When did you make booking appointment?

[Leah2501]

Hi,
I’m currently 4+4 and wondering when I should call to make my booking appointment. I can’t remember when I called for my first child. Did you call as soon as you found out or waited a couple of weeks?

I think I waited a week and then rang. Congrats!

In the past I’ve contacted them when I was about 6 weeks, but after one of my losses where I’d contacted them at 6 weeks and then ended up miscarrying a few days later, this time I won’t be contacting them to get booked in until I’ve had an early scan at 7 weeks and hopefully get confirmation things are ok.

Where I am they booking in is done between 8 and 9 weeks so still plenty of time.

do you need to self refer for maternity services? depends on which trust you are in but I self referred online at about 5 weeks and got a call about my booking appointment about 10 days later. My scan date came through the post too. If it's too early I'm sure they will let you know. I called early as I wanted it sorted and knew I'd forget

I didn't tell hubby for the 1st week after I confirmed with strong positive. I did self referral via my hospitals website at 6 weeks. Had my booking apps at 8wk bloods & 9wk phone call for history etc.
Our trust has gone paperless now too so I got my digital scan letter through the evening after my phone app. Got a consultant app within a couple of days too.

I referred online at my hospital as soon as I got a positive at 9dpo. I was called about a week later and eventually had a booking appointment at 10 weeks which the midwife called me the day before to arrange.

Depends on the trust - ours say to wait until 6 weeks until referring which I did, then got seen at bang on 10 weeks

I self referred and I got a letter inviting me to book in and have my scan in march, lol be nearly 14weeks! I'll have had no contact with a midwife or anything before this date. Does it seem late?

I waited for me second missed cycle, so my booking in was about 3 days before my 12 week scan. I'd had 2 early miscarriages/chemical pregnancies where as I'd let the surgery know (my trust is a Dr referal) and within a week or 2 I'd started bleeding.
I didn't enjoy making those second calls.

As soon as I found out at 4 weeks. Had a phone appointment at around 7 weeks and then in for bloods around 8 weeks

I did at maybe 5 weeks the first time, then miscarried, didn't the second time as I already miscarried at 4+5, and 7 weeks the third time - after my first loss I wanted to wait as it's horrible having to cancel if things go wrong, and statistically the earlier you are the more likely it is. I waited until after a private early scan to even bother with the booking appointment the third time. They'll have no problem fitting you in however late you leave it to be honest.

I called at 4+4 :)

I rang my GP at 4+2 (FTM, no idea what else I was meant to do) but don't seem to have been given a booking appointment? She said she'd refer me to the hospital (and I've had a letter for a scan at 11+4), but that that would be the first contact I would have with anyone. Is this correct?

When I spoke to GP she told me what I couldn't eat, asked about alcohol consumption & smoking, but that was literally it... (sorry for hijacking your thread OP)

There's no rush - appts are usually around 8-9wks and sometimes later but you can call GP and book whenever you like. In COVID my GP doesn't want to hear from you before 6 weeks but it's different everywhere. Be aware that the booking appt is long and dull!

Do have a read of the NHS website if you haven't already - there are vitamins you should take and foods to avoid that are quite important in first trimester and you wouldn't want to wait until the booking appointment to find that out.

@Jen435 you should get a booking appointment with a midwife. They basically fill in lots of details on a form which becomes your pregnancy notes which you take to all of your appointments for the rest of your pregnancy. Maybe give your GP office a call and ask if you can make a booking appointment or if there is one already booked. They need to know it's a booking appointment as they are longer than the usual antenatal MW appointments. It may be by phone during COVID.

@BlueberryPancake21 thanks - I'll give the GP/ hospital a ring just to double check, very weird that this wasn't mentioned originally but who knows why

Call as early as you can. I was told last time when I called at 5 weeks that was too early as the booking appointment isn't until 10 weeks. So this time I waited until 8.5 weeks and I'm not 10 weeks + with no appointment despite phoning the midwives every day this week because there's only one who can book my appointment in who is always in clinics and never calls me back and raaghhgh

Ahem so yes, I'd advise getting it in asap to avoid spending lots of time stressing.

I think I called at about 5 weeks. I think it's good to get the ball rolling. If the worst was to happen it's always good to have it all recorded in your notes for future referals anyway.

Thank you everyone. Thought I’d update you all, I called today and asked to be booked in. They said lucky I did as they were full and I now have an appointment when I’m 9 weeks.

@littleaurora yes, definitely ring and get your appointment changed, if you choose to have screening, you’ll be too late by then. They must have miscalculated, and we need to do your bloods ideally by 10 weeks too.

I didn't no I was pregnant until I was 5 weeks but I think I called my gp when I was 6 weeks xx