Abroad till I'm 14 weeks, advice needed!

[Australia81]

I'm unexpectedly pregnant & feeling very far from home! I did a test today & I think I'm 5 weeks. I'm actually abroad with a fixed flight home which will be in my 14th week. It's my first pregnancy & I'm clueless as to what I should be doing apart from taking folic acid which I am doing. Do I need to tell my GP? Will I still be home in time for important scans & tests or will I be too late? Our travel insurance doesn't class pregnancy as illness & so I can't get anything in the USA without paying which we wouldn't be able to afford. I want to be able to relax & enjoy being pregnant (& our trip) but I'm worried there's 101 things I should be doing.

Up to you to a certain extent - you can usually self-refer using a form on your hospital's website. They will give you a booking in appt and you'll have to contact them to rearrange. Tests for Downs syndrome can only be done before 13 weeks I believe if that's important to you - check the NHS website for the schedule of antenatal checks.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/antenatal-midwife-care-pregnant.aspx

Try visiting a Planned Parenthood clinic, they provide low-cost health services related to sexual health and pregnancy. If the one near you can't help they likely can refer you to an affordable clinic in the area.

Don't worry - I had my Down's syndrome test done at 15 weeks plus. They have a specific test they can do for ladies who are 14-20 weeks and I got the results back in a week so no waiting around.

They will prioritise you for a midwife appointment as you'll be a late booker just be careful you're taking your vitamins and keeping hydrated. Keep an eye on what you can and can't eat too.

Congrats and good luck! X

Hi - I was working abroad from just after I found out I was pregnant till I was 15 weeks in - I took folic acid and vitamin D (these are the essential early pregnancy vits, and you should keep taking vit D throughout, according to my midwife), and iron (but that was because I knew I was a bit anaemic, not specifically to do with pregnancy). I did a fair bit of worrying, but I don't think it'd have made much difference whether I was abroad or at home, to be honest! The only important thing I missed was the 12 week scan (they did one at 15 1/2 weeks, and I had the quad test for Down's, which is the one you can have if you miss the window for the nuchal translucency thing). If you can get in touch with your doctor's surgery at home and arrange an appointment for as soon as you get back, that might give you the peace of mind you want.

I guess my reassuring words are probably that I found early pregnancy messed with my head a bit, but that being at home wouldn't have made any difference - I had some problems with bleeding very early on, and all the info I found was that there wasn't anything much that could be done, wherever I was, so in a way being away from all the doctors and just having to get on with it and hope for the best was the only thing I could do in the end!

Oh, and that thing about taking it easy if you feel tired - do! And the hormones can make you worry a lot more than you need to. But you sound like you're with your partner anyway, so hopefully that will help.

Good luck with it all, and enjoy your trip!

I suppose the main thing that you'll miss is the 12 week scan and booking in bloods. The booking in bloods are mainly for STI's and anaemia. The 12 week scan would let you know how many babies there are, look for the heart beat and give you a more accurate due date. Non of this is absolutely essential. At the 12 week they also measure the nt thickness and offer Down's screening but I didn't have these as I was 13+6 (general hospital cock ups), the baby wouldn't cooperate and it was too late to go back. They will offer you a quad blood test that can be done at 15 weeks if you want the Downs screening. I'd just go on the NHS website to check on what you can eat, give up fags and booze and use only pregnancy vitamins. You'll be fine! They mainly leave you to it in the first few months anyway!

Thank you all so much for taking the time. I'm going to try and call the GP tomorrow.

It depends on how you feel about testing for downs, Edwards and pataus syndrome. The nuchal fold test done at around 12-13 weeks looks for these. It can't be done at or after 14 weeks and the quad tests you can get done at that point is much less accurate.

If the outcome of downs testing would not effect your wanting to continue the pregnancy, then wait until you are back in the UK. If it would affect it, then you need that scan done before 14 weeks (and remember you could be further along than you think.) you then need to pay for it, or arrange it in the UK (you can't just turn up and have it done you need an appointment)

Contact planned parenthood. They will be able to advise you.

And take folic acid/ have a look at the NHS webpages on what to avoid during pregnancy.

Congratulations!