NHS appointments- reassure me or help me grow a backbone!

[beepbeeprichie]

Looking for a wee bit of advice. I'm nearly 8 weeks along, and had private reassurance scan at the weekend, which showed a heartbeat and everything as fine as could be seen. However- I don't have my first NHS appointment with a mid wife til I'm nearly 11 weeks and my first scan at 13+6! I phoned up to ask for an earlier scan than that because I am over 40 and also had a heavily monitored pregnancy with my last baby but the woman I spoke to said that was all that was available. Seems like a long wait to see someone to get my bloods etc tested and although I feel ok (bar some regular crampy feeling) I'm getting a bit worked up. Plus I'm nervous 13+6 is too close to the deadline for the NT test to be accurate. Please give me advice- what would you do? Just give myself a shake and wait or call someone else? Thanks

Who else would you call? I don't suppose they're running two appointment lists.

I don't know. Maybe ask the doctor if the midwife in the practice could see me? Just seems like a long way away!

Yes ask.

Sounds fairly normal for a non-first child. You get slightly more appointments with your first child.

My 12 weeks scans were more like 13 weeks.

I think round here you have first mw appointment around 10 weeks then again at 16 weeks, from memory.

Thanks all. Tinkly- that's good advice x

I will do. I'm just so scared that something goes wrong sometimes I'm not sure if reading up makes me feel better or worse!

beepbeep - I'd also recommend the Harmony test. I was very anxious and booked it in quite early; it's about £400 as a package for both scans + blood tests.
In the end I found it much more detailed and reassuring than the NHS scan - but that's also probably because I shelled out so much for it so I may be kidding myself. But definitely helped in lowering anxiety since it's a much more accurate test.