Northern Ireland Booking Scan

[CoffeeMonkey]

Hi Everyone!

I’m 7 wks +3 with my first pregnancy and just wondering if anyone has any recent experience in Northern Ireland that they can share re when they got first contact from midwife & when they had their booking appointment & first scan?

My GP sent referral through two weeks ago & I’m sure it’s probably still a little early to hear anything but I’m finding the waiting game a little tricky!

Thanks so much

I got my letter when I was around 8 weeks for 12 wk appointment u can do a self referral online too direct to them if u google it that's what I done rather than go through the gp hope this helps

Thanks so much @Noneyerbuisness11234, that’s really helpful, hopefully I’ll hear something over next week or so!

Hi @CoffeeMonkey
I am a bit further on than you and I remember the GP sent the referral and I got a phone call from the hospital a couple of weeks before the 12 week scan. I didn't have an appt before that as they were not doing booking appts until after the 12 week scan due to Covid. Had my scan and bloods done and then booking appt over the phone with the midwife. But like I said this may be done face to face now I am not sure.

Hi, I got my letter around 9 weeks for my 12 week scan after filling in the online form at 5 weeks! x

Thanks @oldermama2021 & @NewbieMummy2 for your replies as well, just nice to know what other people’s experiences have been recently with this step of the process. Trying not to worry but feel a bit in limbo until the first scan makes it ‘official’ & I’m thinking maybe then it’ll all feel a bit more real!

@CoffeeMonkey I felt the same way and anyone else I had spoken to about their experiences had their baby pre covid.
I had my 12 week scan and then my appointment over the phone, I'm now 28 weeks so at my 12 week my partner wasn't allowed in with me.
It's such a weird time to be pregnant isn't it x

Glad it’s not just me @NewbieMummy2!
This is all so new to me but think it’s even stranger at this time. Sorry your partner wasn’t allowed with you for your 12 week, can’t get my head round that at all when people can go out to pubs etc, doesn’t make much sense! Hope things change for your next appts & birth x

After my GP made the referral at 7 weeks I got a letter at 10 weeks for my booking appointment at the Ulster for 12 weeks. For the actual appointment, I went inside for the scan and bloods by myself then had to wait in my car and do the appointment over the phone with the midwife, then drop the file back into them and made the rest of my appointments at reception. That was in May and by the time it came to the 20 week scan in July my husband was able to come into the scan with me, which was wonderful.

Hi all sorry to jump on after! Did you all see your GP to confirm?

I'm only 5 weeks but I was told by the GP to do the self-referral form from the HSCNI website that they didn't need to see me. I know it's still quite early and it's my first so I'm a bit nervous (and new) to the whole thing!

COVID is changing the goal posts so quickly but my GP is has never been great. Just wanted to see if this was normal?

My GP made me bring in a urine sample to confirm & then they give me contact details for Midwife to ring. Met midwife at 8 weeks, bloods done height & weight etc, "booking in" was over the phone then straight after. Letter came for 12 week app about 2 weeks later, this was back in July though could be different again now. Ill be seeing midwife for 25 week app now in 2 weeks, first time seeing them since 8 weeks!

@angc30 my GP didn’t do anything to confirm the pregnancy but sent the referral through same day. I received my letter for booking appt & scan last week when I was almost 9 weeks & have them in three weeks time when I’ll be just over 12 weeks. This is my first as well so I understand how you feel about everything being new & nervy! Also hard to know what the norm is for these appts with Covid.