Booking appointment postponed

[shrimp4breakfast]

I was due my booking appointment tomorrow but had some light bleeding today. I had a little last week after sex too. Both times it was just a little on toilet paper and nothing after.

The midwife has postponed my booking appointment and told me to wait a week and phone them to say it's passed. In the meantime if it happens again to go to A&E. I'm 8 weeks pregnant and feeling a bit abandoned and confused. Why couldn't my booking appointment go ahead tomorrow?

I don’t want to sound negative and sorry for saying this, but maybe she thinks there’s no point in the appointment if the bleeding continues and you have a miscarriage, it’s probably just their procedure. Although I’m sure that’s not the case for you! We’re you meant to be seeing your midwife face to face? X

@Thefaceofboe

I don’t want to sound negative and sorry for saying this, but maybe she thinks there’s no point in the appointment if the bleeding continues and you have a miscarriage, it’s probably just their procedure. Although I’m sure that’s not the case for you! We’re you meant to be seeing your midwife face to face? X

I was yes. It's unusual procedure at the moment but I was to go in for a full booking appointment tomorrow face to face rather than the separate phone call then in for bloods. She didn't explain why she was cancelling that appointment and I stupidly was a bit stunned and confused so just politely thanked her and hung up. Every time I've had contact with them it's been a different person on the phone and I just felt a bit bamboozled.

It's left me feeling very confused and upset.

@shrimp4breakfast That’s ridiculous 😳 I don’t think your appointment should have been postponed at all!! I wouldn’t be very happy about that if I were you 🤔
I guess there’s not much you can do except wait for the week though 🙄
Please don’t let it worry you! I had multiple episodes of bleeding until I was 14 weeks which were horrible and they could never find a reason for them. Bleeding happens in a huge number of pregnancies that go on to full term! I’m sitting here holding my healthy 16 week old now ❤️

I find everything is very confusing at the moment. I’m 8 weeks too and I went to an appointment at the antenatal clinic today (I got a letter!) and they asked me why I was there. No one seemed to know

Can you phone back and ask their reason for rearranging?

[quote Squish3]@shrimp4breakfast That’s ridiculous 😳 I don’t think your appointment should have been postponed at all!! I wouldn’t be very happy about that if I were you 🤔
I guess there’s not much you can do except wait for the week though 🙄
Please don’t let it worry you! I had multiple episodes of bleeding until I was 14 weeks which were horrible and they could never find a reason for them. Bleeding happens in a huge number of pregnancies that go on to full term! I’m sitting here holding my healthy 16 week old now ❤️[/quote]

Thank you. I felt so upset and cried for a while and then felt quite angry. Now just upset and despondent again. I'm annoyed because I understand that light spotting can really be normal during early pregnancy and so I was trying not to worry. At my partner's advice I phoned the midwife (midwives!) just to help set my mind at ease even more. I feel like I've been punished for it and wish I hadn't phoned. Wish I'd just gone to my appointment tomorrow.

I could understand a little more if you were having full on heavy bleeding.

But that doesn't make much sense for just some spotting. Especially as it's very common.

I'd phone back and question it.

@Thefaceofboe

I find everything is very confusing at the moment. I’m 8 weeks too and I went to an appointment at the antenatal clinic today (I got a letter!) and they asked me why I was there. No one seemed to know

Can you phone back and ask their reason for rearranging?

Do you think this is just a general problem at the moment because of lockdown?

In my confusion I forgot to ask them something I had planned to ask tomorrow. I am due to return to work and they want a midwife's opinion for the risk assessment. Perhaps I should phone tomorrow for that and then just ask for clarification.

I do think cancelling your appointment isn’t very good. But I didn’t have my booking appointment until 10 weeks so I don’t think you are going to suffer any harm from waiting an extra week. I hope the bleeding stops, it’s obviously very worrying for you. But as other Ppl have said, it’s quite common in pregnancy. I suffered bleeding early on and everything was fine - no reason ever found.

@SnooperTrooper12345

I could understand a little more if you were having full on heavy bleeding.

But that doesn't make much sense for just some spotting. Especially as it's very common.

I'd phone back and question it.

That's how I feel too. I'm annoyed because it's now taken a small worry and blown it out of proportion for me. I'll be spending the next week frightened to check every time I go to the toilet. I really wish I hadn't phoned them at all. I've done myself out of my booking appointment!

I was debating getting an early scan. I had no concerns before but now I just feel abandoned.

@Crazycatlady83

I do think cancelling your appointment isn’t very good. But I didn’t have my booking appointment until 10 weeks so I don’t think you are going to suffer any harm from waiting an extra week. I hope the bleeding stops, it’s obviously very worrying for you. But as other Ppl have said, it’s quite common in pregnancy. I suffered bleeding early on and everything was fine - no reason ever found.

My hats really encouraging to hear that the booking appointment can be even further on. I suppose I'm feeling extra sensitive because I'm stuck with little to distract me during lockdown. Was looking forward to that contact with the midwife.

@shrimp4breakfast I would be angry too. If anything she should have been reassuring you about how common it is 😡 I found out I was pregnant at the end of last February and unfortunately didn’t have a very positive experience with the midwives in my area. I really had to push for basic care sometimes. Hopefully this was just a one off for you and you’ll have a more positive experience after you get your booking appointment 🤞🏼

@shrimp4breakfast

I don’t think lockdown is helping, it seemed like chaos in the clinic today. I agree with pp that booking appointments can be around 10 weeks, but I can see why you want that reassurance. Is this your first baby? It my first pregnancy and so confused about what happens when!

