Queen Charlotte -- first midwife appt. at 16 wks. Is this normal?

[Uwila]

If anyone has been to Queen Charlotte recently, I would very much appreciate your input. Did you wait until 16 weeks to see the midwife for the first time? I am particularly interested in hearing from people who had a ceasarean at QC. How long was the wait for consultant. I've been assigned to Ms. Dhanjal, but I can't find her on dr.foster or on an NHS search. Anyone know anything about her? Or any other consultants at QC.

There's some background here that might help explain things. I am in Sunbury, which falls in the St. Peters catchment area. I wasted no time in standing up and refusing full stop to go to St. Peters. I was refered to Kingston, they said no. So, my GP referred me to West Mid. They said no too. But, somehow I managed to slip through thte crack and get a nuchal at St. MAry's in Roehampton (which is where West Mid patients have their scans). So, mu GP tried for Kingston again. Got no where. So, last week she wrote a letter to Queen Charlotte. Today I got a letter asking me to phone them for an appointment. So, I did and they said an apointment had already been made for me on 15 Dec. at 9:00am. I asked who the appointment was with. They said Ms. Dhanjal, but that I would be seeing a midwife. So, I'm a bit concerned that this seems rather late for a first midwife appointment. So, I obviously have to take the day off of work to go see her, to ask for a referral to the consultant (my first child was born by emergency caesarean and I very much want an elective one this time round).

If anyone could tell me if this is anormal schedule at QC, and/or can give any advice on any of the consultants at QC, I would be most grateful.

THANKS!

I had a c section at QC. Tried a vbac, didn't work, had emergency cs in the end. I think I had my first mw appt at 15/16 weeks. I don't think you'll encounter any resistance to you having an elective this time round. I was told by the Senior Registrar that this is what they recommend after a previous cs. I was a bit rebellious but very much supported by the midwives in the birth centre who respected my choice to try for a natural birth.

Can't remember the name of my consultant; Professor someone, but didn't see him, always saw Sen Reg whose name I can't remember either! Sorry .

This was last summer.

I've had two babies at QC, 2nd one in June this year. My first appointment both times with mw was at about the 10 week mark and then back for nuchal scan at about 12 weeks. Sorry don't know anything about c/s though and never had to see a consultant but I do remember that Mr Bennett's name was always up as being available (every Wednesday or Thursday??). Sorry but it does seem quite late to me as you seem to have to book early for nuchal and anomaly scans there (great hospital but it is awful for waiting times for pre-natal care).

Also, seems curious that Ms. Dhanjal can ot be found on either drfoster or the nhs website.

Maybe she graduated yesterday???

Ring them and ask.

I was meant to be at Queen Charlotte's, and my first appointment with the midwife was for around 11 weeks. Sadly I miscarriaged, so didn't get any further.

I know exactly how you feel about it being a long time till you first see your midwife. I was 16-17 weeks when i saw mine and i wasn't about it either but i was told this was normal. I think it needs to change especially for first time mums as it seems an awful long time that something could go wrong in!

Oh, Azure. I'm sorry. :-(

Hiya uwila, I don't think it is, it should be at 12 weeks, someone else I know has been told that they will not be seen until 5 months at the same place, not really sure what is going on. I was at QC about 2 and half years ago for my first scan which I am sure was at 12 weeks!

I just really want to make sure I'm not getting second class treatment after all of the hollering I've had to do just to get an acceptable hospital.

I have a nuchal at St. MAry's. And,I'm also going to a private nuchal at Fetal MEdicine Centre. I going to FMC basically because I don't really trust the NHS. And I think the FMC is wonderful. And since the H=NHS one is on offer for free, I figured I might as well go to it just for fun. It will be interesting to make a quality comparison on the two outcomes.

My GP (in HAmpton) has been really goood. She said she would do the blood work for me, but obviously is not equiped to do the scans.

So, if I have in fact made my way into Queen Charlotte (fingers crossed!), then I'm happy with that, I'm just a bit concerned about waiting times to see a consultant if I don't even get to the midwife until 16 weeks. But, it sounds like this is fairly normal.

Sorry YIngers, posts crossed there. I do actually have a scan booked elsewhere, I just don't formally see the midwife until 16 weeks. But, I plan to show up with nuchal and blood test results in hand.

