6 months pregnant- due in August

[Monique92]

Hi all,

I am 6 months pregnant. I am from NZ and to be honest this is my first baby. I just wanted to reach out to other mums and pregnant woman to see if my situation is normal. I have only seen a midwife once at the St Albans hospital of which she was just filling in, I have not seen another midwife since. Are we meant to have a designated one so we can get to know her? I have had 2 scans but have not once heard my babies heart beat? I am so lost and confused I don’t know what is normal and what isn’t. As I don’t have any mummy friends over here any advice would help. Thank you!

Hi op,

I am expecting my first and I live near you! There's a group of us on here in a thread for babies due in August.

Here's the link, come over and join us.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/3212219-august-2018-5

There's a private Facebook group you can join too if you like.

Two scans is normal but I am 25 weeks now and have had three midwife appointments (booking in, 16 weeks and 25 weeks). I have a dedicated midwife who I'll see at all my appointments but I'm not sure if that's how all NHS trusts operate.

Do you have your folder with the maternity notes in? There should be a schedule of appointments in there. As a first time Mum you get seen a few more times; for instance the 24 weeks check is for first time Mum's only.

You should also have phone numbers of places to call to ask questions or if you're worried about anything (all of this in your maternity notes).

Hope this all helps and congratulations on your pregnancy

I should add that I have to make all the midwife appointments myself. They are not made automatically made for you so maybe this is why you haven't had these? There is a lot of information to take in and these details are easy to miss (or not explained properly).

Thank you so much for replying. How are you finding your first pregnancy? Do you do it all privately and not through thr NHS? I feel I have gone into this with my eyes closed! Maybe I am meant to be booking my own? I should really look thought my files properly and make phone calls. What hospital are you planning to give birth in? I need to book that as well to have a look around the ward. It’s all so scary!

What is the Facebook group called? I have followed the feed of the link you sent. I’m new to this website, still finding my way on how it all works.

You need to book all your own appointments. The first scan appointment may just come through automatically due to it being near the date of your booking appointment.

At your booking appointment you should have been given a list with weeks of when you are suppose to book appointments. (I suggest you sit with a calendar and work out what day they actually correspond to.) If possible try and book 4 weeks ahead especially for scans and any other tests, otherwise you will just be fitted in at odd times.

Pregnancy has been tougher than I imagined! As much as it was planned it sometimes seems huge and overwhelming. I also didn't realised I'd have problems sleeping (for the first time in weeks I didn't wake up in the middle of the night last night tossing and turning), how anxious I'd feel about everything being ok, that I'd have back ache in my second trimester etc. Some people have it much harder so I don't like to complain but I'll be glad when this baby is out of me and here safe and sound .

There also seems to be so much to get your head around. I have finally booked NCT classes now and I strongly recommend you do this is you can afford it. You will meet Mum's in your local area and it's meant to be very worthwhile. Go on the NCT website, you can put your post code in and it will show you courses in your area. You need to do this asap though as time is pushing on!

If not your hospital should run antenatal classes which should be free - you don't need both though. Although you do need a tour of the maternity ward, that's my next job to book that in.

We are having our baby at Stoke Mandeville hospital. No one told me I have a choice and they just put me down for Watford which is closest to us but I've moved it now - better hospital and far less traffic to get there. Your hospital choices should have been discussed at your booking in appointment, see if there's anything written in your notes for this.

I am an NHS patient for all my care, no private care.

You need to make sure you book your midwife appointments (I see my midwife at my GP surgery) by the sounds of it you've already missed a couple? Pull out your notes, call your GP surgery and get seen. They should also listen to heartbeat. Your midwife will be able to answer a lot of questions for you. You should be due to have another round of blood tests at 28 weeks.

The Facebook group is a private group so you can't search for it, you'll need to post in the August babies thread and someone will direct you on how to get yourself added to Facebook group.

Hope all that helps.

Oh ladies thank you so much. I feel so stupid now! Here I am thinking what is going on and I should have been making my own appointments, how on earth did I miss this... I blame baby brains! I do need to get onto booking classes pronto. I feel there is so much to do now and so little time. I am so glad I found this to ask someone with experience. Thanks again ladies! It's hard when I don't really know anyone but my partner and his family. Really appreciate it!