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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How did you make your pregnancy 'official' with the doc?

26 replies

SneezySnatcher · 08/08/2012 10:21

I'm feeling pretty frustrated today! This is DC2, so I'm not a novice but I'm sick of being passed around!

I'm anywhere from 5-6.5 weeks (irregular cycles) but I am guessing around fiveish. I thought I'd get my name down with a midwife as I'm a teacher and I thought if I did it now there'd be a better chance of my booking appt to fall in hols (it was 8 weeks with DD).

Last time I made a doc appt. Doc said I didn't really need to see him. HPT was proof enough so he didn't need to do a test. See receptionist to do a form. I was in about two minutes.

This time I called surgery and asked whet to do. They said to ring sure start. I rang sure start. They said ring docs! I called docs again. Different receptionist. She said ring sure start. I told her I had and they had referred me back to docs. She then said to bring a sample in. I told her last time the doc said there was no need to test if I'd had a positive at home (I am now over week late and have tested every day . She then agreed.

I am no further forward! It's quite funny I suppose but if it was my first time I'd be desperate to sort it!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LittleWhiteWolf · 08/08/2012 10:30

With my first I made an appt with my dr as I didn't know what else to do and that was fine. Dr sent off a request for a 12 week scan appt&put me on their system for a mw booking appt at 8 weeks.
Next baby, I rang the surgery and asked if I needed to see drs again or if I ought to make an appt for the mw, but the receptionist said to see dr first. Same procedure happend; he sent off a request for my scan and got me on the system for a booking appt at 8 weeks. Both times he took my word for it, being pg. I didn't have to retest or anything.

ThreeWheelsGood · 08/08/2012 10:47

Where I live you can self refer to the hospital/midwives. Look on your hospital website to see if you can do the same. That's what I did, just emailed a form then got sent a letter with date for booking in appointment.

stowsettler · 08/08/2012 11:55

I saw the doctor same day as my +home test. He gave me a script for folic acid and told me to see the receptionist to make a midwife appt.
They just gave me the midwife's mobile no, which I rang and duly got an appt with her. She made my 1st scan appointment.
It all took a bit of time, but went quite smoothly eventually.

Hevaniceday · 08/08/2012 12:27

I made an appt with GP who basically said, congratulations on your BFP speak with reception to book in midwife appt.

Reception said complete this form and someone will be in touch, form had a number for the midwife team. There is a team based at my GPs but apparently I live closer to the Sure Start so they have contacted me for my booking in.

I would suggest you go into your GP and see if they ahve a form etc that needs completing or if you can do this online.

Original poster

SneezySnatcher · 08/08/2012 12:27

I'm going to see the doctor. It seems like a bit of a waste of time but nobody else seems sure what to do! The sure start receptionist was very abrupt, despite my saying the surgery had told me to call them!

OP posts:

panicnotanymore · 08/08/2012 13:09

I've had an equally dispiriting experience. I gave up and went for a private scan, went back to the GP and shoved it under their nose and demanded some attention. She then took my mobile number and said the midwife would call me - I waited over a week, she didn't. So I called the birthing unit direct and they invited me in to say hello, but wouldn't book me in as they have a backlog. I may get booked in by 16 weeks.... or I may not. Arggghhhhhh

JennerOSity · 08/08/2012 13:14

I called my doctors practice and asked for booking appointment with the community midwife who is there 2 days a week. No questions asked was just given one. :)
Fist dc I made doc appointment and was a waste of time as all he did was book app with comm mw - thought I'd cut out the middle man this time.

heliotrope · 08/08/2012 14:11

Sure start - sounds a bit random! Are your midwives worknig through Sure start?
I don't think my docs know I'm pg, I just rang midwifery practice and booked self in!

Original poster

SneezySnatcher · 08/08/2012 20:09

Here all of the MWs hold their sessions in Children's Centres.

Well, I went to the doctor who basically said I didn't need to be there but he put it on the computer system and he said the midwife will ring. I'm not entirely convinced, however! If I don't hear anything in a couple of weeks (by 8/9 weeks pg) I'll ring again!

OP posts:

Lora1982 · 09/08/2012 04:59

i had a wasted dr appointment then filled a form in for sure start and they called me the very same day.... must have been a lack of preggos that day :-D

wishiwasonholiday · 09/08/2012 05:38

You self refer to midwives here too but would probably have to speak to the gps surgery to get the number.

nearlythereyet · 09/08/2012 06:27

You see the GP here. She completed and signed and sent off my form for free prescriptions and dental care, she arranged my first scan and she also did my MW refer. For all of the above I got letters back within a week or two. GP also gave me my hand held notes. No need to do a test at GP, they believe you!

Leftwingharpie · 09/08/2012 06:51

I had a nightmare trying to make my booking appointment.

The local health trust website said women should book direct, so I called the number to make an appointment only to be told they have discontinued that approach and I have to see my GP for a referral.

Dutifully trotted along to the GP, only to be told to phone the midwives directly.

Phoned the midwives, who suggested I make an appointment with my GP to be referred to the community midwives attached to the surgery.

Phoned the surgery and was told by the receptionist that I need to call the community midwife directly. Called and got an answer phone message.

Next thing, I get a call from the GP's receptionist. The GP's made a mistake. Don't call the community midwives directly - you need to be referred by the GP. Wait for a letter. Fine.

Then another call - the community midwife replying to my message. No you don't have to be referred by your GP, you need to call the community midwives in health trust A, book in with them and then transfer to health trust B.

In the end I got a letter through the post and had an appointment at a surgery 2.5 hours round bus trip away, where the midwife wrote my height down 10 cm too short and forgot to take my blood pressure.

