Firt Drs appointment - rubbish!

[Snakeears]

Hi there,

had my first dr appointment - phoned receptionist and asked if I needed one - told yes so booked it for today (i'm 8 weeks tomorrow)

DR was rubbish and disorganised. I told her I was a bit anxious as mum had 6 miscarriages and still birth - totally dismissed this saying miscarriage is common in 1st trimester (not helpful - think she meant don't worry it does happen and doesn't mean it will happen to you - at least I hope that's what she meant)

Took my hight, weight and a pee sample. Handed me a bottle for another said midwife would come and do a home visit for booking appointment only to be told by receptionist that because they are a member of staff down they are having all appointments in clinic and only between 2:30 and 3:30 on Tuesday PM - I work (as a teacher) and can't get time off whenever - don't work flexible hours.

Then she couldn't find a form she needed to down load and asked me where it was! No idea Doc - it's your web site thing you logged into!

As filling int he form she said Oh and first time round you'll be wanting to be int he hospital obviously and filled htta in before I answered (as it happens I will because I'm not too confident and felt like I wanted supportive professionals - not too sure now!)

Then on the way out the door she said Oh you know all about the cheese thing don't you? Ddon't eat Pate will you? Well no at least I am aware of this but she didn't ask me about folic acid or anything - just thought it was awful.
My husband was with me and he has been at the practice since a child (with a break for uni) and he said it's the worst appointment he's ever been to - feel more concerned now than before!

Also a bit worried they're short on midwives in my area - although prob souldn't be I am sure it will all be ok - wasn't concerned until today - thank goodness for mumsnet!

Got my booking appointment for next Tuesdy - fingers crossed the MW is more reassuring I don't have a clue what's going on!

Sorry for the rant - sure it's not all like this sure I got better support than some sure I'm moaning on - sorry! Just a bit flustered now!

poor you - sounds very familiar though...
Just make sure that you get the results back + get properly booked into your hospital appointments - my GP "forgot" and I ended up missing 12 week scan!

GP appointment is always just a complete anti climax. It's because you're not 'ill' per se and they are just there to refer you on. My GP had a quick chat with me about sailing and the Broads, told me about his dd's school uniform changes and then we talked about squirrels.

The booking in appt is loooooong, v detailed and will give you lots of opportunities to chat.

Congratulations.

Congratulations - I am sure the MW will be much more clued up!

I have been to the GP for the 1st pg appointment 3 times now. This time I know I am only the 2nd pregnancy they've had in the village in over a year - the GP was very surprised and unsure what to do! She told me when I was due (?!) and then about folic acid and then told me to make an appointment for booking in at reception, where I had to scribble my details in a tatty exercise book :)

It does get better. Honest!!

You are allowed time off for antenatal appts you know.

Its usual that an antenatal clinic will only be on a certain morning or afternoon - though a 1hr slot is short.

Congrats!

Your appointment with your GP sounds great compared to mine. Went with my DH all excited and my GP just said oh right fine, I will get the process going for you. And that was that.

But like others have said, the booking in appointment is more detailed and it's when you start to feel like they are finally taking you seriously.

My first Drs appt he literally said "Oh, well done, are you taking folic acid" and told me to see the midwife! This time round I didn't bother going to the Dr at all, just straight to midwife.

Congratulations! The midwife appts will be better - they really do take an interest (thankfully!)

Congratulations.....!

GP appointments are a bit odd IMO, with 1st 2 DC's the surgery I was with didn't even book you in to see the doctor you went straight to a 10 week MW appt.

DC3 and a new surgery I was told I couldn't get a MW app until I had seen my Dr 1st, she's lovely, but it was all a bit pointless.

MW appt is much better. Look forward to that instead, they know how to answer your questions, they do it day in day out.

Thanks guys - I only have to wait until next Tuesday and it might make me a bit late for a very long and boring meeting back at work (that I can sneak into without being noticed - phew.

feeling more cheerful today - damned hormones prob being irrational, knew it would be a bit of an anti-climax.

At least the receptionist was nice - said congratulations - first person to say this in person - makes it feel real and exciting as well as scary!

Hx

If it's any consolation at all I had a very similar experience. It was my first Dr's appt in 10 years, and my first ever with a surgery in the area I live now, and they made me feel like such a time-waster (clearly as I haven't been to see a Doc for 10 years I'm not one!). She did no tests whatsoever - not even urine - so they don't even have my height/weight on record or any details like if I smoke or whatever. I know this is partly my fault but you'd think there might have been a mention of it at my first ever appt.

Like you it's my first and I haven't a clue what to do - I keep getting conflicting messages from them, even down to the times/dates of my appt with the MW (which they said I would need to book at the 8 wk point, how the heck do I know when this is? is it 8 wks since conception or what??, I just ended up taking a punt but could be out by +/- 3 wks!)

And to add insult to injury they can't even get my name right - they keep calling me Catherine which is NOT my name but they have it on their records and refuse to change it!! I've tried everything and filled in form after form, but I can see me being Catherine til the day I give birth which makes me so mad - if I wanted to be Catherine I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of changing my name by deed poll!!

I hope our midwives are better!

I understand your dismay. I was so excited to find out I was pregnant, I went to the GP to have it confirmed.
His bedside manner was not his strong point, he told me it would be a waste of NHS resources so he wouldn't bother. He also told me to buy my own folic acid.
He did tell me when the baby was due and made arrangements for the midwife to come round. She was much nicer.

