First consultant/obstetrics appointment. What happens?

[LeedleLee]

Hi all. I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant with my second baby and due to have a growth scan and consultant appointment this week.

My first baby was very SGA (birth weight on 2nd percentile) so they want to keep an extra eye on this baby's growth. I'll be having growth scans and seeing a consultant every four weeks from 28 weeks.

So I assume in the growth scan they will measure baby ect but what happens in the appointment afterwards? I never had any of this in my first pregnancy. I don't have any health issues, BMI is within healthy range and my previous pregnancy was fine aside from baby turning out to be very small (now a very healthy and happy three year old ).

Thank you!

Hi, like you I'm also having growth scan as my last 4 babies were a mixture of SGA and IUGR, I had my first growth scan yesterday and consultant app. Nothing much happens with the consultant, they plot baby's current growth on your chart and assuming all is well just book you in to see you again. My baby plotted between 10th and 25th centile, everything else fine and I'm booked for another scan in 3 weeks. I was in and out of the consultant room in 45 seconds, came out wondering why I'd waited over an hour for him to tell me what a sonographer had already told me regarding baby's current weight and health x

I've had three growth scans now and consultant after. At my hospital they scan you first and the sonographer sends the growth chart to the consultant, then there's a basic midwife check - urine sample, blood pressure, maybe a quick look at the chart, asking how you feel, is baby moving, etc. and then you see the consultant who looks over the chart and discusses it with you and books the next appointment if required.

I've been "consultant led" throughout my pregnancy due to low PAPP-A and low lying placenta. Like you, I've had extra growth scans every 4 weeks since 28 weeks and I was told I would see the consultant after each scan to discuss results.

The reality has been that I'm scanned, then I see the midwife who talks me through the results (which are automatically plotted on a growth chart) and I have the usual bloods and urine/ chat/ questions. While this is happening, the consultant is given my results and the midwife pops out to check they are happy with everything. The midwife comes back and relays what they've said and what they want next steps to be. So I've never actually seen the consultant!

I dare say if I pushed for it or if things hadn't been going well I would get the opportunity to speak to them directly, but because everything has been ok throughout my pregnancy I've been quite happy.

Not sure if this is normal, or just because my hospital is so stretched but just to make you aware you could end up in a similar position