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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

What happened at your first GP appointment?

34 replies

prettyinpink90 · 13/08/2013 10:28

The one where you tell your GP that you are pregnant?

I had my first appointment this morning and to be totally honest I was a little shocked at the lack of interest my GP showed, he was more interested in his prescription papers.

I told him I was pregnant and that I'd taken 5 tests to be sure. He just said good and asked if it was planned?! I said yes it was and he said thanks, I'll pass your details onto the midwifery centre.

This is my first pregnancy so im a newbie to it all and so maybe this is right? But i thought we might discuss how far along I was, what I should be doing to help everything go smoothly and what will happen next.

I've feel like I've left with more questions than I went in and now feel a little lost at what to expect next.

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SeriousStuff · 13/08/2013 10:36

This is very common - when I went, my GP asked if I smoked then told me I'd need a flu jab. I had to ask him to take my blood pressure (because I wanted the all clear to carry on exercising) and that was it!

He may have reminded me to take folic acid (which I already was) but I can't quite remember.

It seems harsh, but at that early stage, until you have your first midwife appointment, it does seem that no-one's that interested!

Congratulations from me though! I'm now 31+4 weeks and the time has absolutely flown. Enjoy it!

FredFlintstonesSister · 13/08/2013 10:43

This was my experience too! And my GP is a lovely man who usually has loads of time to chat. I think he didn't really know what to say other than "congratulations" and "I'll let the midwives know"! The booking appointment is much more in-depth - the midwife came to my house and stayed for over an hour.

Yonididnaedaethat · 13/08/2013 11:43

At my clinic you don't even see a GP, you just phone the midwife booking line and tell them the date of your last period. She then gives you a date to be seen for the booking-in app.

x0gawjus0x · 13/08/2013 11:48

This happened to me too, its the norm I think. Didbt tell me about folic acid nothing

WhyIRayLiotta · 13/08/2013 11:48

Yep same experience here ... I think I was expecting cheers and balloons or something! We even bought some more tests on te way home to be sure as I'd expected them to do a test.

BeCool · 13/08/2013 11:51

"Do you want to keep it?"

Cow!

Then "where do you want to go?"

NB didn't expect balloons or cheers, but the response was very negative.

kjh5 · 13/08/2013 12:19

Wow - mine was pretty low key but nothing on this level, I saw a female GP though which might make a bit of difference. She knew I was worried about conceiving and had ordered some tests done so I guess maybe she was a little more engaged in what was happening to me. She did take my blood pressure. Made sure I was taking folic acid. Told me about all the food I should and shouldn't be eating and then arranged for me to be referred to the hospital where I wanted to have the baby. Sadly that pregnancy did not stick but she was really supportive when I had the MC... reading your experiences I guess I was lucky!

Excited85 · 13/08/2013 12:23

My GP was similar just asked why I was there as apparently you just ring the mw number direct! Was expecting some guidance or at least confirmation but seems they don't bother with any of this any more! x

star15 · 13/08/2013 12:27

I didn't even see my GP phoned to make an appointment and seen Midwife, midwife didn't even confirm my pregnancy. I spent the weeks leading up to my scan thinking I would get to the hospital to find out I wasn't really pregnant

badguider · 13/08/2013 12:29

mine just checked i was happy about it and then referred me to midwifery and said i'd get letters through about my first mw appt and my first scan.

Original poster

prettyinpink90 · 13/08/2013 13:00

Thanks ladies, I feel better knowing this is the norm and not just my GP.
How long does it usually take for your first appointment with the midwife to come through?
star15 that's exactly what I keep thinking even though I've done 5 tests I still keep thinking what happens if I get there and I'm not even pregnant!?

OP posts:

worsestershiresauce · 13/08/2013 13:10

Congratulations!

My GP was similarly disinterested, and didn't even bother to refer me to a midwife!

You should have a booking in appointment by about 10 weeks and your first scan at 12 weeks. Due to a back log I wasn't booked in until 16 weeks, so had to ring the hospital myself to book the scan.

BumbleChum · 13/08/2013 13:16

GP said 'At your age, you'd better have amniocentesis'. I was 39. I said that I'd prefer to have the nuchal test & blood tests as with my previous 2 pregnancies (both within the previous 3 years) and make a decision based on those results. He sighed and looked at me as if I was a complete fool.

As it happens, the nuchal results gave me a 1:5000 risk. We chose not to do further tests. DD is 2 now, with no chromosomal issues.

I found him rather patronising. However, I saw him again a few months ago and he was so nice to DS2 that I have forgiven him.

MarianForrester · 13/08/2013 13:17

Same: nothing at all! Wouldn't bother going to GP at all again, no point.

Luckily, the midwife at the booking appointment was available to tell me that eating broccoli is healthier than chocolate. With a picture! Brilliant.

Original poster

prettyinpink90 · 13/08/2013 13:34

marian I couldn't help but chuckle at that!

