First midwife appointment

[mummyb201303]

Got my first midwife appointment today and I am scared ..

What happens ?

They ask you questions about your / family medical history. Chat through general stuff and take some blood

Why are you scared?

Do your weight, check BP, go through medical history. Give you your maternity notes. Ask you your Lmp so they can estimate how far along you are and book you in for your dating scan. Depending where your appointment is (mine was via gp surgery) they will either take bloods there or you will have go elsewhere for them done nothing to be scared about at all.

Just scared cos it's the unknown. Do they check heartbeat ?

@mummyb201303 no heart beat check, it's just an information gathering exercise. You don't really get any baby related stuff until the 12 week scan. On your booking in appointment baby is way too small to do the heartbeat.

They don't check the heartbeat until 20-something weeks (although I think in some places they do slightly earlier). There's nothing to be scared of, there's just a load of questions to go through to determine whether you're low or high risk. Possibly blood tests depending on your area, they don't do them until the 12 week scan where I am.

I'm about 8 weeks. I'm just so nervous as doing it alone x

Have you no one to go with you? It's literally nothing but an apppintment will take around 20 mins/half hour if that.

I felt the exact same going to mine! I’m doing it alone too. It’s nothing to worry about, they just asked general questions, checked my weight, blood pressure and a urine sample. I got a pregnancy book and a little pack with leaflets and samples in it.

Depends on where you are, I have had the heartbeat checked at every appointment so far, and a scan at each appointment. 7 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 20 weeks. The 7 week was an internal scan.

Perhaps should have been clearer - heartbeat will always be checked at scans, but they can't check it with the Doppler (at your midwife appointments) until later.

I'm going to a community centre for my first appointment today

At mine they just asked millions of questions about my health etc, the baby's fathers health, medical conditions that run in families so diabetes etc. They then took some blood and that was it.

Oh well they have just cancelled it as the heating isn't working in the building so now I will get a text to reschedule ...

My booking in was 2hrs! Loads of forms, blood pressure and weight done plus a load of bloods. Then a pile of leaflets to go with your notes.
Take a drink and a snack when they rearrange it.

Oh and urine sample too.

Not all midwives will use the doppler to measure fetal heartbeat at any of the antenatal appointments. I was disappointed when mine did not.

Booking in appt lasted about 1hr and a half. Then i had to make a separate appt for blood. They didn't ask for urine at the thine but to bring it into drs surgery when I went back to give blood.

Mw appts are generally boring. Nothing to be worried about.

I think they actually prefer to see you alone for your booking in appointment. If your partner is there, he'd be asked to step out while they ask about home situation and (basically) give you a chance to say openly if you have any concerns for your and baby's safety. I actually found it a really nice appointment - MW me to really want to get to know about me and my life and my partner and our life together. Nothing to worry about at all.

Do prep yourself on his family's medical history first though - particularly diabetes, heart problems and hearing problems.

You'll be fine!

Second taking a snack and a drink! Mine took about an hour and half including the wait for blood test. They took my height, weight, BP, urine dip and asked some questions about my last period etc. Talked me through some information leaflets and what would happen next in the appointment process. Then I had to wait for my blood test on the pathology area, and really needed a drink and snack by then as MS was still in full flow!!! That was called a "pre-booking" apt, and then about 3 weeks later I had my full booking apt where they asked me questions about my medical history.