Advice please about first midwife appointment

[Hocuspocusandfairies]

I got my positive pregnancy test at the beginning of the month after 5 years TTC. I already have 3 children and miscarried 5 years ago and had given up hope.

I phoned my gp to get in touch with a midwife and they said they’d get a midwife to call but she hasn’t. I ended up calling my doctors again and they said that the midwives don’t work there they just use their room so they gave me their mobile numbers. I’ve tried calling both midwives a number of times and leaving messages but I haven’t heard back yet.

i am about 7 weeks but I’m just asking whether this is normal as with my others I know I saw a midwife to get booked in etc. just feeling a bit anxious plus I’m an older mother(43)

In my area you fill in an online form - is there anything like that? Try googling 'your area midwife self referral'.

Honaloulou, I don’t know, I haven’t been told that but I will definitely have a look at that tomorrow. Thank you

Where I am you fill an online form in and then they get in touch with you.
Aslong as you have your first appointment before your 12 week scan then you should be fine. They usually do the first appointment around week 8/9.

Yep here you self refer using an online form to the hospital you want to go to

Thanks everyone. I haven’t done this for such a long time it seems to have all changed. I haven’t got my first appointment set up yet but will that be arranged if I fill in the online form? I’ll have to make sure they do that in my area too. Fingers crossed

In Hertfordshire it's called an early bird referral form you do online. Hopefully one for your borough
Congratulations 🎉

Yep it's normal, think I chased mine at 8 weeks and had my booking appointment at 9 weeks.

It does vary a bit location to location (I’ve had 3 babies in 3 different cities) so in some places the gp will put you in contact with a midwife and others you fill in a form or call up the midwife team and they’ll get in contact. Google midwife services in your area and hopefully it should be clear (I say that but I know I’ve spent ages trying to track down a midwife before). Timing wise it’ll be fine though, I was overly relaxed one time and didn’t call them until 8 weeks and they got me a scan in time, they won’t let you go past the date they need to scan you - you just need to get into their system

Thanks everyone. This has reassured me a lot. I was worrying that each time I called all I got was the midwives voicemail

No online form here, instead you make an appointment either via the GP or, if you have the midwife's number, with them directly. However they aren't interested until right weeks at the earliest and the first appointment is generally around 9-10 weeks.