How many midwife appointments do you have during pregnancy?

[wondering7777]

So far I’ve had a booking-in appointment and have my 16 week appointment coming up. How many more midwife appointments are there after that?

Does anyone know how many routine scans you’re given as well - is it just the 12 week and 20 week?

I think it varies by area and also by which pregnancy you are on. With my first I had more midwife visits than with my second.
Have you been given a folder to put notes in? That usually has a page for each midwife visit so you can look through and see what to expect.

The 12 and 20 week are the only routine scans.

It'll be different in different areas. I had two scans (12 and 20), and appointments at 8 weeks, 16 weeks, 22 weeks, 28 weeks, then I think it was 34, 36, 38, and I was due to go in on 40 but baby came on his due date.

Depends if you are midwife led or consultant led, and also varies by area. There was an interesting thread about this the other week where I found out that my experience isn't standard. I've already been given dates for routine scans every 4 weeks from 28 weeks...

We have 12, 20 and 36 weeks scans

I was hoping there might be another scan between 20 weeks and giving birth to check that everything is ok - otherwise it seems like a long time to wait without seeing the baby!

Depends if you are midwife led or consultant led

My area is midwife led!

My area has the same standard ones as DivGirl, but I ended up with loads more appointments and scans with my second as scans he was measuring small.

Thanks all. That sounds like a lot of midwife appointments, especially in the later stages!

Usually it’s just the two scans. Unless baby is lying in awkward position and they need you to come back to measure again or if baby needs monitoring as such. You could always book for a third private scan if you want OP.

You are generally transferred to consultant led if there's something not straight forward about your pregnancy, so your baby measuring , gestational diabetes, breech etc. As I said in my pp I had many extra scans and would have much preferred the standard two!

Areas aren’t midwife led or consultant led-individuals are, based on the pregnancy risk.
Your NHS trust website should tell you what you get as standard, google maternity services for your area.
A lot of areas are now doing a late pregnancy scan to check baby position before delivery, its not standard quite yet but is increasingly in use

This is what's in my appointment book which is for Birmingham, I'm consultant led and on my 3rd pregnancy so having extra to what's listed.

The further along you get then the closer the midwife appointments get..
So in my area its booking app, 16wk,25wk,28wk,31wk,34wk,36wk,38wk,40wk,41wk of course depending how your pregnancy is going and how far you get before you give birth.

My appointments upto now havnt really followed the standard as im measureing bigger etc. As for scans standard in most areas is 12week & 20 week... some places have started doing one later on also.
Ive had more due to growth scans.

If you wanted a scan after 20 week you can go private? If thats an option for you x

I'm on my 5th pregnancy at 45 years old. Consultant led. I've had

Midwife booking visit (10 weeks)
Scan 12 weeks
Midwife 16 weeks
Scan and consultant 20 weeks
Midwife 24 weeks ( MATB1 cert)
Growth Scan and consultant 28 weeks
And now nothing else until scan at 36 weeks.
Section booked in for 39 weeks.

It does seem like a very long wait. In my experience, we are all different and no two journeys are the same. The Bounty App has a list of the "normal" appointment schedule.

I think midwives are always willing to see you for a check up. I'm thinking I'll book one at 32 weeks to get my blood pressure checked #reassurance

It depends if you’re considered high risk or not. I am and so had mw appointments every 3-4 weeks from 10 weeks to 24. Then every 2 weeks until 34 (alternating with consultant appointments). I had my 3rd scan and final consultant appointment at 36, and now am having weekly mw appts until my induction

The further along you get then the closer the midwife appointments get..So in my area its booking app, 16wk,25wk,28wk,31wk,34wk,36wk,38wk,40wk,41wk

Why do they need to see you every two weeks in the run-up to the birth, out of interest? That's a lot of appointments!

You get more when it's coming up to D day as you should.

I'm assuming you wouldn't mind if they were all scans though?

2 scans and that's what you want as all is well. Scans later on in pregnancy are not comfortable experiences.

I’m classes as low risk but have been at the midwife three times in a week as they are keeping an eye on my blood pressure it really just depends how well your keeping.

I believe you get more appts in the last trimester as that's when things like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia are more likely to come on so they want to do urine dips for protein and sugars.

In my experience they were very quick appointments, in with you urine sample, quick dip, then a blood pressure check and sometimes a listen to heartbeat or belly measurement.

I did end up with GD so also had a couple of extra scans which showed a big but healthy baby, and a couple of consultant appts.

My triat does three scans as standard with third at 36 weeks. I think that practice is becoming more common

I had 8 weeks, 16, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40 and 41. With scans at 12 and 20 weeks.

have a look through your notes, i've got kind of a rough schedule in mine but unless you are at the same hospital it's unlikely to be the same. the novelty of scans and consultant appts has truly worn off for me, think yourself lucky if you are being left in peace with your midwife i wish i was!

As everyone says I think it just varies on different areas and if your under consultant the normal is only the 12 and 20 weeks scans unles you are referred for growth scans I'm currently 34+2 with baby number 4 and I have regular growth scans due to baby looking on the smaller side and because I'm.under consultant I dont see midwife I've seen her 4 times the whole pregnancy and wont be seing her again now just my consultant and hopefully be booked for my induction date

@wondering7777
You get more the further you get because they probably want to keep a closer eye on you as your closer to birth and as a pp has said some things can occur towards the end of pregnancy that would need to be checked ASAP.(of course they can occur earlier too) . The appointments are only around 20 mins each anyway. Literally check blood pressure, dip urine, feel for baby/measure bump, listen to baby's heartbeat and make sure everything is OK with you etc. X