Now, 4 weeks later we're moving house and I have to switch midwifery teams. Nightmare!

Kelerina · 09/08/2012 06:54

It's my first pregnancy, I called up GP to make an appointment, receptionist said I didn't need an appointment and that I needed to hand in a urine sample, went to surgery, got specimen bottle, peed in bottle and returned, they said to call in a few days. I did that, they told me that they had been trying to get in touch with me (I had no missed calls and had no voicemails left) but that I didn't have an answemachine to leave a message (eh, yes I do, no one else ever has issues with it and yes they had the correct number?). I had apparently given my specimen in the wrong bottle, I said, well I used the bottle your receptionist gave me........went to get another, by this point quite upset, they did apologise and said they had temps in.......not impressed. Anyway, few days later I called and it was positive (as I knew it would be) and I was just given the number for the midwife to book myself in. I could've done that to begin with!!! I have never had great eperiences with GP surgeries. All good with midwives since then!

JennerOSity · 09/08/2012 09:52

Leftwingharpie that is the worst I've heard!

Sneezy since they don't seem too efficient, I would be tempted not to wait a couple of weeks myself to chase them up (if necessary - hopefully you won't need to). Reason being that if you are chasing it at 8/9 weeks it'll be at least 10 weeks till you get your booking appointment and if your system is no better than mine was, it may take a while to get the first scan appointment through following the booking appointment.

I got my booking appointment easily, but then the scan appointment took ages and I wasn't scanned by 14 weeks which meant they could not check the nuchal fold translucency thing and I had to have extra alternative tests to assess the risk of Downs.

Not to alarm you of course, but just to suggest you don't let time slip away as some of the purpose of the first scan has a finite time window. :)

Original poster

SneezySnatcher · 09/08/2012 13:45

Jenner good point. If I haven't heard by next week I'll phone the hospital - there's a midwife there between 9 and 10 one or two days a week!

OP posts:

JennerOSity · 09/08/2012 13:55

Good plan! I was well miffed as despite seeing midwife at 8 weeks I wasn't given a scan appointment for over a month! I think though it'd be nice if the system was more efficient, knowing it isn't, it is a good thing to take a little control wherever possible.

Best of luck - hope you get well looked after and are enjoying your bump.

piedaterre · 09/08/2012 14:07

with my first pregnancy I made an appt with the GP, chose a hospital, and she said I would hear from the hospital with my scan appointment (I saw her preparing the letter to the midwives there and then but never actually saw it sent).
I never ever did hear from them. I made my own arrangements in the meantime and have done the same ever since!

MissCoffeeNWine · 09/08/2012 14:11

I have no idea if my doctor knows I'm pregnant. I'm not even sure if they will ever find out as when the baby is born I'll be registering it at a different surgery.

Leftwingharpie · 10/08/2012 06:45

Kelerina I took my urine sample in an empty water bottle and when I took it out of my bag the midwife actually laughed at it as though I'd done something ridiculous. She said "last week someone actually brought one in a jam jar!" I was like, so what if they did - we don't all have medical specimen jars laying round the house you know.

Jenner that's terrible about the scan - much worse than just normal messing about.

sleepybump · 10/08/2012 07:00

First baby i went to docs who organised the mw booking in app for me. Second baby (now) i just phoned the mw led unit i went to lasttime and made my app. The mw semds infoacross to docs (standered letter i think) so have no need to see them. Though i do make sure when at mw to have next thing booked while there.. Ie 12wk scan and next mw app. I just peed in a tube thing when i arrived forbooking in and took some of them tube things home with me to use next time.

sleepybump · 10/08/2012 07:09

MissCoffee Your mw should have informed your gp that you are pregnanr and A letter/form is also sent to your gp (via you to drop off or by post) that informs your gp's of the birth, baby's name/weight etc and birth-circumstances. So yea they do find out that way. Records will(should?) be moved across if you register you lo elsewhere, but tell them which practice you were both with originally,

KnackeredCow · 10/08/2012 08:37

Gosh - some of your experiences are just awful.

Service where I am has been top notch. GP has an information booklet that states you don't need to see the GP if you've had a home positive test just call the surgery and book an appointment with the community midwife.

Called reception and they asked me when I thought I'd be 8 weeks and gave me the nearest available mw appointment.

MW allocated with a Blackberry and entered my details there and then and sent electronically to hospital.

Two days later got a letter in post from the hospital allocating me to a Consultant (twin pg as IVF and already scanned at ACU) and first scan date that's bang on 12 weeks.

Simples . Shame the NHS isn't more integrated and such a smooth booking service isn't offered nationwide.

gardenpixies32 · 10/08/2012 08:42

Mine was simple too. Rang the surgery and made appointment with the midwife. Had a group session (informal chat - do's and don't's) at 6 weeks then midwife came to my house for first booking in session at 8 weeks. Had hospital letter for 12 week scan at about 10 weeks.

Was easy and have had a really good service.

Jojo2004 · 10/08/2012 21:47

Hi, first time to mumsnet and first time pregnant... I found out yesterday by HPT so went to doc and she was worse than flakey! She told me that I was the earliest she'd ever seen (4 weeks) Can that be so? She didn't give me any advice and to top it off (I should have asked but still in shock at result- good shock :-)) she phoned me at home about 2 hours later saying she forgot to give a prescription for folic acid! She kept saying she would refer me to midwife and then gave me the number! I have to be honest, the experience so far has left me a little more than anxious. Who do you call if you have questions before 8 wk appt? GP or midwife? Does it depend on pre or post appt? So many questions and no clue who best to ask!

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