Question about midwife booking appointment

[noaddedsugarx]

So I called my GP last week to let them know I was pregnant and book an appointment with the midwife. The receptionist said a midwife would call back but I haven’t heard anything. How long does this roughly take does anyone know? Just wondering how long to leave it before chasing it up.

Also the receptionist mentioned something about the appointment possibly being a home visit which I would rather it wasn’t. No sinister reason just me and my partner both work from home. I would rather have it in a different setting. I know these appointments go deep into your medical history and there’s some mental health stuff from the past that I wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing it in front of my partner. Has anyone else had their first appointment as a home visit or had the option to change the setting if it was?

TIA

In my area you self refer online directly to local midwifery services, no involvement of the GP. the midwife then emailed me with an appointment when I was about 8 weeks. I can’t see how they’d easily do it at home, as they have to take blood pressure, weight, urine sample, blood tests. But you can definitely ask to go to a clinic - mine do their appointments at a local community centre.

Same as @Peony654 - I'm not sure it would work well at home with all the blood tests etc. In my area you also self refer to maternity services via their website, it took ages before they got back to me though, had my booking appointment around 10 weeks I think. All you can do is ask but there must be another option than home visit.

My booking appointment was at home, so if the GP said that's where it will be, I daresay that's where it would usually be. Different areas are different. I had to drop in to the hospital for the bloods.

RE: the mental health things, there's plenty of opportunities to speak to the midwife without your partner, as they usually ask if you are safe etc. But I'm sure you could request to see her at a clinic or at your GP. The rest of my midwife appointments were at the GP surgery.

I self referred and got my booking appointment and 12 week scan appointment through about a week later. I also had my booking appointment at the MLU at my local hospital where the midwife took bloods etc.

@noaddedsugarx How far along are you? 😊 I think how long I wait would depend on this. Due to midwife shortages, I'm not getting a booking appointment until 12 weeks.

My booking appointment and bloods were always done at the surgery where the community midwives are stationed. I'd imagine it would be the same for you! 🤔 Unless you live in a rural area?

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate it! I don't live in a rural area so I did think the home visit thing was a bit strange.

I'm only 7 weeks so I guess there's plenty of time yet.. but when I think about it further she didn't ask how far along I was on the phone. I just said I'd been discharged from my IVF clinic. Maybe I'll give it to the end of the week and chase it up then.

Same for me

Have you checked online whether you can self-refer in your area? I think if you get to 9w and haven't heard then call back.

My booking in appointment was initially arranged for them to come to the house, however, we don't have parking so I called them to say this, and they switched it to two appointments - one at the hospital for them to take my blood, weight etc, second over the phone to ask all the questions about medical history etc..