pg!! don't want to see GP

[cloudlessskies]

Hi all,
Did a pg test this morning, it was positive! DH and I are feeling strangely calm... but that's another thread!
Anyway, have been online today and apparently you're meant to book a gp appointment asap but I don't want to... I feel like this is our special secret but mostly because I know that the chances of miscarriage are high this early so there is no point really until I'm further along. I'm about 3 weeks gone.
What do you think?

[CarrotVan]

If you google " community midwives" you'll get a phone number to ring and they'll give you all the info

[April241]

cloud not all midwives work from the GP surgery, some work from CMU's - hence why lots of us said you should ask the receptionist what to do as no doubt they get this all the time.
Hopefully in your area a GP appt is needed to make a midwife referral. Anyways hope your appointment goes well.

[NameChange30]

It's been said several times already, but for the benefit of the newbies, the best thing to do is call your GP surgery and ask a receptionist. Some will want you to see a GP first, others will want you to book directly with a midwife. The first midwife appointment is usually at 8 weeks but they can get very booked up so the sooner you call to book it, the better.

[cloudlessskies]

I'm seeing the gp tomorrow. I looked on the surgery website and it said nothing about midwives being at the surgery so just asked for a gp appt.
Thanks.

[LondonGirl83]

I yes April I see what you mean. It happens both ways. I'm in London and both were confirmed simultaneously (for different dates) but I know plenty of people also in London who didn't get their 12 week date until after their booking in appointment. It can happen both ways.

[April241]

Oh, no, sorry LondonGirl83 I must have worded my post wrong. I didn't mean she would be scanned before 12 weeks, I meant that in Glasgow you're given your 8 week booking appt and 12 week dating scan appt as soon as you phone the number and give them your details. So I was 4 weeks pg when I called up but had both appointments in my diary straight away (one in March and one in April). Whereas I've seen some women say they didn't have their dating scan appointed until after theyd attended the booking appt iyswim.

456 why is it ridiculous you didn't have a GP confirm with a test? I assume you done a home pregnancy test to confirm yourself? Some hpts like the first response tests are actually more accurate than the tests at the gp as they needed less hormone (10mui instead of 25mui). It's a waste of GP time for them to dip a test in your urine to confirm what you already know.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

Oops, bold fail.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

My GP wouldn't even do me a pregnancy test. He said they didn't do them.

Thought that was ridiculous. Anyway, I ended up self referring!

Why ridiculous? I assume you'd already done a pregnancy test? Their tests are exactly the same as the ones you buy in a shop so why would they do another one? Waste of money.

[LondonGirl83]

8-10 weeks is NICE guidelines 2nd for the booking appointment with midwife and what most though not all NHS Trusts aim for. There is loads of variation in everything.

Most midwives won't book you in before 8 weeks because the miscarriage risk is so high its seen as a waste of NHS resources.

[456she1ea1n2016]

My GP wouldn't even do me a pregnancy test. He said they didn't do them.

Thought that was ridiculous. Anyway, I ended up self referring!

Xxxx

[2nds]

You are all saying booking in was between 8-10 weeks but my booking in apps were at 6 weeks for both my pregnancies and I had to book it through the GP.

[LondonGirl83]

Where you live they probably do the combined test as that's most common on the NHS.

This will be a combination of looking at your blood work to assess hormone and protein levels as well as the 12 week nuchal translucency scan.

Your midwife will explain all the tests etc during your booking in appointment when you meet him or her when you are between 8-10 weeks.

I hope you get through to your GP tomorrow.

[cloudlessskies]

Thanks for the congrats!:)Apparently by 6 weeks there is a heartbeat!
It does seem a bit confusing and yes I'll call in the morning.

London girl - test for Downs etc? Is this done at the booking appt at 10 weeks? when they take blood?

[LondonGirl83]

April yes, where I live you do your booking appointment and the dating scan is done as part of the 12 week scan. There are no scans before that covered by the NHS.

Its crazy we all apparently live in the same country but it just shows how wildly different things are in one area to the next.

