Consultant led care

[tisonlymeagain]

My maternity notes app say my type of care is "Consultant Obstetrician Only"

Does that mean I won't see a midwife throughout this pregnancy? In the past I have been consultant led but with midwife appointments (only 2 consultant appointments during that time)

I'm consultant led my still see my midwife, it just means extra appointments and you will give birth in the labour ward not a midwife leg unit

You see your community midwife for routine appointments but also have extra clinic appointments with a consultant. You'll probably give birth on the consultant ward which is overseen by the drs.

It'll depend on your trust and also why you're consultant led. I was consultant led due to epilepsy, didn't see a midwife at all until 32 weeks (other than the booking appointment where I saw the specialist one) when they decided I should probs have an appointment with the midwife too to introduce myself. This then resulted in a lot of confusion when I walked in heavily pregnant and they'd never seen me before.

I've had this with every pregnacy. I still see midwife at normal intervals but have a couple of consultant appointments as well. Also with have to labour in a hospital with doctors near by just in case. Didnt need them in the end.

I’ve been consultant led care! Saw my consultant 3 times and expect to see her again on Saturday when I’m induced (she booked me in for her working weekend deliberately)
She also requested I see my MW fortnightly from my first consultant app at 16weeks! And a few weeks after that and a phone consultation from MW to consultant they said I needed seeing weekly so I’ve had shared care between MW, nurse at gp surgery and then my 3 apps with consultant!
So in my experience consultant led care definitely doesn’t mean you don’t see your mw lol! I should think mines sick of the sight of me lol x

It means that when you go to clinic they want you to be seen by the consultant and not the registrar/junior doctors. Are you high risk? You will still have midwife appointments like before.

Thank you - my last pregnancy was consultant led but midwife too so I was just a bit confused by the wording of this.

Thanks @Darkstar4855 That's interesting as last time while I was consultant led I only ever saw the registrar.

At booking they said I would be low risk which I didn't really believe but I saw a stand-in midwife as my named one was off sick. I am 40, my BMI was 30.67 and I have had pre-eclampsia in first pregnancy and shoulder dystocia in last pregnancy so figured I would be higher risk!

Aside from midwife at 7 week booking appointment I am not due to see a midwife now until 28 weeks - but I have been led to believe that appointment will be consultant too.

I am also consultant led. I still see my midwife as frequently as anyone else, but also have consultant appointments too (but my consultant isn’t really interested until I reach 28 weeks).

@Teddybear45 I was given a schedule of appointments at my booking appointment which said

12 weeks scan
16 weeks consultant OR midwife (I have received an appointment letter)
20 weeks scan
28 weeks consultant OR midwife
34 weeks consultant OR midwife
36 weeks consultant OR midwife
38 weeks consultant OR midwife
40 weeks consultant OR midwife

So on that basis I won't see midwife until at least 28 weeks - but I was told because of risk of gestational diabetes I'd probably have this appointment with the consultant. So I might not see a midwife until 34 weeks?! Seems very late!

It might be that with your history in previous pregnancies they’ve decided to do away with midwife care entirely. It’s my first pregnancy and I’m considered higher risk for preclampsia and gestational diabetes so if I do start displaying symptoms I imagine my consultant appointments will ramp up and my midwife appointments will reduce.

My schedule was as below but I have access to my mw via phone and so I go to her for everything even slightly abnormal. She has often made a GP / Labour ward appointment for me.

10 weeks - Midwife
13 weeks - Scan
16 weeks - Midwife
20 weeks - Scan and Consultant
25 weeks - Glucose Test and Midwife.
30 weeks - Various Consultant appointments / monthly mw appts start.

@tisonlymeagain as mentioned, I only met the midwife at my 32 or 34 week appointment because the consultant felt I should "introduce" myself to them. Then for any appointments onwards she wanted me to have one with the midwife on one day and one with the consultant (I never saw registrars either, just consultant consultants although she sometimes had junior people with her) literally the following day as that was when she did her clinic. I also had scans every 2-3 weeks from 20 weeks, plus diagnosed with OC at around 30ish weeks, so it felt like I was never at work. I gave birth at 36+6 so didn't have 38 week onwards appointments but they would also have been one with the midwife and one with the consultant. I've only been pregnant once so assumed it was normal in high risk pregnancies. Query it if you're not sure?