When do I inform the midwife I’m pregnant

[Mayhammonkey]

Hello. As the title says really. I’ve just found out I’m pregnant. I’m only four weeks so know this is so early I don’t want to get the ball rolling for a couple of weeks if that makes sense. I ovulated late so know I’m only four weeks but if we go off my LMP I will be almost 5.5 weeks. When would you speak to them?

Surely you have to go to your GP first? Wait until you are two months, then see your doctor and things will be put in motion. Congratulations and good luck.

Where I am you dont need to go to the gp.
I just went on the hospital maternity website and self referred myself to the midwives, did that at about 5 weeks (because letters can take ages to come) and they do the rest :)

Call your GP they will either refer you or they will inform you how to self refer (mine now insists on the latter). They will then send you a list of your appointments and that’s that.

You may as well ring them and get the ball rolling. I don’t think going to the GP first is as common as it used to be, certainly isn’t done in my area anyway.

Congrats! I'm 5+3 weeks, yesterday I phoned the GP and filled in the necessary for over the phone, they've sent it to the maternity department and they'll be in touch for booking in apparently.

Last time I was booked in at around 8 weeks but I'm not sure how Covid 19 is affecting the appointments?

GP won't be interested, you need to go straight to the midwife, call your doctors and ask to be put through to the community midwife. These days home pregnancy tests are just as accurate as tests they do in the doctors so GPs won't see you any more. Congratulations!!

Google your hospital + maternity self referral and you’ll find what you need.

The booking appointment is ideally done before 10 weeks but it can be done between 8-12 weeks, so I’d contact your MW now to book you in as they are often busy.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/antenatal-appointment-schedule/

I just phoned the GP a few days after I found out and they gave me an email address to contact the midwives. Did that and they contacted me a week later to say a midwife would call on x date to do my booking appointment over the phone (because of Covid). I was 8 weeks at booking in. Go off LMP because that's what they will for your dating scan. If you have that too early because your ovulation was late they'll just get you back a week later. Congrats!

GP won't be interested, you need to go straight to the midwife

not true. In my area only the GP can refer you to the community midwifery team, although the GP never actually sees you. Best place to start OP is to check your local NHS website, if there's the option to self refer then do that. If there isn't, call your GP

Yeah, I looked up the hospital website and it said you could self-refer to maternity so I filled in an online form and they sent the letter through for my booking in appt. I found out at the start of December so I did it straight away in case christmas slowed things down - got the appointment just before Xmas for booking in on NYE when I was 8 weeks exactly.

@Lynda07 most areas are self referral to a midwife for the booking appointment which happens between 8-12 weeks.

Every area has a different referral system so ring your gp surgery and ask. You won't see anybody at this gestation but that doesn't mean that you don't need to get an appointment date booked in.

I was seen by the gp when I fell pregnant in 2017, it was a completely unnecessary appointment and I felt bad for using up a space someone more needing could have used. Self referring is the thing to do now I think, but I have no idea how to do it 🤷‍♀️

Yes ring your gp surgery and ask. In my area the GP needs to refer to the midwife.

You don't need to see GP where I am. It's a waste of their valuable time. Straight to midwife around 9 or 10 weeks to allow for first scan to be booked in time. If you book midwife too early it feels like forever waiting for that scan date!

Best place to check for midwife referrals is your local hospital maternity department website, GPs generally don’t have any involvement with MWs as 1. Not all MW appointment are held in GP surgeries and 2. Even if the midwife has clinics at the GP surgery the MW office can be located else where and MWs run their own appointment schedule and don’t report in to GPs

I've been pregnant in 2 different trusts and both times I just phoned the doctors and asked the receptionist what I needed to do next and both times they referred me to the midwifery team and set up my first appointment for around 8 weeks.

Until the date is adjusted at the 12 week dating scan they will work off of your last menstrual dates so you would be almost 6 weeks pregnant to them even though you know your dates are a bit different. So I'd ring fairly soon as they need to get you in for your booking appointment. With Covid it's possible that it will be over the phone but it's still by appointment.

Thank you for all your replies. Will have a look now for self referral failing that will call GP receptionist on Monday. 🤗