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Pregnancy

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Original poster

20min slot for first midwife appointment?

56 replies

LJZRBB · 06/02/2021 23:17

I’ve only been given a 20 min appointment for my first midwife appointment for when I am 7 and a bit week.

Do you think this could be the booking in appointment. Feels to short. The lady was no help on the phone when I rang to ask.

What do you think? What else could it be?

OP posts:

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LittleRa · 07/02/2021 09:27

When I saw the thread title I thought you were going to be saying wow 20 minutes is such a long time what will we do all that time! 15-20 mins is standard to take bloods, urine, blood pressure, height and weight and fill in a background form.

Someone saying their booking in appt was an hour... TWO hours?! Did you go private? Or do you have a very complicated obstetric and gynae history?

Over an hour is definitely not standard in NHS, 15-20 mins is. Don’t worry OP, they’ll get everything they need.

YouJustDoYou · 07/02/2021 09:33

Three children here, 20 mins is utterly standard. It's ages.

DappledThings · 07/02/2021 09:38

Someone saying their booking in appt was an hour... TWO hours?! Did you go private? Or do you have a very complicated obstetric and gynae history?
Not at all. First one just took that long to go through all the history questions and log them all on the system. I had had one miscarriage prior but that was just one quick question, otherwise all standard NHS care for a FTM with no complications.

With DC2 the 2 hours was inordinately long. She wanted a really detailed chat about DC1's birth. And there was a student there who was having all her questions checked so that did extend it a bit.

But at King's, where I was the appointment letter arrived warning you to expect at least an hour.

LittleRa · 07/02/2021 09:43

@DappledThings

Someone saying their booking in appt was an hour... TWO hours?! Did you go private? Or do you have a very complicated obstetric and gynae history? Not at all. First one just took that long to go through all the history questions and log them all on the system. I had had one miscarriage prior but that was just one quick question, otherwise all standard NHS care for a FTM with no complications.

With DC2 the 2 hours was inordinately long. She wanted a really detailed chat about DC1's birth. And there was a student there who was having all her questions checked so that did extend it a bit.

But at King's, where I was the appointment letter arrived warning you to expect at least an hour.

Wow, I’m surprised, but glad you were well looked after

Italiandreams · 07/02/2021 09:43

All booking in appointments round here are hour as standard too. Weight, bloods, urine etc and went through the questions in maternity notes booklet etc Easily took the hour. You don’t see a doctor or have any kind of phone consultation though so maybe that makes a difference

DappledThings · 07/02/2021 09:53

A lot of it was just inefficient data transfer. Form sent out with the appt. letter which I had filled in. Midwife then went through the entire form with me and transcribed each answer onto database. It was probably the typing that took longer than anything else!

If they had had a better system where you could complete the form online then the appt is just confirming answers and quickly discussing them it would have come in shorter. Still at least 30 minutes though I reckon.

SpamIAm · 07/02/2021 09:55

20 is standard here, maybe less, but I think 20 as that would be a double appointment and they do a bit more than at a standard appt. I'm in Wales and we get given the notes to take away and fill in all the questions, then there's a second appointment to go through all your answers and check whether you need extra support. Seems silly to me that some places do all this face-to-face - I have no idea about the medical history of mine and my DH's extended families without asking our mums anyway!

DappledThings · 07/02/2021 09:57

I'm in Wales and we get given the notes to take away and fill in all the questions, then there's a second appointment to go through all your answers and check whether you need extra support
Sounds like that splits what I had at a first appointment into two different appointments then. My first one was around 9-10 weeks and covered everything in one go.

Chica1990 · 07/02/2021 09:57

I had my first midwife appointment last week at 7+5 and it took an hour and a half! There were so many questions she had for me and took blood samples

BTV2000 · 07/02/2021 10:00

Hi, midwife here- I would recommend phoning and checking that you have been booked in for a ‘booking appointment’. In every hospital I have worked at these are an hour long to accommodate the forms needed to be filled in for medical, social history etc. giving you information about your pregnancy and getting consent for scans and referrals if necessary, blood tests, urine dip and blood pressure, oh- and any questions!!

Some hospitals are currently doing the actual appt online, with a shorter follow up for the physical tests e.g. bloods/urine/blood pressure.

