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

[AnguaUberwaldIronfoundersson]

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?

In my area we don't get the free prescription form until after 12 week scan. It makes sense to me.

I’m a midwife, I’ve never come across anyone “making it up” yet. If we tested everyone it would waste huge amounts of money, far more than the scan for the rare person who isn’t actually pregnant would cost.

When do they do your first blood panel in the U.K. then?

I'm in Australia and my GP did my blood test at 4 weeks then referred me to the hospital. If I didn't have this early blood test then they wouldn't have picked up a thyroid issue early enough to start medication.

My sister had a phantom pregnancy.... it was at the 12 week scan they found nothing there....and until I had my first scan was terrified I was having the same thing (thankfully I had a scan at week 6) I'd always been told I couldn't get pregnant...if that makes any sense.
I was a big relief to see the little heartbeat.
And had 2 more scans since....got my 20 week scan on 10th August

Normally the first blood tests in the UK are done following the booking in appointment, which I think should usually be somewhere between 8-10 weeks.

Not sure if they did this 20 years ago when my sister had her phantom pregnancy or I don't think she would have got to the 12 week scan