When do you tell your GP/Midwife?

[RLI1105]

Hi everyone,

I got a BFP today at 12dpo which I'm super excited about! I know I won't be "technically pregnant" until Monday/Tuesday when I am officially 4 weeks along but this is my first pregnancy and I don't know the ropes at all!
When should I call the my Gp surgery and tell them I'm pregnant? My plan was to take a more tests about 2/3 days apart to check it's not a chemical. 5 or 6 weeks maybe?
If you wait does that delay when your 12 week scan is? I really have no idea!

Thanks in advance for answering!

It varies by surgery and area - in my area you bypass the GP and ring the community midwives admin number anytime from 6 weeks to arrange a booking appointment. Your 12 week scan should be before 13weeks 5 days regardless of when you notify them I think.

I normally inform my GP between 5 and 6 weeks depending when I can get an appointment (can't self refer to midwives in my area) and in my area the midwife arranges the booking in appointment for around 10 weeks, and then get the first scan for between 12 and 13 weeks.

In my area you ring the gp who won't see you but refer you to the midwives and your first appointment with them is around the 10 week mark when miscarriage chances are starting to reduce.

Congratulations. You can contact as soon after you've got a BFP. I think they take into account the date of your last period for the 12 weeks scan and not when you get in touch. However you should start taking folic acid/ vitamins if you've haven't started. Here where I live, I was able to complete a self referral form for the antenatal service and they'll call me for a scan at 12 weeks and then they'll get in touch with my G.P. to let them know that I'm pregnant.

This nhs page has more info about appointments (assuming you're in England).
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/antenatal-appointment-schedule/
Also if you Google your nhs trust and 'antenatal' it may well bring up all sorts of useful info about how to refer yourself etc.

Hi everyone, thanks for responding!

I think I'll wait until I'm 5/6 weeks and then call my GP. I want to just see how things tick over between now and then. I've been taking folic acid and things for months so I feel prepared in the respect!
Thanks again!

In my area you don't even ring the GP. You download a self referral form from the hospital website and they arrange the booking appointment for directly after the 12 week scan.

Bit late for those who aren't clued up on diet, vitamins, folic etc!

I was told to call as soon as I knew. Also says to do this on the NHS website too, however my previous pregnancy the doctor said that their test only shows a pregnant result after 3 weeks.

I told mine the day I found out, at 6 weeks, but we need an early scan to get CVS testing done as soon as possible. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have rushed.

I would tell them asap. I left it later with ds2 and then had to shell out a shed load for prescriptions that I could have got free with the card.

Thanks for more updates.

@Valkarie Can I ask what prescriptions you had? I'm taking prenatal vitamins at the moment but is there anything else?

It was varying things for sickness and constipation as nothing seemed to be working. Then later for anaemia and obstetric cholostasis, but free by then. I don't do pregnancy the easy way!

I rang as soon as i knew, but really just to get the ball rolling and make an appt for when i was 6 weeks. Also mainly as I'm on holiday in may and wanted to make sure i had one before we went.

It didn't hurt to just make an advance appt especially if they might be busy if you wait until later. Also, i just wanted to do something to make it feel more real.

Fire me it was an appt direct with the community midwife.

Update: My GP's surgery has a website and it had a number for self referral so I just called that and referred myself. I did make a point of saying I was pretty early but she said that was fine.
So yeah, my booking on appointment and 12 week scan are on the calendar! 😁