16 week midwife appointment?!

[Noodles14]

Hi all.
I have just noticed that some other people have commented about their 16 week midwife appointment (they mentioned listening to their baby's heartbeat for the first time) but I have not had this appointment?! I'm 17 weeks on Friday and in my maternity notes/timeline of appointments it says '16 weeks- screening results' which I have already had- results via letter not a face to face appointment.
Just wondered if this 16 week appointment is included or omitted depending on which hospital/borough you are in? I'm with Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust (High Wycombe Hospital/Wycombe Birth Centre).
Thanks all.

Lots of trusts do things differently. At my 16 weeks appointment she listened to the heartbeat, took a urine sample and I think that was it. So do you not have any appointments between the 12 week and 20 week scan?

No nothing at all! @Nothisispatrick

Just had a letter through the post re the test results for Downs screening but that's it. It's only when I read online on some other forums that others had had a 16 week appointment that I started to wonder?!

I had a 16 week appt but it was the most pointless of all the appts (IMO). Just going through screening results, blood pressure and urine check.

Everywhere is different but at my booking in appointment my midwife told me that after I've had the 12 week scan I should phone GP and book myself a 16 week appointment (which is tomorrow). I still had the letter through the post about the scan results a week or so ago. I think they test urine and blood pressure as well. Can you phone your midwife to check?

I’ve had babies in two different trusts both had a booking in appt with midwife and she made an appt for 16 weeks then.

I had 12 week scan and then a letter thro showing my results, at sixteen week scan midwife checked urine, blood pressure and listened to baby’s heartbeat, she also talked thro my scan results and answered questions I had about the results.

At 16 week midwife appt not scan

I would phone and check. If everything is okay then yes it can feel like a pointless appointment but I really liked seeing someone between the two scans. 12 to 20 weeks felt like a bit of a limbo period, didn't feel sick but couldn't feel movement and pretty much forgot I was pregnant. Was reassuring to hear the heartbeat.

My trust don’t listen to the heartbeat at 16 weeks (3 babies in 3 different trusts didn’t in fact!) hence why it felt a bit pointless. Useful to check urine I guess.

At 16 weeks it can be hard to listen to the baby's heartbeat as the uterus is still predominantly in the pelvis (I.e the baby is behind the pubic bone).

At the trust I work at, if the heat rate can't be auscultated at 16weeks a reassurance scan will not be given, so women can be left panicking until their next scan or appointment!

It isn't a NICE recommendation to listen to the heart rate for Fetal wellbeing but it can be offered for reassurance. Every midwife is different and often you can hear it at 16 weeks but you can see why some midwives choose not to!

Thanks all for you responses. I'll try and ring the maternity unit tomorrow but when I've tired to ring before they never answer! It's as if they are busy delivering babies or something 😂

Just looked at my timeline of appointments. It states what every appointment is for. So if you are a normal low risk pregnancy and it doesn't state that you have things like urine test, blood pressure check etc then you probably don't need a 16 week appointment.

Oh and the heart beat wasn't checked until 22 weeks. (I'm on a different timeline given by my consultant due to being a high risk pregnancy.)

My trust has a 16 week appointment. For me it was just urine check, blood pressure, weight, and they did listen to the heartbeat. They did explicitly mention that sometimes they can't find it this early so not to worry AT ALL if she didn't. Mine was found fairly easily. In my trust there isn't another midwife appointment until 28 weeks, though they do include a GP appointment at 24 weeks for FTMs.

I had to book my 16 week myself. Was told at my booking appointment to call a few weeks before. Our trust dont listen to heartveat at 16 weeks but I asked my midwife and she obliged

I have had to book my 16 week appointments myself. They went through the results with me, urine test, a couple of other bits then listened to the heartbeat. I was told just book in appointments as per the schedule in your notes both this time and last pregnancy.

I also have to book my 16 week one myself. And you can miss it if you want, it's the most useless appointment unless there's something you actually want to discuss. I'll be booking mine to get the whooping cough vaccine that week, but that's the only reason.

And not everywhere listens to the heartbeat, so don't go just because of that!

Also I had to book it with the community midwife, who is at the GP surgery so not the maternity unit.

@balalalala apart from my booking appointment and 12 week scan I've had to book all other scans, obstetrician appointments, midwife appointments and GP appointments myself.

The timeline is suppose to tell you weeks when you need to book appointments and generally if you want them at decent times it is ideal to book them 6+ weeks in advance.

Thanks for all of your responses. I rung my doctors and they couldn't give an appointment for three weeks! So I rung the maternity unit and they are seeing me this afternoon. Great 👍