If it's any consolation, snakeears, my GP didn't even give me any advice. Just noted down my details to send to the hospital/mw and then sent me home. Didn't say anything about mc either. I had to ask, "have you got any advice for me?" and he said, "nah, just be normal". Nothing about pate, shark, cheese or owt. Rubbish doesn't cover it but I understand most appts are like that (which is really disheartening, obv!) and hopefully the booking appt with the mw will be much better.

snakeears I know this is not going to make you feel better but my GP was FANTASTIC always has been since i was a little lass. When i went for my first MW appt she was running an hour late, made me and OH wait and fill in forms we had no idea what they were about. We finally got to see her and she just talked through money and things like that?? Why i dont know. I explained i had suffered 2 x MC in the past one just a couple of months before falling preg again this time and she just fobbed me off. As i was anxious in the beginning of my preg (i'm 24 wks now) i was calling her for advice but she NEVER returned my calls or textes. She lost my notes which meant i was 4 weeks late for my 12 week scan and didnt even do half the test's she was supposed to do in the book. I took it upon myself to speak to my GP about changing midwife which he did and now i have the BEST mid wife ever to go with the best GP :) Tip: Speak up! I didnt dare at first but i thought this is ME and MY BABY and i want the best! Is this your first pregnancy? This is my second successful one and because of that my ex-MW expected me to know everything and not bother with me and i thought that was wrong as every preg is different.
Hope your next appt goes better :)
Congrats!
x

KatieWatie, they ask you to go when you're 8wks pregnant. So 8wks from your last menstrual period for the average woman (or 6 weeks from conception if you know when it was).

There's no point them doing a pregnancy test. Presumably you've done one at home (and they're accurate) and so it is a waste of resources really. Plus, I've never known anybody be prescribed folic acid. Everybody I knows buys it. Because it's cheaper than a prescription. For the gp and the patient (you don't get free prescriptions here until you're further on due to not knowing the viability of the pregnancy yet. Sad but necessary).

There's really very little for the GP to do. They don't do height and weight and bloods etc (usually all done at your booking appointment), they're not pregnancy specialists so probably can't answer specific questions and I often thing referring yourself straight to the mw is a better idea. I think more and more practices don't bother with the initial GP appointment.

I totally empathise with you ladies. My first appointment at my local surgery went something like this...

Me: I've done two positive pregnancy tests.
Him: So, do you want to continue with the pregnancy?

Seriously - that was the first thing he said.

He then gave me a prescription for folic acid without telling me it was for FA, or why I should be taking FA, or how often. Nada. I actually had to say to him, "What is this for?".

He also didn't give me any choice about which hospital I went to. Thankfully I wanted to go to the local, but had anyone not realised that they could choose then it would have been tough titty.

Awful.

My gp appointment went:

Me: I'm pregnant
GP: Is that good news?

After assuring him that it was good news he said "Oh congratulations then", fiddled about with a little cardboard wheel which calculated my due date, had a wee feel of my stomach to check I wasn't actually 6 months pregnant by mistake , and said that the hospital would be in touch.

On the way out the door he said "Remember you're only pregnant, not actually ill. Just carry on as you are".

In my area now they're encouraging us to just bypass the GP altogether and directly book an appointment with the Community Midwife.

My GP asked me if I knew who the father was which I thought was pretty inappropriate whatever my circumstances (had been with DP for 13y at that point).

I asked him what I should do/take etc and he said something along the lines of PP's 'just be normal' then on the way out the door said 'you've obviously been taking folic acid though?' and was outraged that I hadn't.

This time round (7w PG with #2) I haven't bothered seeing the GP and am going straight to MW appt next week.

Hope your MW is much better but if you're not happy I would consider moving GP and/or MW at this stage if you can. If you can get someone you trust and/or like it will make a big difference to how you feel about things.

Actually, my first visit to the Doc was great. She's also registered as a homeopath, so she prescribed me sepia for my awful sickness and exhaustion. She explained that pregnancy was an almost entirely midwife led area and that meant that GPs weren't always kept up to date on developments (which she felt was a shame). She councilled me on taking preg vitamins, all the food verbotens, and said I'd get a lot more from my first meeting with the midwife.

Maybe it was because she was a she and homeopathic that made the difference.

Oh, and the Sepia was brilliant, and the midwife said it was good stuff too.

I can imagine how much of a let down it feels if your doc is as out of touch as you describe. I only hope things improve.

I agree, the GP appointment's a little bit of an anticlimax and pointless! I was told to wait for the midwife to contact me, and for an appointment to come through for my 12 week scan.

I had an appointment through - at 7 weeks, for an abdominal scan. I rang to check, as I've had scans before - both gestational and abdominal - I know the lingo and didn't think this sounded right. Glad I checked - the stupid Dr referred me for the wrong type of scan! I then got to 11wks, still nothing from the midwife. Went back to the GP, they asked when I filled in the contact form.
'Contact form?' I asked.
'Yes, contact form, the midwife can't call if she doesn't have your details'.
'Didn't the Dr do that?'
'No, you're supposed to!'
'My name is not Meg, nor am I Mystic. It would help if I'd been TOLD that four weeks ago...'

Midwife has been WONDERFUL however: I used to have really bad needle phobia (to the point of having to be anaesthetised just to have my blood tests done) - this has got better, but I still need careful 'handling' when needles are about. She has been patient, understanding and so SO much better than any other nurse I've had to deal with in the past.

Sometimes - just sometimes - the NHS gets something right :)

my first dr app was similar to suzikettles:

Me: i'm pregnant!

GP: what do you want me to do about it?

Me: uuuhhh? how the hell should i know, you're the doctor, what do i have to do???

i had to see him before the dragon on reception would 'let' me see the midwife.