Midwife first visit

[LauraBrown1]

This isn't a very exciting post but just need some advice.
I have my first home visit from the midwife on the 3rd of January. At work my boss is aware I'm pregnancy and she's got me working that day, I've asked for it off because of the appointment. She according to the maternity side of things I have to present her a written note from the midwife about my appointment.
Now.. I hope my boss isn't presuming I'm lying about it to get a day off..
But I've only had a phone call with the midwife to book app with me.
Did anyone else get a call about their first appointment or is it just me?
My boss is a a**hole!!

Ive never had to 'prove' i had an appointment (why would I lie?).
Ive given my boss a copy of my letters as a courtesy (and incase i forget one! #babybrain)
Ive got my health visitor visit tomorrow and i got a letter for it but havent actually showed work the letter.
Your entitled to paid leave for any maternity related appointment

If you call the midwife and explain and I'm sure she'll be happy to send you a letter. Yours won't be the only company to ask.
My company never asked for proof but I did email through any letters I had just as a courtesy and so they could be placed in my employee file in case it was ever needed for anything.

Yeah, some companies request proof, otherwise they can ask you to take it as annual leave (you only have a right to paid time off for pregnancy related appointments).

Call and ask them to send written confirmation, they won't mind.

Do you really need the whole day off? My employer is really good but would be put out about that.

Hi everyone. Yeah my midwife says the app could be anywhere between 11-5 that day and I'm on the late shift so it's hard trying to explain to my boss and her actually understanding , I think she thinks I have a set time

I never recieved letters. Booked first one on the phone then always at the actual appointment. Im sure that the midwife will write you something though

Call your midwife to get an appointment card / Letter / email surely?

Also would not be on to take an entire day off paid at my place - morning or afternoon would be Normal i.e. accounting for getting there, back, and the actual appointment.. not the entire day! Any that would fall over lunchtime then ladies tend to work from home for a couple hours either side of it.. that's been fairly standard anywhere I've worked.. or come in an hour early if you cannot work from home.. not just take an entire day out for 1 routine, planned appointment...

It doesn’t seem that normal to have a 6 hour slot to be honest and that is probably why your boss is questioning it. Mine have all been specific times.

Also to add, if a member of my staff expected the entire day off paid for preplanned maternity appointments I'd need to see (non medical) proof.. np if it's genuinely involving, say, multiple trains, waiting time, and so on.. but it's not normal to expect that level of absence/ open ended slot, and I'd ask for proif. And I'm incredibly laid back when it comes to trusting people in terms of managing their workload.. I can't remember the last time I needed to ask for something similar. But this wouldn't be something I'd just accept verbally for every single routine appointment.

Have you requested the day off as part of your holidays? Because i did that the other week, had that many appointments in one day i just took the day off. I didnt expect it as part of maternity allowance, didnt read that part properly

Your midwife would be writing on your notes etc during appointment. Would they accept that as proof?

You don’t have to provide proof to your employer for the first appointment, although you do after that. However, I can see why saying it could be anything between 11:00-17:00 is a bit much for your employer and the midwife will either need to organise their workload in advance to give you a narrower time slot or rearrange for a day you’re not working.

@captainshortie can you use that as maternity allowance?

What do you mean? The day off i took? No i used it out of my actual holidays. Because I was only going to be at work like an hour that day so just put a days holiday in. Didnt use it as my maternity allowance. All my other appointments I have as theyve only been an hour or 2 tops. But if you want the day off id just use one of your holidays.