Don't see the GP first when pregnant

[Suzy000]

So apparently midwives would like pregnant women to bypass their GP and contact them directly at the hospital - did you know that you could/should do this?!
Anyone out there gone straight to the hospital and not bothered with seeing their GP first?

It's different in different areas. Some areas you have to see your GP first.

It's the rule for round here. You just phone up to book a booking-in appointment. Saves time and GP's valuable appointment slots I guess.

We have to see the GP to get a referral to the midwife

I self-referred this time around, hospital has a referral line on its website, much faster which was a good thing as it turned out I was 12 weeks pregnant so just made the appointment booking for my scan in time.

I rang my surgery, told them I was pregnant and not sure if I needed to see GP or midwife. They said GP. Saw GP, who said how lovely, and take some folic acid. Please make an appointment with the midwife on your way out.

I tried, but still felt I'd wasted their time.

That's starting to happen around our way. It makes sense, especially if it is a second or third pregnancy and you know much more about what to expect. All my GP did last time was fill out a form.

I think it would depend whether the midwives and the ultrasound department are in the same place - last time it was community midwives in the GP practice, and then scans miles away at the hospital.

Apparently around our way they have no introduced mass booking in sessions, so a dozen women at the same time who go off with a midwife for a while, and then get to watch a video about healthy eating together I am looking forward to this immensely, as I'll probably get HG again, and so will provide a lovely treat for all the first time mums when I'm forced to watch a video about food...

I had the group appointment this time round Thurlow, it was called Early Birds (apart from one woman who was clearly 6 months pregnant who'd only just found out - that was odd). I actually quite liked it, it was much more informative than my previous one-to-one booking in

I moved PCT during my last pregnancy, I had to have a new booking in appt at 34w, that did cause some double-takes! Maybe that happened to her? Being nosy on my PCT site at the moment and they have the early-bird self-referral scheme too.

As a side note (sorry OP) do you still do the self-referral if you know you will be consultant led?

I rang up my gp reception when I got my bfp and she gave me the number straight for the community midwives to book in. saved me a trip to the gp so I was happy!!

The reason why some GPs insist you see them first is if you're referred to maternity services by them they can claim something like £200 for shared care. So I've been told and I can believe it.

I rang my gp when first found out and asked if needed to come in and was told yes, she tested my urine, blood pressure and weight and went through what I should and shouldn't eat etc. what vitamins to take and where I wanted to be referred to, she then referred me to the hospital, but she asked me to go back and see her 4 weeks later, just for a check, which was before my booking in appointment. My GP was lovely and she did put my mind at ease as first baby and 12 weeks is a long time to wait to speak to someone for advice.

Book straight with midwifery team at my PCT.

Used to have a 24/6 week GP appointment as standard but they have scrapped that now. Its all midwife led care (obviously see consultant once at hospital if cons led) Only see GP if you need a prescription for something that the midwife cannot deal with or anything non preg related.

it was my gp who booked me with the midwife but you can self refer though

Gp appointment is pretty pointless to be honest. If you can I'd say ring midwives right away to get booked in. x

Don't even get me started. I rang the docs 4 weeks ago they told me to ring early birds so I rang ealry birds for them to tell me I need to see my GP first so I made an appointment with my GP which lasted 30 seconds doc was lovely but she gave me the number for early birds lol. Rang early birds finally got an appointment went Monday lasted 30 mins just took my weight etc. then told me to ring my GP and make an appointment with a midwife. So did that 3 days later I've finally got a call back and next Monday I have a appointment at hospital to take my bloods and fill in forms surely I could of just done this in the first place spent the last month feeling like Ive wasted people's time.

You don't have to see your GP even if it is policy in your area. What a waste of an appointment! National guidelines state that the midwife may be the first point of care.

We self-refer to community mw team. But my gp likes a visit first and he went through my prescription medication with me to let me choose whether to use it in pregnancy.
It was a useful appt for that bacause the fist appt with mw doesn't come till 8-9wks.

I wish I had, or that there was some way of doing it. There's no number listed anywhere for midwives here locally.

I'm 11 weeks tomorrow. My GP never made the referral properly when I went in at 7 weeks (at their request - I had betas at 3w2d and they told me to wait until 7 weeks) I rang up at 9 weeks and told it was in hand. Rang up last week and was told that perhaps they'd mistaken it for something else (my scan referral) and actually there was no referral. No appointment available now until 19th September when I'll be 13 weeks.

Good thing I already booked a private NT scan with the FMC, and the Harmony blood test which I did last Friday and will know the results a week Friday. Am wondering if I will be the first patient they see who already knows the sex of their baby (Harmony also gives this) at their booking in appointment

I'm high risk for a variety of reasons and need to see a consultant sooner rather than later, so I am decidedly unimpressed.

I didn't see the GP until I was 8 months PG with a home birth all sorted out, which MWs at a different practice in a different county!

(Crazy rules about hospital transfers and which MWs could transfer people where.)

I rang my GP's surgery and made an appointment with the midwife for around 8 weeks for information on folic acid etc. and she then referred me for my booking appointment which was at 12 weeks and held in the local children's centre.

I haven't seen my GP through the whole pregnancy. Called the surgery at 6 weeks and asked what to do, they said book straight with the community midwife which I did. I think it just varies with area.