Confused - booking in...

[steben]

I am a bit confused - found out I am pregnant at the weekend (yeay!) so very early days. Rang docs today to get a date for booking in appt - this is second pregnancy and I did this because I remember with my first I did not see the midwife until 11 weeks which was awful as I really wanted to see someone before then but could not get in before then.

However just rang the docs and she has said they can get me in mid march - when I will prob just be 5/6 weeks. I said is this too early and the receptionist said no that should be fine. I am confused now as I have just been doing a bit of reading to refresh my memory and the NHS website says they don't usually see you until 8 weeks?

Can anyone shed any light on this - I am worried now I am going to turn up and have them question why I am there so early.

Hi

I am 6 weeks and had my booking in appointment on Saturday. The midwifeseems to think it was perfectly natural to be seeing her at this time.

Thanks that is helpful, I am sure it will be fine but I am a fretter. They usually like to avoid giving you appointments where possible so I am thinking that if there was a post 8 week rule they would have said so!

I was only about 5 weeks when I had my booking-in appointment too. Nobody seemed to think there was anything odd about this and it's my first baby so I didn't know any different.

I think some Local Health Authorities have different rules (maybe depending on how busy they are?).

Thanks - Thuderboltkid the digi test said 1-2 weeks which makes sense so will probably be 4 and a bit weeks.

Mikokat - did they take your bloods - I am worried I will be too early for that!

I've just started my own topic on the very same thing (see "Booking in appointment"). I'm going for my booking appointment on Thursday and I'll be just 7+1. I've read that some people were not seen til almost 11 weeks and I too was worried that I was going too early!

steben Being earlier won't affect your bloods - they're checking for blood group, immunity to certain diseases that pose a risk to the baby and your blood count. Obviously your blood group/immunity doesn't change between 6/7-8-10 weeks and the fbc is just so they have an idea of whether you are already anemic and so need treatment and gives them a starting point from when they check again at 28 weeks. Your blood pressure will also be used as a guiding starting point.

In my area, you used to be seen at 8 weeks or earlier... this time they aim for 10 weeks but I wasn't booked until gone 12 weeks and that's after a mid tri loss last time! I think they are overworked/understaffed and in addition to that, as heartless as it may sound, booking that much later avoids all the hours/paperwork/blood test costs of booking in ladies who will go on to suffer a mc in the early weeks.

Really, don't worry about being seen early - but remember in a straight forward second pregnancy you will see the midwife much less than in a first pregnancy. And Congratulations!

Booking in (here anyway) us just to get you on the system as pregnant, and carried out by your GP, not midwife. Then at around 12 weeks you meet the midwife and have the scan and tests. I've had booking in appts at 5 wks, 6 wks, and 18 wks (obviously that one was an unusual one!). Nothing to worry about, OP.