Take your other half to Booking Appointment?

[stripeymummy]

Is it the norm to take your partner to the Booking Appointment?

I didn't. And that's not because he's not interested. Far from it - he's been to every scan and several regular antenatal apts (now at 37 weeks). It's just that the booking apt is REALLY boring... They did have some family questions for the father, but I just followed up with him on them.

I agree, i dint either and im glad as the room was really small and it was sooooo boring!! Oh and they took a ton of blood and he would have fainted

Yes it is, because they ask your partner lots of questions too, about his family health etc, its much better if you take him just incase you don't know something about his side of the family that he does know! Like a certain illness, diabetes, stuff like that really :)

I didn't the first time I was pregnant. but after I mc'd that pregnancy, so it was really important for us for him to be there every step of the way this time round. Don't feel like you have to though as he just sat in silence for most of it

They took blood at your booking appointment wolfcub? They didn't with me.

Oh no wait. It was because I hate needles and had my scan the next week so my midwife said instead of having to have more than one needle I could have them done at my scan all at once.

No, I didn't. Nor to any of my midwife appointments, and never saw any partners in the waiting room either. You could always ask him advance if he has any personal or family history of any medical problems - they also ask about things like dyslexia etc.

Did however take him to my hospital antenatal appointments and all the scans. Oh, and he came along to the birth too!

i seem to have had loads of blood taken!!
Booking appt, 12 week scan, 15 week appt, 22 weeks when i was in hospital!!

They took my blood at my booking appt but that was because they had a back log and it wasn't until about 12 weeks.

I don't really see any point in taking him to every apt, have no idea why people do tbh unless the partner is very excited and eager to go along, and has flexibility with work, then why not I guess, it does no harm... Certainly wouldn't ask him to take time off work to come unless he obviously wanted to - there is nothing for him to "see" or do at most apts aside from scans, and no clear role for him except to help you pass the time in the waiting room! Any questions the midwife has for him you may know the answers to already or otherwise you will definitely be able to check with him after the apt and update the midwife at the next apt.

This is my 3rd pregnancy and my DH hasn't been to a single apt or even a scan (he works 1.5 hours journey each way by car then train then bus from home and so would in practice have to take full days off to attend a single scan mid morning, so we both felt his holiday time is best used after the birth and for time spent all together with our older kids) - in my first and second pregnancies he came to the 12 and 20 week scans but no apts and I never felt he "should" have attended more or was expected to by medical staff or anything.

So basically it is up to you and your partner but there is no need!

I asked the same question on here for my own booking appointment. After looking at all the replies I decided not to bring him - I'm glad I didn't as there wouldn't even have been a chair for him in the room!

Also, they didn't asked me a single question about his or his family's medical history. There really wouldn't have been anything to do for him there at all.

I'm sure different surgeries / hospitals may have different procedures though.

Cheers guys. I think I'll see if he wants to or not. He's very interested and enthusiastic so far, so he probably will if he gets the choice, plus I have my own health issues which will probably have some bearing on the appointment. Thanks for the advice :)

First 3 times no. Although the midwife came to my house to do the booking in, and DH was at work. This time he is out of work and did come along. His now deceased mother had a whole catalogue of medical problems, so when the midwife was asking first 3 times all I could do was ummm and errr when they asked me about them. At least this time DH could answer them.
I don't think there is any particular need to take DH's along, but if they want to be there I don't see any reason why not.

mine did - part of the 'it all being real' process!
it was quite useful from a family history perspective, but nothing I couldnt have done without asking relevent questions if it hadnt been possible
do whatever suits you

My midwife came to my house to do it and hubby was there and that helped us fill in the medical history.

I didn't take dh with me, no need just a lot of questions and some blood tests.

He came to the scans but even then if it was difficult to get away from work I wouldn't mind or be upset at having to go on my own.

DH came to all but one of my A/N appointments. The way we saw it was that DD was as much his baby as mine, and if there were any issues picked up (eg heartbeat not found or growth queries) then I wouldn't be alone.

My OH has been to nearly every appointment from booking in appointments, midwife appointments, scans and antenatal classes both NHS and NCT. He works evenings though so since these appointments are always before he starts work it isn't difficult for him to come along with me. I have never asked him to come to them (apart from the antenatal classes) but he feels like he would like to so he can support me every step of the way.

The appointments he has missed have been due to illness (where I forbid him to spread his germs at the surgery so made him stay home) and due to a work emergency.

It depends how well you know your OH family history - I know very little about my OH family (medically speaking) apart from vague heart issues I have heard about in passing so for me it was easier to bring him along. Turns out my OH knew as little about mine as he looked at me with surprise to some of my answers.

I didnt take DH with me to my booking appt and don't plan to with this baby either. I will try to book my appts so that its the second half of the week when I don't so that someone can watch DD, which may likely be him, but I intend for them to stay at home while I go on my own.

DH did come to both scans with DD and I would like him to come to the scans again. He also took me to my last two mw appts because it was early July and sweltering and I was partial to fainting (drama queen that I am ). Plus I was pretty huge by then and struggled to drive.

Take him, it's his baby too.
Also, this might be unusual but I had my first scan at the same time as my booking appointment - although nowhere on my first letter from the hospital did they say that was the case. So if my partner hadn't been there, he would have missed it and would have been gutted.

I didn't with either pregnancy. DH came to the scans but not to any of the other appointments. It would have used a lot of his leave entitlement.

My DH came and as others have said it was good as there where some family questions on his side I didnt know the answer to.

We have a small surgery with one regualr MW that I always see so he liked to meet her but I know others are different. Other than that he just comes to the scans when hes not working and my mum comes if he is as they both work different shifts.

My DP has attended all of my MW, Consultant & scan appts (although he did faint when they took my bloods, bless him!) We never discussed whether he would attend or not, it was just a given that he was attending as the baby is his handywork too (plus work is v.flexible, luckily!)

DH has only attended the scans because of work but he would come to other appointments if he could. But it isnt needed and we decided it would be a waste of "favours" to swap his shifts so he could come when those favours will be much better used after the baby is born!

My DH came to mine but only because there was a scan involved. He wasn't actually allowed in the room when they were taking all of my details, I assume this was in case there was any reason that I wouldn't be honest if there was anything I didn't want him to know.