Anti-Natal Appointments

[nightowl]

Ive just been reading a few threads on here and something struck me. This is sooo thick but does everyone have anti-natal appointments? i only ask because with dd i had regular appointments, monthly, weekly etc...lots of growth scans and a dating scan, saw midwife regularly etc. but with ds 6 years ago i had none. I told my gp (different one to now) that i was pregnant and i saw him about 3 times during my 33 week pregnancy. Only listened to the baby's heartbeat once and i never saw a midwife, no dating scan, just the 20wk. Was this some mistake on their behalf or maybe an outdated way of thinking? I never realised at the time and when i told a friend the other week she was horrified. (ds was prem, delivered by emergency c section due to poor traces, discovered by a fluke really, and im wondering if this could have been picked up earlier?) As a first time mom and at only 19 i never thought that this might not be the norm at the time?

It might vary from region to region and with the number of children you've had. I know that they are trying to reduce the number of check ups unless your classed as high risk. I dont think they should as personnaly I find the appointments reassuring.
I had a scan at 12 weeks and then since then a appointment with a midwife every 4 weeks. This is partly due to the fact that this is my first and I make the appointments every 4 weeks. When I asked the MW when the next appointments should be she just says when I feel I need one. Im weeks now and im starting to go every 2-3 weeks but again only because im booking the appointments within those timescales. I wouldve thought that as your DS was prem that you wouldve needed regular appointments to check any subsequent pregnancies.
HTH kbaby

The NHS guidelines describing what care should be offered to pregnant and labouring women are here:

guidelines

And no, I don't think your treatment was normal. From what you say your GP sounds unprofessional and careless and if you want to make a formal complaint, I think that would be very helpful to any other women who are unfortunate enough to be registered with him. Look up your primary care trust or patients' forum to get help on how to make a complaint.

or even here:

guidelines

thanks eddm but i cant get that link to work?

with my frist baby I had a scan at 12 weeks another at 19 weeks and check ups every 4 weeks until I got to 32 weeks then they were fornightly and weekly in the last 4 weeks.

This time I've had a lot more scans but that was because they thought that there might have been something wrong with the baby. Also had some extra tests for the same reason but once we got the all clear at 19 weeks I've only had check ups every 4 weeks. I asked last week, I'm now 35 weeks, if I was to see someone every week for the last 4 weeks and was told no not to bother but if I felt the need to see someone to make an appointment.
From what I've seen with friends and myself they seem to cut back on appointments if it's your second baby and your low risk also scans seem to be done at different stages depnding on where you live.

For 2nd and subsequent pregnancies that otherwise present as low-risk, the NICE guidelines is just 7 antenatal appointments... which is less than I think nightowl got in her 2nd & subsequent? Does sound strange, to me.

if you still can't get link to work (second attempt worked for me) full web address is: www.nice.org.uk/Docref.asp?d=90542
Hope it helps

soz guys, maybe i was rambling a bit...it was my first pg that i didnt have any appointments....second was much better.