I would just check that 1) the receptionists or whoever booked you the appt hasn’t selected the wrong option-I used to have to correct a fair few of these errors! 2) that if it is for a booking appointment, maybe double check that they aren’t sending you info via email or post to take with you as this may be the reason that the timing is slightly shorter.

Appointments following your booking in appt e.g 16 weeks etc. are generally 20 mins until you get to your 34 week appt which may be longer to go through details for the birth/feeding preferences discussion etc.

Equimum · 07/02/2021 10:08

Mine is 30 minutes at 10 weeks. Unlike before, I have been asked to complete several forms before I go, so I’m guessing they are saving time by not going through all the questions verbally.

Queenbee95 · 07/02/2021 10:19

My booking was about an hour and a half, with all 3 pregnancies.

I’m in Scotland, maybe it differs? 28 weeks now and I’ve had every appointment face to face and been there for at least 30 minutes each time

Jellybean81 · 07/02/2021 10:24

My booking appointment was over 2hours with this pregnancy (dc2). I do have a complicated history so the midwife allowed lots of time and I have difficult veins so the blood draw took a while. Got my 17 week appointment this week which will hopefully be more straightforward.

NotMeekNotObedient · 07/02/2021 10:26

I had mine recently. The actual talking with the midwife was about 20mins. But also had hight, weight, bloods, urine samples to do and a fair bit of waiting around.

To reduce the time the midwife dropped my green notes at my house and had me fill out the first two pages before the appointment.

BlueTimes · 07/02/2021 10:29

My booking in appointments have always been longer than 20 mins but also at a later gestation than seven weeks.

Miltonj · 07/02/2021 10:30

It does seem about standard, but everywhere will be a bit different.

For example, where I live, the booking in appointment is split into two, the first just to get your basic details and get you on the system and the second to go through family health and do urine and blood samples.

strawberriesontheNeva · 07/02/2021 10:31

That's normal

TheDaydreamBelievers · 07/02/2021 10:33

Seems to vary a lot - mine in oct was 10 mins by phone.

Shinyletsbebadguys · 07/02/2021 10:36

Granted my last booking appointment was 6 years ago and I had a double appointment because of issues with my first DC. That was only 30 minutes as a double.

First dc (granted that was 9 years ago now) was at 8 weeks but was only 15 minutes long and the longer appointment was at 12 weeks. I had found out I was pregnant in hospital at 5 weeks ( from bless her a confused doctor who asked me why I hadn't told her i was pregnant before being given medication and when i told her i wasn't because we couldn't conceive easily....led to a rather lovely moment for everyone as she smiled broadly and said i have some good news for you then ) , it felt odd that really the system didn't get involved heavily until 12 weeks.

It's normal on some areas.

MsHedgehog · 07/02/2021 10:40

My booking appointment was on the phone and took 2 hours...

Because of covid, my urine and blood was taken at the 12 week scan.

It does seem unusually short but maybe they split what they need to do between your booking appt and the 12 week scan?

LittleRa · 07/02/2021 10:49

@MsHedgehog

My booking appointment was on the phone and took 2 hours...

Because of covid, my urine and blood was taken at the 12 week scan.

It does seem unusually short but maybe they split what they need to do between your booking appt and the 12 week scan?

Two hours on the phone?! Wow!

Ladsladslads · 07/02/2021 11:07

Mine was 90 mins on the phone. Weight and bloods done at 12 week scan.

I agree about the inefficient data transfer, it would have saved time for the midwives to have an online questionnaire instead of a paper one that essentially needs to be filled in twice

NinaMimi · 07/02/2021 13:43

I did most of the questions over the phone. So maybe they’re doing it that way. That said you can do a lot in 20 minutes. It’s really just measurements, bloods and urine sample, plus questions.

ohnothisagain · 07/02/2021 15:51

i’m surprised about all the long appointments! mine was under 10 minutes, all questionnaires were to be collected before, handed in at the appointment. weight, blood pressure, tummy check, that was that. no questions, don’t think the midwife even said “hello”. it was literally “go on the scales, give me your arm for blood pressure, lie down for a check, please book you next appointment, bye”

Cafeaulait27 · 07/02/2021 15:56

My first booking appointment was an hour with my first pregnancy last year, it was at my house and consisted of lots of questions, a blood test and urine sample xx

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