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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

No face to face apps for a while?

18 replies

sept2021 · 14/01/2021 19:06

I'm 4+6 right now and I self referred on monday (Liverpool womens) and they got back in touch with me with a booking appointment on the 1st Feb, except its not a face to face appointment its just a telephone call? By then I'll be 7 and a half weeks, is this typical for being pregnant during the covid outbreak?

With my last I found out when I was 6 weeks and my booking appointment was at 6+4 and she did my height, weight, blood pressure, took a blood sample, urine sample and also gave me a pregnancy pack that contained information leaflets and a bottle of healthy start vitamins. I'm so surprised because the letter just says that during the phonecall they will book an ultrasound then have a midwife appointment at 16 weeks but I feel anxious not seeing a midwife for the next 12 weeks.

OP posts:

OhThatNamingThing · 14/01/2021 19:13

My first booking app was a telephone call, I met the midwife at 12 weeks for bloods and height and weight check. All of my other apps have been face to face, but it’s different depending on where you are

MsHedgehog · 14/01/2021 19:39

That seems normal now. The first time I saw the midwife was at week 16.

Booking appt was at 8 weeks on the phone. Ultrasound at 12 weeks and they took all my measurements then. Then midwife at week 16.

Thisisbananas3 · 14/01/2021 19:49

I had my booking appointment today, I’m over 10 weeks. It was face to face but it could have been done on the phone and I could have had blood/wee test done at my local surgery. She took my blood pressure but couldn’t take my height or weight, we went through a tick box questionnaire about health history and I was given a booklet with a schedule of appointments.

My scan is booked for 14 weeks, as far as I know no midwife present, my 16 week midwife appointment is scheduled for a half hour telephone call.

I’m in London so will be different but I do think it seems quite hands off. They’ll have to take bloods and your wee so imagine you might get that at the scan instead?

KateColx · 14/01/2021 21:03

I think it differs quite a lot across different hospital trusts etc., but all of my midwife apps have still been face to face. X

PutOnAHappyFace · 14/01/2021 22:25

I'm also at the women's I have my scan next week and booking in but I'll be 14 weeks (booking in late as I was with recurrent miscarriage clinic so they see you for first few weeks). So I'm not sure if you will get your bloods etc done at your scan? Maybe?

Also from the 19th it's all electronic so no paper notes so guessing another reason not to be face to face.

physicskate · 14/01/2021 23:08

My first face to face with mw was 28 weeks (2nd baby). I did see a consultant after 20 week scan to discuss pph and thyroid though. A mw did check my urine, blood pressure etc...

Lou98 · 14/01/2021 23:13

I'm in Scotland but I had my booking appointment at 6/7 weeks at the end of September and it was over the phone but I got asked to go to my local surgery to have bloods and urine test done and they gave me the vitamins and leaflets. It's my first baby after a MC earlier on in the year though so that could be why they did it before 12 weeks but I'm not sure. After that I had my 12 week scan where I spoke to the midwife and got my flu jag, my 16 week appointment with the midwife was on the phone then had my 20 week scan at the hospital and I've just had my 22 week midwife appointment which was in person

Original poster

sept2021 · 14/01/2021 23:23

wow I had no idea it was so distanced! I did try to book a doctors app for the past week, they tell you to ring up on the day before 8am and when you do you're on hold forever and when you get through all the appointments are gone :( i've even said that i'm pregnant and they just say 'ring up tomorrow' so its pretty annoying that I wont see anyone for a while!

OP posts:

Chanel05 · 15/01/2021 03:42

I think this is very normal for the time @sept2021 . I had my daughter in September and I was VERY lucky to have all my appointments face to face. I had 5 friends also due in September and none had this experience. One friend didn't see a midwife face to face between 8-32 weeks and she was high risk!

110APiccadilly · 15/01/2021 03:56

This is typical at the moment, I had face to face appointments at 12 and 20 weeks (16 weeks was over the phone), then every 4 weeks from 20 weeks onwards. I think they'd have become 2 weekly or weekly towards the end, but she arrived at 38 weeks anyway.

Bluebirdinmyheart · 15/01/2021 04:24

All trusts will have different policies but they will be reducing face to face contact. I had a baby in the summer, booking in and 12 week scan were as normal as they were before March. After this I had to attend the 20 week scan alone. I only saw a midwife at 32 and 36 weeks. They also moved all appointments to a central hub that was 15 miles away instead of the usual 2 miles.

Wherethereshope · 15/01/2021 05:38

What are you thinking you need to see the midwife for OP?

PFin · 15/01/2021 05:39

In Northern Ireland here have no contact with anyone till your 12 week scan!

TheDaydreamBelievers · 15/01/2021 08:21

It sounds bad @sept2021 but there is really no point in seeing your GP. Theres nothing for them to do! No one confirms a pregnancy in nhs now if that's what you were expecting? I sadly had a MMC but until then in NHS scotland I had:

9 weeks - midwife booking appt via telephone. Asked a bunch of Qs
10 weeks - scan, DH allowed to attend (they had my dates wrong, thought I was 12wks), also did urine bloods, height and weight
12 wk scan , DH not allowed to attend but they let him up when clear it was bad news

Original poster

sept2021 · 15/01/2021 11:46

Based on my last pregnancy I just assumed that it was still the done thing to see your gp/midwife face to face before the first scan to get all the height,weight,bmi,urine and blood sample, blood pressure etc done!
I remember last time I was pregnant it said on the pregnancy test instructions to get in touch with gp if positive, I did that and my doctor redid my preg test and referred me to midwife and done a few things like samples, blood pressure etc so I thought you always had one of them appointments around 7 weeks. This time I knew you could immediately just refer yourself so I did that but I did expect a bit more face to face contact! Either way I'm not too concerned about it now i've slept on it, I keep thinking back to my nans generation where they didnt even have ultrasounds and it makes me feel a bit better haha

OP posts:

JemimaTiggywinkle · 15/01/2021 11:51

They did all the checks you mentioned at my 12 week scan appointment. Makes sense to do it all at once to minimise the number of face to face appointments.

Chelyanne · 15/01/2021 12:02

When I was pregnant last year they sent me a booking app appointment for when I'd be over 10 week, o bloods appointment was booked. I was worried so booked a private scan fir 8wk, I miscarried that one at 9 week. Getting an appointment with epau was not easy. 1st the GP receptionist said we only have emergency appointments could I ring back on Monday (3 days later). Rang epau direct and they wouldn't help without referral, midwife team were lovely but again said it had to be GP and said to tell them I needed and emergency appointment. The earliest epau would scan me was 4 days time and that was 2 days too late as it all happened at home with no support and 5 kids to take care off. A total disgrace tbh!!
This time they have done my bloods this week, got other half of booking via phone next week (will be 9wk by then). So seems they have improved services a bit, still in limbo with a scan date though.
With our others I had scans dates through post before booking appointments but the midwife teams now request them after you're booking apps have taken place.

grandmasterstitch · 15/01/2021 12:19

I had half my booking appointment on the phone then went in for bloods, urine etc. 12 week scan followed by midwives, 16 week appointment f2f. 20 week with midwives after and then 25 week appointment despite it being my second baby. All midwife appointments should be face to face in my opinion. The only phone calls I have are with the consultant after each scan

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