of no news is good news, it's easy to see why they do this as it must save a fortune in unnecessary expense.

Agree that you need to speak to your midwife about your circumstances because they are unusual. You may also find that you will have to have further blood tests when you get where you going.

It does seem unusual for you not to have your notes though I was given mine at my booking appointment and thought this was standard.

I have the same situation - had the scan and bloods taken but no result via phone or mail. Was told they would call if there was anything dodgy, else they results would be in my notes - which they won't give me till my 20 week scan (roughly two months later). The notes are definitely with the hospital not my GP. You'll probably have to get the notes off them if you want the medical history relating to your pregnancy. Good luck

I got my results at 17 week MW appt - bloods were taken at 9 weeks & I have lost my rubella immunity . They didn't feel it was important to tell me earlier even though the high rick period is 0-16 weeks! I'm still appalled.

I got a letter re my nuchal scan/blood test results about 2 weeks after the scan.

Thanks for all your help.

I will ask my GP about getting my handheld notes at my 16 week appoitnment and also tell him about leaving the country. I'm assuming from what your experiences are that I will have to collect them from the hospital and can do this at my 20 week scan, so wont make any definite plans to leave until after this has been done.

I had forgotten about the rubella immunity as well! I know I was immune 2 years ago but I work in a high risk environment for this so now I am worried! I will give the hospital a call about this on Monday.

The hand held notes are the legal property of the hospital/local health authority. They will request them back after the birth. A few weeks back, I was waiting for my ante-natal apt and another mother was going abroad and the MW asked her to photocopy her notes but to leave the original ones.

I was sent my Down's result in the post and have phone calls from the MW for anything else unusual.

Have you looked through your green notes? All my blood tests are stuck in there, there is a page specifically for them to be glued on

I have my notes in a blue hand-held folder which I keep and take to the doctor/midwife whenever I visit. I was sent nuchal test results through the post after about 2 weeks and asked to keep it in the folder. Blood test results I didn't hear anything about until my 20-wk appointment but they were all fine and they said they would have called/written if there had been any problem. At that point they wrote them in my folder, having read them off the computer system.

I was given nothing at the booking appointment apart from the NHS Pregnancy book. That is it. No midwife numbers to contact or anything, I didnt think to ask at the time.

At the 12 week scan I was only given my appointment card which does have some general hospital department phone numbers (but Im not sure which number Im supposed to ring if I have a problem-- I am guessingthe number for the AnteNatal Clinc?)

Straight after the scan I got was a page printout saying that the scan was normal, along with the NT measurement. I was told nothing about the previous tests.

Im assumming that is is just the way my hospital does it and will wait for the 20 week scan which is the next time I will be at the hospital. Then I will request a copy of ALL my notes/results. I will probably be leaving a month after this so will have time to get this all organised.

My hospital does seem to be very busy (and runs late) so maybe they are just saving time/money by not giving/posting info until later on.

I thought everyone has the green notes, no matter where in the country you are, you take them with you to every appointment, inc doctor, midwife and hospital.

I would ring the epu and ask if youre supposed to have them