First midwife appointment - not until 29th Aug??

[nicannie]

Advice please - I'm annoyed as my doctors gave me an appointment for my first midwife appointment for the 29th of August as that's the soonest they had!! Am I being unreasonable thinking as this is my first pregnancy etc they should see me before that?

By the time the midwife app comes around I'll be 13 weeks 3 days. Should I try phone back and ask to be seen sooner?

When the woman said 28th Aug I did say that was a bit late is there any alternatives and her response was 'not really'

Ask if you can have the community midwives number and call them directly. I can't imagine the midwives will want to wait until 13+3 for a booking in app. The surgery I'm at want to see you for booking in between 8-10weeks

Yeah the woman didn't seem interested at all. I told her it was my first app and she said she only had then. She didn't ask how many weeks I was and I reminded her it was my first app and how that would make me over 12 weeks. And her response was 'will I just book you in for then?'

I'm unsure what to do !! I thought my surgery wanted to see me at around 8-9 weeks too which would be in the coming few weeks - not 7 weeks away

I'd definitely ring the surgery back and ask for community midwives telephone number. They will fit you in somehow I'm sure

So is that your booking in appointment? Surely that's far too late - what about your 12 week scan, how will that get booked? I'd ring back too and hopefully talk to someone else.

Yeah that's my booking in appointment. I thought the same. As I wanted to tell my parents and in-laws at 12 weeks but the reason being was because I'd have an actual scan photo to show them. At this rate I won't.

I'll take you ladies advice and phone back Monday, hope I speak to someone else. Explain the situation. I'll ask if anyone has cancelled or changed an app, if I can't get seen sooner I'll ask for the community number. I'd happily take being seen at the day 10 week mark - just anything before 12 weeks would be ideal

Well you don't get your scan at the booking in appointment. That's separate.
I think it's no big deal but I assume this is your first so you're excited and want to start "the process".
Honestly, the booking in app is a paper exercise with some blood tests.
Just tell your family when you want and you can always pay for a private scan before your first nhs scan

Yes I know that booking in app is at my local surgery and scan will be at the hospital. So I know both don't happen at the same time. That's why I'm worried about when my first scan will happen if my booking in app with midwife isn't until 29th Aug.

Maybe it is just because it's my first I have 7 weeks to wait before I am actually seen seems a bit of a nuisance.

I hear you, id quite like to wait until I have scans to make sure everything is all good before telling the parents :)

With my first pregnancy I was seen at 10 weeks and I questioned why it was that late. They said they have to see you up to and including 10 weeks. So yours is very late, this doesn't sound right to me! I would definitely contact the midwife team as they could maybe see you at another surgery or squeeze you in.

You definitely need to be seen sooner or you won't get your 1st scan til about 15 weeks. Definitely call back or call the midwives service.

Actually I did get a scan date at my booking in appt, no letters or anything.

I had this issue with the receptionists at the gp (my midwife is attached). I had to go in and talk face to face to get it sorted.

I don't think it's fair to imply OP is being PFB about this - you ARE meant to have your booking in appt earlier. I'm pretty sure it's around the 8-10 weeks mark as an earlier poster suggested.

OP, I had the same. I called my GP for first app when I was 6 weeks and was told to call back at 12 weeks . I went on holiday shortly after and started a thread similar to this when I got back. Given the feedback I called back, all ready to start demanding I see someone but the person I spoke to that time was very surprised I'd not seen anyone yet and I went in that morning. My booking in app was then at 12wks, same day as 1st scan. Midwife was not happy with what I'd been told and noted it down as it would need to be reported. Someone at that surgery obviously needed some further training on this.

If your planning to have full Nuchal screening scan needs to be by 13 plus 6. I would call community midwife office st your hospital as they will likely book you to see them there if no time at surgery or organise something for you

I seem to remember my midwife contacting me directly to make the booking in appointment. I wasn’t able to make the appointment through gps Surgery. It’s probably different from one area to another.

Thanks for all the advice. I feel I'm within my rights to feel 13 weeks 3 days is far too late for my first booking in app at my local doctors - there is no scanning facilities there so your right, first scan could be 15 weeks!!

I think I'll phone Monday, hope I get to speak to someone else, if I don't, I'll either find time to just nip down and speak to someone in reception face to face or I'll phone the local midwife office in the hospital or whatever and see if they can squeeze me in

I've never had my booking in appointment before 10 weeks. I don't think it's essential to be before 10 weeks, any problems you can just go and see your GP or local EPU.

However you need to find out how the referral system works for your first scan. If it is your midwife that does the referral you need to be seen before then. At my scans they've also expected me to have my notes so I would have thought they would expect you to have had your booking in appointment before your scan.

If it is the midwife at your GP, it may well genuinely be they don't have any appointments before then. But in that case they need to give the details of other community midwives so you can be booked in.

Tbh all you really need to do is to clarify that your first scan will take place by 13+6. It doesn't really matter when the booking in is, it's purely taking information for use later in the pregnancy. The only reason it usually happens by 10 weeks or so is that most Trusts use it as part of the process for getting the dating scan, which is time bound, booked in. As long as the dating scan happens by 13+6 it doesn't matter if the booking appointment happens at 13+3.

But my point is my doctor told me I have to make my booking in app with the midwife in local Gp surgery and then from there they book me in for my scan. I'm not fussy at all how the order goes, booking in app then my scan or scan then booking in but what I'm saying is I'm not being seen until 13+ weeks and then from there I get a scan app. In my eyes, it seems a bit late and unfair almost.

I would definitely call and query, pointing out that you'll need your scan before 14 weeks, even if it means they can book you in for your scan sooner so that you'll have it on time. I was told booking in 8-10 weeks, first scan before 14 (which I just made and I'd had my booking on time).

Thank you. I'll do that next week 🤞🏽

From what I understand the booking in is to find out where you want to give birth and which hospital you want for scans etc for them to then send your details to so comes after the appointment? I had my booking in at 8 weeks and had a range of blood tests and then received the scan date a few days later in the post. I'd definitely question it :)

Sorry, @smartcarnotsosmartdriver but why do you "need" the scan before 12 weeks? As far as I'm aware it's a guide

And we are talking about a free health service here so if might not feel "fair" but I'm not sure why you would be prioritised over anyone else just because you don't want to be seen so late...

You need to have the appointment earlier as certain bloods can't be done properly after 10 weeks I was a little bit early for my booking in bloods and had to come back on the Friday for the Edwards and other tests as you need to be 10 weeks, not 13 as the results aren't accurate enough.

Well if that is the case then there won't be an issue getting it changed.
My experiences of gps are useless.go direct to midwives!

I think if you have the bloods at 10 weeks the results for Down syndrome and others such as Edwards and turners come back at 98% accurate after 10 weeks it goes down to about 78% and then you need the harmony test as that's the most accurate if a risk did show I think that's right?

Definitely call and make an appointment yourself. My gp didn’t even try to make an appointment for me, they just passed me the community midwives number.

Congratulations!