What happens at your first ante-natal appt?

[PinkMartini]

It will be at around 10 weeks and have a scan a fortnight later.

Asked lots of questions - do you smoke/have you ever smoked etc.
Told what to avoid ( alcohol, raw meat, stinky cheeses etc)
Possibly blood taken for tests/typing
Will be asked if this is your 1st pregancy ( any previous mc's etc) are you single/in relationship/married (to guage level of support you have/may need etc)
Height, weight and possibly measure abdomen.
Maybe will try to listen for a heartbeat but no guarantees you will hear anything this early.

gauge

Thanks Tigana, I ask because a friend of mine went to an appt (i'm not sure which kind) and discovered that the baby had died . She warned me to ensure I had DH with me as a matter of course in case something like this happened, you wouldn't want to be by yourself.

So you think they might have a listen on this one?

That's terrible about your friend. It's nice to have DH there with you anyway just because it feels quite exciting having your first midwife appointment.

They didn't try to listen to my baby until about 15 weeks or something because they can't usually get a good heartbeat before then and they don't want to scare women by trying to find a heartbeat and not getting one.

I think at mine they did all the things mentioned already as well as weighing me (which - thankfully - they've never done since!), taking my blood pressure, and taking a urine sample.

Be warned, it takes a long time and they ask a LOT of questions.

Mine was a complete waste of time the second time round - no checks at all, they just gave me loads of leaflets.
And I'd taken time off work for it and got the bus into town and everything

Sorry to hear about your friend PinkMartini.

Seems unlikley to me that they would discover the baby had died at a 10 week midwife appt - as heartbeat is frequently not heard so early so doesn't cause alarm bells to ring. Maybe it was at the early scan?

DH didn't come to any of my midwife appts but did come to the scan with me.

Just pooping in to say Congratulations Pinkmartini! I did post for you on the 1st baby thread but I.m not sure if you visit any more!
Hope yo are feeling well, and smiley, did you get the BFP after your hols?

Even though my prganancy ended in mc, my 1st appointment went well,but uneventful. the midwive asked me the prevoiusly mentioned questions, tookk blood pressure, asked if had any worries, worked out edd, andd that was it! No weighing, listening or measuring, and told me to return at 14 weeks.

how far are you now?
hope to join you soon.....

I think for the early appts, it is definitely worthwhile having DH along - for support and it is also an education for them. A lot of info can be thrown at you and it is good to have someone there whose brain is not muddled by pregnancy hormones. Also my DH came out with some questions of his own which surprised me. DH came along to first appt then just the scans. But as another poster has said - they ask a lot of personal questions (incl whether you have ever had abortion etc.) so as long as you can be totally open in front of DH, I would take him along.
Mine had all bloods taken for screening, weight taken and full on questionnaire about prev history and briefing on food/ vitamins etc. Then had full explanation about tests/ scans and what their purpose was.