As for blood tests, my GP has volunteered to do them. But I may need to read up on what I think they should be and make sure she remembers to do them.

ahhh, ok maybe i have this wrong. You do mean midwife app and not scan or do you mean either? It's just what yingers said made me think as she mentioned scan at 12 weeks not MW app!? I had a scan at about 14 weeks but didn't get to talk to anyone. First time with MW was 16-17weeks.

IT's the midwife appointment. I have a scan at the FMC because I have arranged it (and am obviously paying for it privately). WIth all of this complication on just getting a hospital I am willing to go to, I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to arrange a nuchal scan. I'd rather pay for it than miss it. And, somehow, I managed to get a nuchal scan at St. Mary's. This is because my GP tried to refer me to West Mid. They turned me down, but somehow I managed to slip through and get the scan appointment in the mail. My GP told me just to go to the scan and tell them I'm still waiting for the appointment. But, in case they catch me in my lie, I've still got the FMC lined up.

It's soooo complicated. Sorry if I have confused everybody. I've been trying to get booked into a hospital (and been refusing St. Peters) since I was 5 weeks pregnant. I amnow 11 weeks pregnant. And have only just today managed to get a bloody appoinment.

Theoretically we all have a choice. But the hospitals all also have a choice to turn you away. GRRRR...

I am pretty sure I saw my midwife at the same time and also had my blood etc taken, I basically spent about 2 hours there.

Had ds1 at Queen Charlottes 4 yrs ago and my first visit was 16 weeks. Midwife told me that they didn't do visits earlier than this unless there was a history of miscarriage.

hmmm i think everyone just gets different treatment! My friend who is pregnant and lives in manchester had her first at 12 as well!

I'm sure I didn't see a midwife until then - I had a nuchal fold scan at 12 weeksish. It really didn't bother me. What can they do anyway? I'm also having an elective section but won't see a consultant until 30 weekish - again, there doesn't seem a tearing hurry to me.

AHi loha, are you at QC? HOw far along are you?

No, I'm at Kings and I'm 26 (or 27?) weeks. I can feel the baby move etc and had a very detailed 20 week scan so feel quite confident that all is well. I had not trouble asking for a second section (first was for placenta praevia) and everyone has been very nice about it. It won't necessarily be a big deal at all, if that is making you anxious. Good luck.

I had my dd at qc 2 years ago. I don't really remember when I had my first mw appointment, but I had my nuchal scan done there, so it must have been around 12 weeks. I was 39 when baby was due and had had an emergency cs first time around so I think I was on a different track than normal.
Uwila, how old are you? If you are over 35 (i think that's the cut off age), they will definitely give you a nuchal scan at qc. I would recommend calling and asking to speak to the head midwife and explaining your age and the fact that your are concerned that your first appointment will be too late for the nuchal scan. They might just sort it out for you. I only saw the consultant that I was assigned too once (when I decided that I wanted an amnio despite good results on the nuchal) and he was so awful I refused to ever see him again. I had a VBAC in the birth centre in the end.

Can I have some terminology help please Uwila?

Who is the consultant? Is it an obstetrician? If so, why are they not doctors?

Thanks!

I think Uwila has got a nuchal fold appt (two in fact!) followed by a midwife appt at 16 weeks - which is pretty much what I've had.
KATG, an obstetrician is a doctor, so is a consultant - types of doctors. You can be a consultant obstetrician and thus quite exalted. I'm not seeing one until 30 weeks. Perfectly normal here.

I had my second child at QC and had a scan at 12 weeks (and didn't see midwife) and saw the midwife for the first time at 16/17 weeks. I had completely normal first delivery though so I was told I was categorised as low risk so wouldn't have many appointments (and I didn't have many at all!).

I am not based in London. I had my first midwife appointment at 7/8 weeks - but all she did was take my bp and give me some brief advice on food to avoid during BP. after that my next appointment was on booking in at the hospital at 15 weeks. I wouldn't worry too much about not having an appointment till 16 weeks as there is very little they do before that anyway. The main thing that needs doing before 16 weeks is the nuchal fold scan, which you have sorted out anyway.

should say that I was happy with that and was told I could see GP/midwife for extra appointments if I was at all worried about anything