Blood Test Results

[hedgehog1518]

Hello, 15+1 today and i'm not sure what to feel about something. I had the blood tests at the booking appointment back in Feb, mentioned that i'd been feeling incredibly tired, pale, that I was vegetarian etc. and that i've had concerns that my iron levels were low.

Took iron, folic acid, B12 and vitamin D from as early as possible but I was (and still am) really worn out and nauseous. I know it can be normal but I really hoped to have some confirmation from the first blood tests. Basically I never heard back, left a message on the number i'd been given from the midwife team to no avail, called my GP and received a text that they were fine from the person who deals with results (not maternity/midwife) and that no further contact was necessary, and I just left the situation feeling super unsupported and dismissed.

At the 12 week scan I had the blood test for downs syndrome. I'm going on the assumption here that no news is good news (not that a positive result would make us worry, just allow us to prepare), but I never heard back from this either.

I guess what i'm really asking, is is it normal to get absolutely no feedback from blood tests at this stage? And has anyone been in my boat and wanted more answers and how did you go about this? I know each NHS trust will be different but i'm feeling a little lost.

Normally the midwife will conform that everything came back normal at your 16 week appointment. If anything had come up abnormal and required intervention somebody would/should have called you.

Oh, and I think usually you get a letter confirming your risk level based on the triple test for Down's and other trisomies, or at least I always did.

@ScarfaceCwaw

Normally the midwife will conform that everything came back normal at your 16 week appointment. If anything had come up abnormal and required intervention somebody would/should have called you.

Thank you! It's our first so we don't know what to expect and i've had pressure from people to find out results which added to the stress. And i've been feeling so tired and unwell after doing the bare minimum it's been getting me down, but I do have a few appointments coming up so hopefully i'll find out then.

Doesn't sound ideal. I saw a midwife (not my normal one) after my first scan and she went through my booking bloods briefly- all fine. So although you didn't get that, if your GP contact said the results were no action required then I guess that's the equivalent. You should have a 16 week appointment with your midwife so I'd be pressing her at that as you didn't get results discussed at your scan.

As for the screening bloods, they've made a right cock-up of mine this time but my first child I think I had a letter about 10 days afterwards giving me my result. They contact you quickly if there's anything of concern, I'm told, but you've been waiting a long time for those. You're probably best persisting with trying to get a community midwife to call but I had to call the number for the antenatal section of the local hospital (but they in turn don't do birth or postnatal, work that one out) and got my screening blood results that way this time. Long story but the number was on my scan appointment letter so they could be another avenue to try.

Failing that if you get no joy look up the contact info for your trust's PALs, they sorted my issue within 5 hours of me emailing. I'm sure my card is marked now but I really don't care. Hope you get some reassurance soon!

@8dpwoah

Doesn't sound ideal. I saw a midwife (not my normal one) after my first scan and she went through my booking bloods briefly- all fine. So although you didn't get that, if your GP contact said the results were no action required then I guess that's the equivalent. You should have a 16 week appointment with your midwife so I'd be pressing her at that as you didn't get results discussed at your scan.

As for the screening bloods, they've made a right cock-up of mine this time but my first child I think I had a letter about 10 days afterwards giving me my result. They contact you quickly if there's anything of concern, I'm told, but you've been waiting a long time for those. You're probably best persisting with trying to get a community midwife to call but I had to call the number for the antenatal section of the local hospital (but they in turn don't do birth or postnatal, work that one out) and got my screening blood results that way this time. Long story but the number was on my scan appointment letter so they could be another avenue to try.

Failing that if you get no joy look up the contact info for your trust's PALs, they sorted my issue within 5 hours of me emailing. I'm sure my card is marked now but I really don't care. Hope you get some reassurance soon!

If I weren't feeling so rubbish I wouldn't have been so bothered I guess! I've got a community midwife appt. next week and a rhesus negative appt. the week after so hopefully it'll be resolved then. It's all felt a little bit distanced so far, nothing personal (ie. a text message) but I guess that's just the NHS these days.

Sorry to hear about your nightmare situation! I have been recommended PALS for worst case scenario but you're right i'd rather not go down that route to avoid a black mark if I can! It's so hard to know who to try and contact about different things, fingers crossed it'll be resolved soon. Thanks so much

My midwife said at my booking she would be in touch in a few days if anything came back and that if I didn’t hear anything everything was fine. Just had my 12 week screening and they said there a call within a few days if anything wrong and if not letter would be in post 7-10 days later.
Things can change so quickly though if your worried about tiredness etc i would contact midwife and they will probably just do more bloods. I remember with my first they did some when I hadn’t been feeling great and I remember that feeling of barely being in contact with them it can be daunting but don’t be afraid to chase things if it eases your mind.

I would definitely chase up the results of the 12 week screening as I would expect you would have had those by now.

Feeling exhausted and crappy sounds pretty normal for pregnancy though, tbh. It often but not always gets better in the second trimester. You could try a liquid iron supplement like Spatone; they were good for me in pregnancy and after birth and the prescription iron supplements you'd get from your GP for anaemia are horribly constipating. (My midwife post birth was happy for me to take Spatone instead of prescription iron supplements for my postpartum anaemia as it wasn't awful and she knew how unpleasant the prescription ones can be.)

It varies by area. Some trusts it's a case of you are only contacted if there is a problem with the NT/quad test, I had a results letter through about a week after mine.
My booking bloods were done 6 days before my phone history app so the midwife told me all my bloods came back fine then. WI will not have more bloods until 28wk now. I'm under consultant led care so all checkups are face to face but only seen them once so far, 21+2wk and next apps are at 28wk. Feels totally different as my last was twins so I was in every 4 weeks.

Sorry, I'm confused. Did you get the results of the anaemia blood test at your Feb appointment? Hence were started on the Vit B12/iron etc by your GP/MW? OR, you havent got the results and just started taking them?

I'd be chasing those results for sure, along with the 12 week combined blood test! You need to know what dose iron to take, or if its needed at all. Most over the counter doses are too small if you are already deficient . They are just a maintenance dose. Too much iron can accumulate and cause issues too, so you really need your results and either a presciption for a highter dose, or just a regular pregnancy multi-vitamin. I'm suprised you werent on an iron/Vit B12 supplement beforehand if vegetarian and TTC.

It takes 3mths for red blood cells to replicate, so if you are indeed deficient, and you are on the correct iron dose, it will take months for it to be corrected. Best of luck, but I'd be calling today to get your results from both tests.