How long is normal to wait for an appointment?

[Hell19art]

Hi everyone! I found out last Friday that I'm pregnant. It's a total shock and very scary as it's my first one, and also I'm 38 so know I'm considered 'old' by doctors etc... anyway, I applied for 'early bird' self referral to see the midwife for the booking appointment and have been given my appointment which is on 21st Feb - which is another 3 weeks away! Is it normal not to see anyone at all until this time? By this date I'll be 9 weeks pregnant and not spoken to anyone?

Is it normal to go straight to the midwife and skip out the GP? Or should I try see the GP first?

I've also seen a few posts about private scans. I think this is something I'd want to do as I'm going to Scotland in March where my parents live, by which time I'll be 11 weeks. What's the ideal time to get a scan do you think?

Thanks ladies! I'm completely new to this so any advice is welcomed

@HomerSimpsonSmilingPolitely No - you're fielded to the midwives straightaway at my surgery. The only time I've seen my GP in pregnancy is when i was ill with a UTI and when I kept getting migraines.

@HomerSimpsonSmilingPolitely the system has changed, at least in my area. With my first two kids I went to see the gp first and then the midwive. This time i had to skip the gp and self refer directly to the midwife

I've just been given my booking in appointment for 8.5 weeks - like you it'll be my first contact with a healthcare professional. I was a little surprised, but then thinking it through, I realised what are they supposed to do for me before then? As long as everything seems to be going fine I guess there's no point in me wasting NHS time 🤷‍♀️

@SnoozyLou Yeah, I'm actually new in my area and only had to go to my docs once and oMg the receptionists are horrible. So I'm relieved I don't have to have anything to do with them and managed to self refer online!

I was 35 and went to GP at about 5ws. Receptionist not remotely interested and referred to MW team. I think I had a booking appointment about 11 weeks followed by first scan at 12/13 weeks. I was quite disappointed as I wanted to shout it from the roof tops and was shocked no-one actually cared at least for the first month or so ;-)

@sel2223 ohhh I didn't know that either. I don't feel so old now ... I think if I do get a private scan I'd wait till about 10 weeks anyway. It's seems like so long away, but time will fly. Sorry to hear you are high risk. That must be so stressful. I'm wishing you a smooth and easy time!

There isn't anything they CAN do before then. And of course, sadly it's not uncommon to miscarry before that point of course.

Though that sounds insensitive in a way I didn't mean!

@LittleBoyJuly2020 Thanks so much. I'm so glad to hear that the timings are normal. As soon as I found out I started taking the pregnancy vitamins, am trying to eat healthy and gentle exercise etc.. hopefully time flies to the 1st app and the scan.. it just doesn't feel real at the moment!

@bluemoon2468 yeah I guess it makes sense. It's great that we can just self refer these days and have no contact with a gp (unless we need to).. so you must be about 6weeks now too? Congratulations!

@TheresWaldo yeah I get that. There's nothing they can do up until and certain point and with the risks in the 1st trimester that's probably why they wait.. but that's also what makes it so scary being 'on your own' though for the first few weeks! Hopefully time flies..

Its a weird feeling I remember. YOU know but hardly anyone else does and you're all excited but exactly nothing happens. And I was lucky with little morning sickness etc and had no symptoms except tiredness.

It comes round quick enough! Mines 16 next month :-)

Congratulations.

I had a booking appointment at 5 week's. Then my scan app came through for when I was 13 weeks.
I booked a private scan for 9 weeks as I was so unwell with pregnancy sickness I needed a pic to cheer me up and know all was well while I felt so rubbish!