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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Booking in appointment... Did they just take my word?

56 replies

AnguaUberwaldIronfoundersson · 10/07/2018 10:49

This is a really random thought I had and I wondered if anyone else was a weirdo like me and had the same bizarre thoughts...

I had my booking appointment last week, complete with urine test and blood tests. I was wondering whether my urine or blood was used to test for my HCG levels to confirm pregnancy (obviously without my knowledge) or whether the midwives just literally took my word for it that I was pregnant?

I'm curious because I understand how stretched the NHS are, how limited and stretched the midwife labour resource is and how long I have had to wait for my booking in and scan appointment. Are there people who genuinely go to waste the time of the NHS? Are there people who are ill in some way (Munchhausen's, etc) who have convinced themselves they're pregnant (caveat... I have no idea whether people with Munchhausen's would exhibit this symptom!) and do the NHS refer them for further testing and a scan without confirming they're pregnant?

Or do they just dip my wee at my first appointment and am I overthinking it all?

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Havetothink · 10/07/2018 10:55

Pretty sure they just take your word for it. Doctor told me they don't retest anymore as the home tests are so accurate.

4GreenApples · 10/07/2018 10:58

I think it must depend on your area.

My GP surgery policy is not to refer women to the midwife until the pregnancy is confirmed by the surgery (urine test).

SallyStartsSinging · 10/07/2018 11:02

I thought they would test me at my booking in appt and they didnt, I could have said all that I did and then still got a 12 week scan.

I did ask and midwife did just say we believe you

MrsBlondie · 10/07/2018 11:02

No retest for either of my pregnancys. Just took my word for it.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 10/07/2018 11:02

They definitely didn't test at mine and took my word for it - but the number of people who are booking in without being pregnant must be miniscule, so I guess rechecking everyone would be a much bigger waste of resources?

Original poster

AnguaUberwaldIronfoundersson · 10/07/2018 11:04

Well I am in Manchester and I think everyone has just taken my word! I can confirm that I am not a time waster by the way, in case you were worried

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CatsCatsCats11 · 10/07/2018 11:05

I'm also in Manchester and my surgery did a urine test before referring me to the midwife.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 10/07/2018 11:05

I suppose you do get your free prescription thing after booking in, so it's possible some people would lie to get that - because otherwise what possible motivation would there be to get a scan when not pregnant? So you'd only have genuinely deluded people, which is probably going to be a handful per year over the whole country, surely?

BrutusMcDogface · 10/07/2018 11:06

Ha, I also had this thought! They took my word for it

AnneWiddecombesHandbag · 10/07/2018 11:07

You self refer here so they so they def just take your word for it. Although I can't imagine people pretending to be pregnant is a huge problem.

Thesearmsofmine · 10/07/2018 11:08

They took my word all three times.

LilacIris · 10/07/2018 11:14

They have always taken my word for it although I would have thought that the 10 week bloods for the combined test would show whether you were pregnant or not.

I’d imagine few people fake pregnancies to the extent they go for a scan.

LilacIris · 10/07/2018 11:16

And, as someone who has gone for a scan with nothing showing (although it was an early scan and I was bleeding, so miscarriage was already expected), they do repeat blood tests to see whether the pregnancy is ectopic and they take it very seriously.

Original poster

AnguaUberwaldIronfoundersson · 10/07/2018 11:23

I'd not thought of the prescription thing... That's another angle!

@BrutusMcDogface I am glad I am not the only weirdo here

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BrazzleDazzleDay · 10/07/2018 11:32

It is a bit odd isn't it? You go to the dr as a youngster with say a sore toe, you're sent off to do a test.

You say you're pregnant, sent straight to the midwife/hospital with no checks at all.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 10/07/2018 11:34

You go to the dr as a youngster with say a sore toe, you're sent off to do a test.

But isn't the test getting sent for an X-ray? So not very different to being sent for a pregnancy scan? I just can't see the NHS saving some/any money by retesting all pregnant women - they're actually saving a fortune by the fact that women now buy these tests themselves whereas once they expected a doctor to do it for them.

Kt2108 · 10/07/2018 11:36

I'm in south Tyneside and they just believed me which I thought was crazy! But my cousin lives in County Durham and was made to test at doctors. So changes from county- and she's only 20 mins away from me!

Celebelly · 10/07/2018 11:36

I suspect that if your medical history is full of bogus or dubious complaints, they might want to test you. But for the average person with a normal medical history and no evidence of being 'at it', there's probably no need.

LML83 · 10/07/2018 11:37

I called to make GP appointment and was told to book midwife instead.

I think it would waste more resources to check every pregnancy (urine bottle, pregnancy test, gp time), can't be that many who are faking it.

Annalogy · 10/07/2018 11:39

That's really interesting, I'd never even thought of that!

I assume they just take your word too. I also booked a GP appointment when I got my BFP and was told to call the community midwives instead.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 10/07/2018 11:41

The thing is, if you are knowingly faking pregnancy you probably need some help - are you mentally ill? In a dubious domestic situation/abusive relationship and so faking it to convince someone else? Financially desperate but have a health condition you can't afford prescriptions for? - and even more so if you're genuinely deluded, so you being in the system wouldn't be the worst thing anyway.

Stephisaur · 10/07/2018 11:49

The midwife checked my urine at my booking in appointment with one of those onestep pregnancy strips.

I only remember because we made a joke about me being "definitely pregnant" - she was lovely and chatty.

Eminybob · 10/07/2018 11:52

The only time I’ve ever had a pregnancy test (and subsequent bloods) taken by a midwife was when I had an early scan and nothing could be seen. The test was positive and it was classed as a pregnancy of unknown location.

With ds and current pregnancy they have just taken my word for it, but I did wonder if they test the urine and blood samples given at booking in.

BrazzleDazzleDay · 10/07/2018 11:54

LisaSimpsonsbff sorry I wasn't clear, I meant that it seems for any ailment as a youngster that a pregnancy test was done despite it not being possible or relevant to the ailment.

Darkstar4855 · 10/07/2018 11:54

I had to make an appointment with the GP and have a urine test at the surgery before I could book with the midwife, I was surprised because I thought they would just take my word for it and it seemed a bit of a waste of a GP appointment!

I wonder if most places take your word for it because the surgeries are so busy they just don’t have the time/appointments to see everyone for a pregnancy test.

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