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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Booking in appointment.

7 replies

Writerwannabe83 · 30/07/2013 20:07

I see the term' Booking in Appointment. used quite regularly on MN but I don't really know what it is

I got a letter from my GP surgery asking me to go there next week so the midwife can complete the booking forms...

I still don't know what it means??

Also, I assumed that when I first saw a midwife it would be in the hospital? Plus, I won't even be 7 weeks pregnant at my appointment, it seems pretty early??

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IrisWildthyme · 30/07/2013 20:15

It just means your first appointment to get your details into the system so that the midwives/hospital/birthcentre/wherever have some idea of what their workload is going to be like in 7/8 months time. They will find out a bit about your medical history to see if there are any risk factors that might mean you should get enhanced care. All being well, you wouldn't get much other contact till much later on. You need the booking in to be this early, because you need to get your 12 week scan booked - which it's important to get at about that time as there are some checks they make which can't be done when the baby is bigger, and that can't happen till you're registered with the midwives. If you don't get your booking in till 10/11 weeks you may find that you don't get the 12 weeks scan till you're 14 or 15 weeks along!

Original poster

Writerwannabe83 · 30/07/2013 20:23

Well - I have got epilepsy and a heart condition so am expecting to be more closely monitored. I have got to have the baby at a specific hospital as that's where my Consultants and Specialist Nurses are based. I did wonder if this was perhaps why they wanted to see me so early?

The sooner I get my scan the better, I can't wait to start telling people!!!

It is all feeling very real all of a sudden....

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IrisWildthyme · 30/07/2013 23:12

Booking in would be around this time for most people, additional conditions or not, unless the pregnancy isn't discovered till much later. I'm sure you're right that they will want to monitor you more closely - good luck with it all!

Seeing the midwives isn't usually at the hospital except for your 12 and 20 week scans. Most midwife appointments are either at GP clinics or specialist ante-natal centres - except if they need to use some specialist equipment or if you need to see a consultant too (which may be the case given your own health issues)

Wishing you and your bump all the best!

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Writerwannabe83 · 31/07/2013 14:12

Thanks Iris, I can't wait for my appointment, it will make it seem like it's really happening.

So, is the Midwife I see at my GP Surgery the Community Midwife who will be assigned to me but will have no bearing on who delivers me during labour?

Are women supposed to meet the midwives in the hospital prior to birth so you kind of have an idea of who might be delivering you? Or it is just a case of you are delivered by whoever is on shift on the day you go into labour irregardless of whether you have met them before or not?

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MortifiedAdams · 31/07/2013 14:20

Usually your community MW is the same for each visit (mine was), but isnt your delivery MW. The MW who delivers your baby will be the one who is on shift and allocated you at the time. I was in.hospital for 24 hours. I had three MwS in that time. Thankfully the last one was the nicest one

I.never met any of the HOspital MWs prior. This time arpund I am also a case load for a student Mw Who I.will regularly throughout and will be on call for.my labour so pretty likely she will deliver the baby.

Thisisfreakingmeout · 31/07/2013 15:28

At mine it took about an hour. There was a student midwife and a supervising midwife. They took bloods, height, weight, BMI, medical history of me and partner and did a brief run through of my appointment schedule and screenings due to take place.

In my area you do not see the same MW, you are allocated to a team.

Afterwards your scan app and blood results are posted to you. Everywhere seems to have their own method.

IrisWildthyme · 31/07/2013 21:10

It depends on your area, the local policies, and how close to the hospital you live. Where I am, the midwives all work half their working week in the community and half in the hospital. As previous posters have said, who you get in the hospital completely depends on who is on shift. I had 3 midwives during my labour in hospital, and two of them were people I had seen for ante-natal appointments over the preceding 8 months (one of the 3 was the same one who had booked me in all those weeks ago) - one was someone I'd never met before. I don't think I saw the same person twice in any of my ante-natal appointments - this was possibly deliberate as it meant a better chance that I'd have someone I recognised with me when it came to it in hospital.

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