First doctor appointment

[Bluebell9]

When did everyone have their first appointment with the GP after finding out they were pregnant?

I'm currently 5+1 and had booked a GP appointment for this Friday (booked online).

I just rang the GP practice to check that you need to have a GP appointment before a referral to the midwife and they told me to book an appointment for when I'm 8-10 weeks!

Having looked at my local hospital antenatal care information, at 8-10 weeks I should be having the fist appointment with the midwife.

I'm thinking I might just go to the GP appointment on Friday but I don't want to waste an appointment if I should wait.

did you book it yourself?

Usually once you do the referral, they contact you with a date for the 1st appointments and it usually is between 8-10 weeks I think. I had mine at 8 weeks. I never had to have an appointment prior to the 8 week one.

You can do a self referral online and then the midwife will contact you. I assume your appointment on Friday isn't with a midwife but your doctor?

I think it's two separate things. At my surgery I had to go and see the GP who referred me on to the community midwife.

They didn't do anything initially (although I then had some bleeding and thought it was another MC so they were wonderful at sorting me an early scan).

The first official maternity appt is the booking appt with the midwife. I'm a planner so liked having it booked in and knowing when it was.

It varies hugely by area.

In mine you have to see GP to be referred to midwife. I saw GP at 5+1 and Midwife at 6+1 for booking in.

Here you don’t need to see the gp, midwives are self referral. Google Maternity in your area and you should find info on the area.

I think the receptionist has got confused, he did have to go and ask someone, but now I'm still not sure if I need a GP appointment to refer or if i can self refer for the booking in appt at 8-10 weeks!

Local hospital antenatal care says 'Your GP will refer you to the hospital antenatal clinic for your antenatal care' so I'm going to keep the GP appointment on Friday.

Thanks everyone

I rang the gp. They told me to ring the midwife directly and make my own appointment. Never went to the docs

I think it varies by GP surgery, let alone area. I went into my surgery the other week as I’m also pregnant (6+4) and they just booked me straight in with the midwife for next week. Previous surgeries I’ve been at I’ve had to see the doctor first who then referred me on to the midwife. If you’re not sure, and the receptionist wasn’t sure, I’d just go to your appointment on Friday.

Ah maybe it does vary then as my GP just tole me to online and self refer.

I just rang the midwife booking number and made my first appointment straight with them for when I will be 9 weeks. I've not actually notified my gp surgery that I'm pregnant, do you think I need to?

I never saw a gp. I went straight to my midwife at 8 weeks.