[quote Squish3]@shrimp4breakfast I would be angry too. If anything she should have been reassuring you about how common it is 😡 I found out I was pregnant at the end of last February and unfortunately didn’t have a very positive experience with the midwives in my area. I really had to push for basic care sometimes. Hopefully this was just a one off for you and you’ll have a more positive experience after you get your booking appointment 🤞🏼[/quote]

She was lovely in her manner. Calling me pet and all this and being very kind. But she didn't reassure me. I understood that she meant I had to monitor it for a week and then phone and let them know if it had stopped. So I said "ok will do and I'll see you tomorrow." Then she said, no that's the point. You won't see us tomorrow. We won't do the booking appointment because you're bleeding. So let us know in a week and if you bleed again go to A & E.

I didn't have the sense in me to ask her what she meant. Just politely thanked her and hung up. Then cried.

[quote Thefaceofboe]@shrimp4breakfast

I don’t think lockdown is helping, it seemed like chaos in the clinic today. I agree with pp that booking appointments can be around 10 weeks, but I can see why you want that reassurance. Is this your first baby? It my first pregnancy and so confused about what happens when![/quote]

Yes first pregnancy and just feel confused out my mind! Feel like it's a mix of hormonal changes but also mostly lockdown depression. My job had changed so much and there's so little to occupy me so I'm in a complete muddle.

I even started feeling guilty that my nausea symptoms had passed and my appetite came back. Had stupid thoughts of that meaning I'm not pregnant at all!

It feels better to talk on here. My partner is so lovely and helpful but I need to hear experiences from women who have been through this. We're both clueless really!

@shrimp4breakfast

I feel exactly the same about my symptoms, they have all almost gone now and I don’t feel pregnant at all. I had to book an private scan for Saturday because I’m finding it hard to get my head round the fact I’m pregnant. Could this be something you look into for reassurance?

If it helps reassure you, 10 weeks is usually the Norm.
I've never had one before 10 weeks

For the ones saying about symptoms going, don't worry. It's completely normal and doesn't mean anything at all ❤️

[quote Thefaceofboe]@shrimp4breakfast

I feel exactly the same about my symptoms, they have all almost gone now and I don’t feel pregnant at all. I had to book an private scan for Saturday because I’m finding it hard to get my head round the fact I’m pregnant. Could this be something you look into for reassurance?[/quote]

I'm really considering it. The problem is my partner has to go away for a fortnight this weekend and if I went to the scan without him and it was bad news I'd just crumble. My mother would come with me but I'm torn. Better to go and hope for reassurance, or leave it because it could be bad news?

[quote Thefaceofboe]@shrimp4breakfast

I feel exactly the same about my symptoms, they have all almost gone now and I don’t feel pregnant at all. I had to book an private scan for Saturday because I’m finding it hard to get my head round the fact I’m pregnant. Could this be something you look into for reassurance?[/quote]

Forgot to say, I hope your scan goes well! It really is a strange feeling. I didn't expect to feel "not pregnant "

@SnooperTrooper12345

If it helps reassure you, 10 weeks is usually the Norm. I've never had one before 10 weeks

This does help, thank you.

Kicking myself I've done myself out of some face-to-face reassurance

A bit insensitive of her imo, she clearly think it could be a sign of miscarriage.
If the bleeds have only been after sex it could just be down to blood vessels around the cervix, I had this at almost 14wk and it was terrifying (this one follows 2 mc's) but it stopped quickly and all seems okay.
Good luck, hopefully it stops.

@shrimp4breakfast I think that’s really poor that they’ve cancelled your appointment due to a couple of episodes of spotting.

The midwife at my gp surgery always does their booking appointments between 8 and 9 weeks.

When i was 8 weeks pregnant previously I started noticing pink when wiping, I had a scan with EPU that show a fetal pole but no heartbeat. I carried on having the blood on wiping for the next week. My booking appointment was booked during that week and I called the midwife to ask her if I should still come along seeing as things weren’t looking promising. She insisted I still come along and she carried out the full booking in appointment reassuring me the whole time and at the end of the appointment said she really hoped she’d see me again soon.

Unfortunately I did miscarry that baby the week after. But even though my bleeding was more consistent and the scan even gave a good idea things weren’t right, she still saw me.

She even text me after my miscarriage had been confirmed. I guess she’d seen it on my notes. She expressed how sorry she was, wished me all the best and said she hoped she’d get to be my midwife again soon.

I really wouldn’t be happy with them having cancelled your appointment. Going a week later will in no way affect your care etc, and many ladies aren’t seen until 10+ weeks, but that’s not the point. Spotting is really common and rather than reassure you they’ve abandoned you as though they don’t want to waste their time.

I’m really sorry you’ve got to wait now.

If you want some reassurance before then you could always book yourself a private scan. It would break up the time from now until when you finally will get your booking appointment.

I don't think she was being unreasonable to delay the appointment however she should have signposted you to more specific further care - I.e the early pregnancy unit for a scan.

@Chelyanne

A bit insensitive of her imo, she clearly think it could be a sign of miscarriage. If the bleeds have only been after sex it could just be down to blood vessels around the cervix, I had this at almost 14wk and it was terrifying (this one follows 2 mc's) but it stopped quickly and all seems okay. Good luck, hopefully it stops.

That's why I'm so upset. I was being all pragmatic about it and had done my own reading online and thought it probably is a sensitive cervix. Then after that phone call this afternoon I've been left feeling like "don't bother us until you stop bleeding and if you do bleed go to A&E". And I've only had a little spotting that shown up bright pink and diluted when wiping after going to the toilet.

When I had bleeding I rang the EPU ward directly. Maybe you'd have more joy doing that? I'd only had one telephone conversation with the midwife so didn't feel I had that rapport with her and it took long enough to get through the first time. I went for a private scan and this is what they recommended, however some ladies may have a better rapport with their midwife. You should find the number on the NHS website . Good luck.