[LondonGirl83]

Yes, some places you can self refer yourself to community midwives, other places you need to be referred to the midwives by your GP. It changes in each NHS trust and sometimes by each hospital.

As the OP doesn't know what the procedure is in her area (or how busy her community midwives are) she should ring her GP who can inform her of the appropriate next steps.

I'm currently pregnant and one of the ladies I know couldn't get her 12 week scan booked because she left it too late to get her referral. She ended up going private for that scan so she wouldn't have to wait for the quadruple test for Downs Syndrome etc. It is not guaranteed that the NHS will have a slot for you when you need it an appointment.

[April241]

Congratulations!

As others have said you'll be 6 weeks as you're dated from the first day of your last period until your dating scan, at that they'll measure baby and get a more accurate time.

Call your GP surgery in the morning and let them know and they'll advise the best plan. You should see your midwife between 8-10 weeks for your booking appt and, again, as others have said they can be pretty full up for a few weeks, waiting any longer could mean you miss the cut off for certain testing.

Where abouts are you from? In Glasgow we have a central number for the midwives, you call and give them all your details and then give you the 8 weeks and 12 weeks appt over the phone, then they send out letters/leaflets to confirm. No need to see the GP at all through pregnancy here. I've seen people in England say they don't having a dating scan appt until after their booking appt etc.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

I didn't see the GP with either of mine, in fact I was working in Milan when I found out I was pregnant with my first so didn't tell anyone remotely official until I came home at 9 weeks. We phone and self refer to the midwife, who sees you at around 10-11 weeks and phones to book your 12 week scan appt while you're at the booking in session.

[2nds]

Cloudless all this is confusing now but soon it will be more understandable.

You now go by the 6 week info.

[LondonGirl83]

When tracking fetal development, due date, scan dates etc its all based on your last menstrual period. Its done that way as most women have no idea when they ovulated so the last menstrual period is the most reliable dating methodology for health care professionals to use.

If your cycle is longer than the standard 28 days, they will adjust your dates at your 12 week scan but that adjustment will still count your pregnancy as if it started circa two weeks prior to ovulation.

Good luck!

[MotherofPearl]

Congratulations OP! It's always counted from the date your last period started, so you're 6 weeks along, even though as you say, it's an odd system! So you'll need to get your MW booking in appointment and 12 week scan booked fairly soon; as others have said they are often booked for weeks in advance. Enjoy the lovely conspiratorial early days with your DH!

[cloudlessskies]

It seems there are two ways of counting, so from my last period I am 6 weeks but really from fertilisation it's 3ish. (I have 5 week cycles) What an odd way to measure pregnancy from before the egg was even released!

So when you track development, do I look at 6 or 3 week info?!

I just called my surgery but they are closed on Thursday afternoons.

[AlaskanSnow]

I phoned the surgery to ask the process and I needed to see the GP to be referred to the midwife - you can't self refer.

They adv seeing gp no later than 6 weeks, then midwife would contact me for an 8 week appt.

[LondonGirl83]

The protocol in every area is different. Ring your GP and at the very least they can advise you on the process of getting your booking in appointment which is typically scheduled between week 8-10 (based on NICE guidelines)

In many parts of the country, midwives are very busy so leaving it until you are further along to try to make an appointment may result in you not getting your initial appointments and scans at the appropriate time, including the time sensitive 12 week scan.

As others have said, if you ovulated 3 weeks ago, you are 5 weeks pregnant not 3 weeks pregnant (that's just the way pregnancy is measured).

I'd strongly suggest you ring your GP this week and get the ball rolling.

Congratulations!

[Thequilltosurvive]

In my area you ring the Dr's surgery to get a pre-booking appointment with a midwife around 6 weeks. This is where they set up your maternity record and give advice/info on diet, vitamins etc. Around 8/9 weeks you have a booking appointment with the midwife again where they do bloods, lots of paperwork, and ring the hospital to book your 12 week scan.

[YoungGirlGrowingOld]

Depends on the surgery hedgehog. It seems some insist you see a doctor and others think it's a waste of GP time (which also seems to be the prevailing view on here).

All mine did was fill in a form and tell me not to smoke (which I don't anyway)