Skipping an appointment - would you do it?

[NotThatKindOfDoctor]

I am 26+4 and have another appointment tomorrow which I just cannot be bothered with.

I would never normally skip a prenatal appointment but the amount of appointments for routine pregnancies here is too much in my opinion. I’ve already had 8 scans, and have another 4 to go (including tomorrow). I just had one a week and a half a go and they said everything was fine. My blood pressure is fine. Lots of movement from baby. We have to have our bloods taken every month here as well, all fine.

The only problem I have is bloody thrush (it’s not unbearable but it is thrush so not fun) and it’s the only thing they never do anything about. So I don’t fancy going in for another internal (to check my cervix is closed - they check every time) and another scan. I have work to do, I’m tired and I’m a bit fed up with being prodded to be honest.

I have another two scanned booked for the 17th and the 19th of December (one with my regular doc, one with the guy who does your anomaly scans) so it’s not like it will be ages until my next appointment. And should anything problematic occur in the meantime, I can get an appointment the same day with my gyny.

So my question is - in these circumstances, do you think it’s bad to skip an appointment?

Are they checking your cervix because you're high risk? I had regular checks because I was high risk and wouldn't have missed one, my cervix shortened by 1cm in just a week, had I not gone I could have ended up in pre term labour, instead I was given progesterone pessaries, and steroid injections and closely monitored.

Are u in the uk? As that is way more appointments that what most women get, tbh I would take and go to everything that was offered after having a 28 weeker I wish I had been seen that often in my first pregnancy and it may have been prevented, this pregnancy I'm seen every two week to check cervix and wouldn't miss an app

I understand where you're coming from, but could you live with yourself if something wasn't picked up? There must be a reason why you're booked in for so many appointments

Not high risk, this is a normal appointment schedule here in France. I’ve just had a scan less than two weeks ago, baby was perfect, cervix was fine, blood pressure good, lots of movements from baby since. They just love an appointment here.

It does sound a bit excessive. But on the other hand, I wish we had more in the UK. Here, you get 2 poxy scans if you are low risk. It's really not great for keeping your mind at ease.

That’s a crazy amount! Scan at 12 weeks and 20 weeks here and that’s it. I’m getting an extra at 38 weeks as baby was big at 20 but that’s not standard at my trust, and no internal exams and bloods only once at the start. Maybe ring your doctor and explain and see what they say? But if you were here none of this would be happening and you and baby would almost certainly be fine so imagine it would be low risk to miss!

Those are exactly my thoughts @SarahFrances89. I had my other kids in the UK, so it feels excessive. Don’t get me wrong, it has been nice to have more scans, but I usually have 2 or 3 appointments a month, minimum, often I have to make arrangements to pick my other kids up late/drop them off early at school - which at the moment is obviously not simple. I’m just tired, and would quite like to just not go. Like I said, I already have another 2 scans (having just had one the end of last month) for the middle of the month anyway, and being low risk, it just feels like one that I could safely skip.

Oh I wish we had that many appointments here (though it does seem rather excessive for a low risk pregnancy) I was lucky enough to have an early scan at 8 weeks and have my 12 weeks next week. The month wait has been horrible, I just want to see my baby again and be assured everything is going well (complete loss of symptoms at 9 weeks so have been worrying) After this scan, I won’t be seen again for another 8 weeks. It’s my first ever pregnancy so I’m anxious and didn’t realise just how much we are left to it 😔

Can you contact them and maybe say you’re a bit under the weather and could you reschedule or just come to the next appointment next week?! I’d rather give them a heads up than just not show.

If I decide not to go I will definitely cancel the appointment, it would be incredibly rude to just not show up. I suppose I'll see how I feel in the morning, but unless I feel a lot better than I do today, I can't see myself going.

Also in France but not as far along as you.
From what I have read if you miss appointments it can make you ineligible for maternity benefits. So that might be worth thinking about.
I didn't think that there were quite as many scans/ checks as you seem to be having though so perhaps not all of them are compulsory?
Already fed up with the near constant blood tests though!

I’ve only had so many scans because my gyny said he might as well do a scan whenever I’m there, and he prefers to see his patients once a month, so I think a lot of it is down to who is in charge of your care. Then you get your anomaly scans (12, 20 and 32 I think) with a specialist. Then the midwife wanted to do a scan. No idea why and in fact my gyny didn’t know either. Then I had an extra one because they wanted to check a measurement - everything was fine. I have to be honest and say instead of every 4 weeks for bloods etc, I’ve been pushing it to every 5. I’m booked in for 3 scans this month (one extra because doc was on holiday so he wanted to catch up 🤷🏻‍♀️), a cervix check no doubt and more bloods. It’s a lot.

I am my own boss so I’m not claiming maternity benefits as it were, I’ll just work as/when I want. My husband also works for himself, and it’s not my first baby so as soon as I’m recovered from the birth, we’ll sort our schedules out between us and it means we both get to hang out with the baby as much as we want.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, hope it all goes smoothly and the blood tests don’t drive you mad!