When did you book your first appointment?

[jessica81]

Hi everyone

So I called my doctor yesterday to tell them I was 5 weeks pregnant and to book an appointment. I (perhaps naively) thought they would make an appointment then for a few weeks time, but the receptionist was really dismissive and questioned why I was calling if I'm only 5 weeks and haven't had any problems? I just apologised and she told me to call back when I'm 8 weeks to book an appointment.

I'm a bit frustrated because it's really difficult to get time off work at short notice (I'm a nanny so can hardly walk out and leave the kids and my bosses can't take time off at the drop of a hat) also google said I should phone my GP as soon as I find out I'm pregnant so that's what I did but was left feeling really stupid

Has anyone else had the same experience?

I was told by my doctor to contact the antenatal unit at the local hospital and that they would provide me with a form to fill in and send to. The hospital contacted me a few days later to make a booking appointment.

I was the same as you though! I thought I had to arrange an appointment with the doctor first too!

Thanks @MummyLE can I ask how far along we're you when they 'allowed' you to book an appointment?

My doctors surgery has a midwife team based there so I will need to call them to make an appointment but she just made me feel like such an idiot for calling at 5 weeks! just worried when I call at 8 weeks they will say 'come in on Tuesday' and I won't be able to get the time off at short notice! I think the midwife team are only in once a week so not much leeway

I rang within the week that I found out I was pregnant so I was probably around 5 weeks too! The booking appointment will be arranged for about 8 weeks so best to get it in the diary I say!

I booked mine in directly with the midwife literally as soon as I found out. I had my booking appointment at 8 weeks. It should ideally be done before you are 10 weeks pregnant so I don’t know why your doctors are being arsey, it’s perfectly reasonable to call to arrange your booking appointment at this stage.

You've not done anything stupid at all, you ring when you find out you're pregnant and make the booking appointment for around 8 weeks. Congratulations!

@Nat4392 thanks I didn't think it was too unreasonable essentially calling book an appointment in 3 weeks time. You would think the more notice the better for them!

Knowing my luck I'll call when im 8 weeks and get told off for not booking sooner! No idea if I will even manage to get the time off!

@cretelover thanks so frustrating they wouldn't just book the appointment would have taken no time at all

kind of made me feel like they didn't want to book it yet in case I didn't get to 8 weeks which made me feel a bit shit!

@jessica81 Im also 5 weeks pregnant and spoke to my doctors today They gave me the details to contact our local maternity centre and I already have my first appointment booked.

Check your local hospital maternity unit website-ours you can contact them direct, they do booking appt/Datong scan etc then the community midwife at your drs surgery takes over at 16 weeks. No need for GP at all x

Congratulations!

Every trust is different. In some areas, you go to the GP who refers you to the midwife, some you contact the midwife yourself. You could have a google for your local community midwives and see how best to contact them.

I went to the GP at 5 weeks, who just checked my BP and referred me for my booking in appointment around 8 weeks and they referred me to the antenatal dept at my chosen hospital for my 12 week scan

@Laney79 thanks I've just checked my local hospitals website and it says to contact your GP. I guess I will just wait until 8 weeks and see what they say

Thanks everyone for confirming that I wasn't totally out of line for contacting them even if that is how the receptionist made me feel!

I felt really crap and embarrassed after the phone call and wasn't sure if it was justified or me being over sensitive! Probably a bit of both haha

Congratulations!
I think they all operate a bit differently. I filled out a self referral form online and had a call from the midwife team to arrange booking appointment. First time round was about an hour appointment in person. This time the booking in appointment was by phone and only about 30 mins. Think I had mine around 9-10 weeks.

I wouldn't wait til 8 weeks, i'd ring again hope for a different receptionist and say you need to book your booking appointment with the midwife for around three weeks time. Good luck!

I rang at 6 weeks and booking in appointment was at 8 weeks. Could you call back and ask to speak to someone else? Congratulations on your news, sorry you were made to feel silly!

I think I'd be too scared to ring back in case I got the same one again she really had no time for me and would not appreciate me ringing again 😂 maybe I'll leave it until 7 weeks hopefully she'll find that a bit less unreasonable!

I had similar. When I was pregnant last time I called up at 5 weeks and they were dismissive. I sadly miscarried before I had any appointments booked in (although the midwife did call post MC to book the booking appt even though the EPU said they'd let them know...) I'm now pregnant and called at 8 weeks and was told I should've called earlier and that they were going to struggle to get me in at 10 weeks.

Now I've been playing phone tennis with the midwife since Wednesday and it's just getting a bit frustrating that they seem to expect me to be attached to my phone all day.

Booked mine at 6 weeks, saw midwife at 8 weeks.

I had similar. It is what google says to do!

I had the exact same thing. A curt "we don't refer till 6 weeks. Call back then"

Made me feel silly. This is my first, I don't know what I'm doing! Anyway I'll call back in 1.5 weeks and hope I get a friendlier lady answer the phone. Good luck to you OP

I wouldn't rush to book in i got my booking appointment at 10 weeks 5 days I was happy witg that

Receptionist can be total asses. My GP receptionist asked me to phone back after the weekend when I was having bleeding in my last pregnancy, would have been too late by then as I mc on the Sunday.

You are right to get an appointment ASAP so that you can be referred to the midwife team.
Ours is self referral online. I filled in forms at about 6wk, had booking apps in 2 parts between 8&9wk. Our trust does paperless letters now too so I got my scan letter through the same day my midwife referred me for it.

As an organised person, I've felt everything is left quite last and it's just rather unnecessarily stressful! Called at maybe 6 weeks, they then suggested booking in at 11 weeks then realised I would struggle to get a scan in time so changed it to 10. Scan ended up being 13 weeks something - it doesn't leave much room for error with your dates and certain screening can't be done after 14 weeks. I'd imagine it's also the norm to need notice to book time off work but the NHS absolutely doesn't seem able to operate with that in mind.

Funny thing is I used to be a doctors receptionist So I know how annoying people can be

@Subordinateclause I didn't know they what sort of things do they only look for at the 12 week scan?

Ring back! I rang ours at 5 weeks she referred me to community midwives and within a few days I had screening booklet and booking appt booked.

They need to know incase things go wrong?

I agree with @FTEngineerM, definitely ring back. I called mine as soon as I found out I was pregnant (5 weeks) and they gave me a website link to my local hospital and I had to complete a form online. Two days later I had a midwife contact me to book in my booking appointment at 8 weeks.

Around 7 1/2 weeks (so before my booking appointment) I had a bleed which I was concerned about. As my doctors knew of my pregnancy, they called the early pregnancy unit for me and got me a referral for an early scan. So I definitely wouldn’t leave it. If the same receptionist answers again tell her that you want to know how to go about booking your first appointment in for a few weeks time. If that isn’t via your doctors surgery then she should tell you that and tell you how to go about arranging it. If you don’t get any joy, ask to speak with another receptionist. Good luck!