Help! Have missed booking in appointment with midwife- is there anything urgent I need to know?

[marlow]

Hello

Sorry to make my mumsnet debut with a panicky query but I've just missed my booking-in appointment with the midwife (I'm 13 and a half weeks) and I'm now going to be away til Jan 28th meaning I won;t be in the system til I'm nearly four months. Argh! Is there any special knowledge / anything I should be doing that midwives tell you that early on? We had the scan last week, which seemed fine (though sonographer didn't give much away).

Am now feeling very very stupid and bad motherish. If anyone can think of anything i need to know I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!!

You need to think about whether you'll miss any blood tests etc (I'm afraid I can't remember at what point they usually get done - pregnancy brain). Also depends on whether you have any indications for a pregnancy that might need more monitoring than usual. I'd contact your GP and ask what to do.

If you are wanting to have AFP testing (screening for high or low risk of spina bifida and Downs) they normally do this around 16 weeks, but I think it can be done up to about 18 weeks.

I wouldn't worry too much though - a fair number of people don't even know they are pg until 4 months or later.

Welcome to mn by the way!

they take blood at your booking in (at least round here they do) and they check for your blood type and anti bodies to ....erm....stuff and they give you your notes.

You're only away a few weeks so its not that urgent but ring your GP and see what they say. you may be able to book in for antenatal clinic and see a mw there if there is some urgency

For my 2nd pg, I wasn't booked in until 16 weeks (their fault, not mine), and I seemed to still get all my bloods done ettc. You could check with your GP, but in my experience, even if they are supposed to be doing shared care, they generally don't have a clue what is going on and have to check lists etc. Would contact your hospitals ante natal dewpt (where you should have had booking in appt) and check that you are still in time for your various checks etc.

Thank you everyone! Have calmed down a little now. They did a nuchal screening at the scan and took some bloods there, so hopefully that covers everything for now. May call GP just to be on the safe side, though.

I was scatty before I got pregnant but am a little taken aback at how absent-minded I've gotten since baby took up residence. Does the brain start working again when the baby comes out or is that a daft question?

No the brain doesn't ever work again or it hasn't in my case (4yrs) and i just had another just to make sure .

If they have bloods at the hospital then you should be ok.

All I can remember from my first booking in appt was getting a card to send off so I qualified for free prescriptions.

are you booked into a hospital for the birth?
it's also worth getting booked onto NCT classes now too if you want to do them as they'll be booked up fast.

oh and they don't call it baby brain for nothing!!

i had booking today
they form filled and took 4 vials of blood and sent urine off in a red topped pot
she told me to fill 90% form in at home and asked me who i wanted as a consultant
thats about it!