OP posts:

Emilycee · 13/08/2013 13:35

Sorry your docs was a bit of a let down
My GP is a woman and she was quite nice took my blood pressure, discussed exercise vitsmins and what not to eat, then told me to go to reception to book in with the midwife. When I did that the first available appointment to see her was after my 12 weeks. So they just took my details and said she would ring me to discuss/make an appointment. I heard nothing for a week so I rang up and was told she was really busy and would get to me (by this point I am thinking thats another weeks worth of appointments gone in the system pushing me back further) eventually she rang me and said that she was booking me in with her colleague at a different surgery... so Ive got that appointment but I feel quite edgy about it all. If it wernt for MN I would have been flapping by now with unanswered questions!

Blanketsandpillows · 13/08/2013 13:42

Similar here-rang to make appointment but was told by receptionist I didn't need to see the GP and just make midwife appointment. I had my first MW appointment at 8 weeks.

moonbells · 13/08/2013 13:48

Mine knew we were ttc, I'd already had pre-pg blood tests and was on multivits etc.

He'd been treating me for indigestion/reflux but on a whim I POAS and got a BFP. I went to see GP the following day and bounced into the surgery saying "I know why I'm feeling sick!" and he laughed and said he had a feeling I was going to tell him I was pregnant, and congratulated me!

Nice GP. Was even nicer when the sickness turned into full-blown hyperemesis and I wound up in the local hospital...

Magpieblue · 13/08/2013 13:59

Sorry to hear you were a bit disappointed. I'm sure your midwife will make it much more special for you.

My first too. I'm lucky that my GP is so nice - took weight, blood pressure, made sure I was happy with pg, asked if I was a victim of domestic violence (she apologised, but said she had to ask everyone). Still waiting for midwife appt and scan though which seems to be taking ages to come through...

BeCool · 13/08/2013 14:07

You're in the wheel/system now. My experiences with 2 DC is the NHS isn't going to make it in any way 'special' for you at all. That is not their remit. You will get physically looked after yes, but it's up to you to take care of yourself in other ways.

A few of the 20 or more midwives I saw were lovely & I felt a connection with them. but most of the time I very much feel like I was being simply pushed though a very large, very busy, quite inflexiable system. I took it upon myself to glide through the system.

They do give you a nice book about being PG and then looking after baby - which contains pretty much all the info you will need.

BeCool · 13/08/2013 14:11

I'm sure your midwife will make it much more special for you.
Maybe if you hire a private midwife? in the NHS I certainly never had a midwife, but lots and lots of them. The contact with each one being fleeting and brief and not repeated

The exception was the MW who delivered DD1 in a birth centre - she was amazing and with me for her whole shift. In contrast with DD2 the MN was delivering 2 babies at once and DD2 nearly popped out on the floor of the delivery suite.

neversleepagain · 13/08/2013 14:16

I didn't see the GP, phoned the surgery and got a midwife appointment. I didn't really expect to see the GP just to announce to him that I was pregnant!

neversleepagain · 13/08/2013 14:18

Had my first midwife appointment at 8 weeks, scan at 12 weeks.

sunnynunnycat · 13/08/2013 14:32

I was just at my docs last week for the first time too. I expected they would do another test (maybe a blood one) or an exam to confirm and found it quite shocking they just took my word for it! Particularly seeing as they gave me a maternity free prescription certificate

I wasnt upset or felt let down or anything i suppose i just expected there to be more detail taken. he took my blood pressure but not my weight, didnt talk about anything on my medical history but asked if there was spina bifida in my family. Asked if it was planned so i said yes and that i was taking folic acid, he said 'good carry on'.

told me to book a midwife appt for when i would be 8 weeks. so i did that through the reception and it was the lady there who told me how long that'd take, what would be involved etc. She also said congratulations

gemmaj66 · 13/08/2013 15:57

Initially everyone including GP thought I'd mc at 7 weeks. I went back to GP at 11 weeks to say I was still being sick and generally feeling pregnant and that I'd done a test and it was a strong positive.

GP looked at me and said: 'What do you expect me to do?'

I was a bit taken aback. He then said: 'Let me put it another way, why have you come to see me?'

I said it was to find out if I was still pregnant, to which he replied that I obviously was. I was worried it might just be hormones. Eventually he sighed in a sort of resigned way and arranged for a blood and urine test.

When they came back positive I saw the female GP at my practice who was okay - she weighed me, did my BP, warned me about my advanced age (41!), told me a bit about the hospital procedure and referred me to the midwife. But I take atenolol for blood pressure which aren't suitable in pregnancy and when she realised I was still on them (because I thought I'd mc) she put her head in her hands, which gave me a bit of a fright to be honest! She switched me to labetolol and also gave me a note for the chemist saying I was pg so I wouldn't have to pay for the prescription - which I thought was decent of her. Least she could do after scaring me half to death!

No one has mentioned folic acid or diet yet or felt my tum. I'm 13+5 and seeing the mw on Friday. Like Star I'm half expecting to be told I'm not really pg!

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