Booking appointment (uk)

[OliviaL9530]

Hi!

I have my first booking appointment tomorrow.. what should I expect? Will I get to hear baby's heart via Doppler or is this done later?

Thanks x

Booking appt will be you answering loads of questions, urine & bloods. They won't listen to babies heartbeat until around 30+weeks.

Yes sadly nothing exciting like heartbeat at booking, it’s way too early to be picked up on a Doppler. I got to hear mine at 16 weeks recently, but lots of trusts are now delaying Doppler use to later in pregnancy because it can be hard to pick it up.

In terms of what will happen - you will be asked a load of questions about your medical history and some about your partners. You’ll be asked about how you’re feeling, mentally and physically. Hopefully they will explain how appointments will work throughout the pregnancy and you will have bloods and a urine test. That’s it! Not very exciting unfortunately, apart from the fact it’s your first appointment which is exciting in itself. Hope it goes well and congrats on your pregnancy!

Earliest I heard my baby’s heartbeat was 16 weeks and even that was considered early by many of my friends who didn’t hear their babies until 25+ weeks!
To be perfectly honest, midwife appointments are very boring until 30-32 weeks! Just admin, urine check, explanation of how to find different telephone numbers in the maternity notes etc

Second those that have said earliest heartbeat is at 16 weeks. Booking appointment is just to get things going, recording all your medical data, taking bloods, seeing if anything else needs to be considered (for example I am taking aspirin because of family history of pre eclampsia, this would come up at your booking).

@jupeBex

Booking appt will be you answering loads of questions, urine & bloods. They won't listen to babies heartbeat until around 30+weeks.

This isn't entirely correct.

I had my 16 week appt yesterday and the midwife listened to the heartbeat. They aren't supposed to if there's no reason to do it, but they do.

So it depends on your midwife and if you have any indications for them to do it.

Just bloods, urine, bp & weight. History if they are not doing that via phone.

They haven't listened to my babys heart with a doppler at all, I'm 22+2wk now. Only had bloods done in person and consultants at 16+6wk, will not see consultants again until 28wk. Dating scan and anomaly scans they checked the heart but didn't let me hear it, we did hear it at a private gender scan at 16+4wk though.

Loads of questions and bloods x

The booking appointment is really dull, just a long questionnaire and maybe some blood tests (my bloods were taken after the dating scan at 12 weeks)

I had a Doppler by a community midwife at 16 weeks but not all midwives will do one. Mine was quite fond of a Doppler, so I get one every appointment, she did warn that they can be tricky to pick up, even at 16 weeks.

Last time I wouldn't have heard the heartbeat at all, except at one appointment they had a student and just as I was about to leave, they called me back and asked if I would mind if the student had a go at finding the heartbeat. Obviously I was delighted as I hadn't heard it, but this was towards the end of pregnancy.