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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

dissapointing 1st GP appointment

22 replies

pookey · 23/12/2004 22:13

I had my first appointment at the doctor's yesterday - it was such a dissapointment. Me and DP are convinced I am 11 weeks but because I had a period like bleed the GP has dated me at 7 weeks. We told her reasons why we think the earlier date but she wouldn't even consider it.

Basically what I want to know is if i am almost at 12 weeks, am I missing out by having to wait another month until I have a scan etc? DP reckons I am being neurotic and should be more patient but I want to know now!!!!!

When i arranged the appointment with GP the receptionist told me i needed a double antenatal appointment, as a result of this and reading too many books again I was expecting an examination or blood test or something, but the GP didn't even know why I was there and i didn't so much as get to take my coat and scarf off! I had to wait weeks for this rubbish appointment

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pixiefish · 23/12/2004 22:15

the only thing my gp did when i went to see her was book me in with the midwife who sorted everything out. Congrats on pg

lilsmum · 23/12/2004 22:20

with my gp i said i had done a chemist test which was positive and he said oh no need to do another then, and booked me with midwife for about 4 wk later, its the midwife who takes your bloods etc gp doesnt do anything really, so what happened with you is normal, when they give you yuor 12 wk scan whenever that may be if they have the dates wrong and yours are right they will amend.

brusselbeansprouts · 23/12/2004 22:22

My GP did nothing for me (except knock the urine sample everywhere...!) and just ref me to the hospital to see the midwife for the booking appointment.
Why is the GP saying you are only 7 weeks? Is s/he going on your LMP or something else?

Tommy · 23/12/2004 22:27

Whe I was pg with DS2 the midwife and I changed the date round loads of times between us - just to settle on one I liked
Irrelevant what the GP says IME - the midwife rules round here anyway!

lockets · 23/12/2004 22:27

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Original poster

pookey · 23/12/2004 22:49

Lockets, what was wrong with the locum, it is so annoying to feel you are wasting your time. How hard can it be to write a letter of referral to a hospital?

I am just being impatient, the doctor based it on my lmp. I think it was a month earlier because we got a bit careless on my most fertile day of the month in sept then made sure to be more sensible in oct! Even when I got the unexpected period i still wanted to do a test, wish I had. My tummy is growing by the minute and so are my boobs but tenderness is already going down in boobs. I guess if everything is ok the scan's not important but it means i will want to wait longer to feel safer and tell people.

If the GP is right I will feel silly!

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lockets · 23/12/2004 22:53

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Original poster

pookey · 23/12/2004 23:19

My local hospital has an early pregnnacy unit its not the one i am being referred to but I might try going one morning to see what they think, cant do any harm i guess.

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lockets · 23/12/2004 23:24

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dinny · 24/12/2004 21:38

agree with Lockets - just call your local EPU and ask for a dating scan. Have found with both my pg that GP apps are disappointing- just a referral to mws. Both times they never even bothered saying congratulations

Original poster

pookey · 28/12/2004 18:08

Lokets, are you still there! Sorry to pick up conversation so late, hope you had a good christmas. I have been referred to Queen Charlotte's but Ealing hospital is closer and probably ok just for a scan? As its Christmas I probably wont hear from Queen Charlottes for a few weeks.

Does it make a difference which hospital I go to? I could possibly go one morning this week as not working but I have kind of being going into denial about pregnancy for the past couple of days and feel less impatient to have a scan now ... getting a bit scared . DP keeps saying its ages away so not to worry, is he crazy!

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LIZS · 28/12/2004 18:18

Congrats pookey and sorry you were disappointed in your gp. I had similar experience to lilsmum. However as you are unsure of dates perhaps you could contact your midwife direct - hse may refer you for a dating scan if needs be or examine you earlier than scheduled. If you wait until the gp dates kick in you may miss out on some of the date related screenings, if available in your area, such as nuchal scan which must be done during a specific time window to be valid. That may or may not be important to you.

tribpot · 28/12/2004 19:00

Congrats to you both pookey! I know exactly how you feel in terms of the impatience to get things started, particularly the scan in order to see the bean for yourself. In my case, I know the exact day I conceived so have been claiming the date of my LMP is a fortnight earlier simply so it would coincide. (It was roughly around then but I can't remember, hey ho).

I guess the key issue really is the nuchal scan if you want to have one done (either on the NHS if offered in your area or privately). If that isn't an issue for you, I think you'll probably have to hang on for the midwives to contact you, which I guess will be in the run up to what they think is your 12th week? Probably best to contact them directly if you're concerned.

Other possibility is to have a private dating scan, I would have done this had I known about it in time. My local private clinic (Cambridge) charges £60 for a dating scan just to give you an idea of costs.

Best of luck!

CharBell · 28/12/2004 21:16

Think the main reason the GP sees you first is he has to fill in a form to say he is 'looking after' you which means that he gets PAID for looking after you.

Original poster

pookey · 30/12/2004 15:41

Hi All

I rang one of the hospitals and the midwife was really understanding and said if i seriously think the dates were wrong I should pop down to their EPU as it could have an impact on choices etc but they cannot scan just for reassurance. She said congratulations and even explained some of the differences in antenatal care the two hospitals offer which is a lot more than the silly GP did (can't believe GP is getting paid just for filling in a form, what a waste of time).

I went this morning and explained to the EPU nurse why I wanted a referral, she said they can only see me if I had been bleeding, and then asked if I had been bleeding so i went along with it and said that i had had some spotting for two days, but no pain (I had this a week ago and didnt want to lie too much).

I had a scan and the baby is only 9 weeks 2 days, only a week more than GP said, so my worries were for nothing I am obviously just really bloated rather than further along!! It was so lovely to see the little heart beating and the baby all safe and snuggly in its little sack.

I did feel a bit guilty for going there and stretching the truth when my pregnancy seemed ok but there werent any people waiting to be seen and the staff were friendly and didnt treat me like I was wasting their time.

Ta for all the advice sorry for being a silly moo
Happy new Year x

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tribpot · 30/12/2004 16:51

Glad to hear it worked out pookey! You'll be able to have a much more relaxed new year now.

For the record, I don't think GPs do get paid per pregnant woman these days, I said this to my best friend who works for a Primary Care Trust (I'd signed something that said I authorised the GP to provide antenatal care for me) and she said they used to, but no longer do. My GP at least explained that they stay pretty hands-off during pregnancy unless something goes amiss - the midwives lead the service.

Best of luck!

lockets · 30/12/2004 17:15

This reply has been deleted

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Gobbledigook · 30/12/2004 17:18

GP did nothing with me. I told him I'd done my own test and he took that as positive and didn't do any test himself. I was booked in with the midwife - had a booking appt around 13 wks I think where they take your history etc then I didn't see a midwife again till at my 20 wk scan and then regularly thereafter. You really don't need anything early on as there's not much they can do.

Gobbledigook · 30/12/2004 17:20

Our GPs don't get paid now like they used to. It used to be that the GP got paid for your antenatal care (and they do nothing!) and the midwife and the hospital consultant - this was how it was when I had ds1.

When I had ds2 and ds3 I had 'midwife lead care' so had no GP involvement and no consultant. This way, only the midwife is paid which makes perfect sense to me. I've never seen a consultant in any of my 3 pregnancies as I've never needed to!

NotQuiteCockney · 30/12/2004 17:31

Dating the pregnancy matters for both the 12-week scan and the 20-week scan, if you plan to have either. Both of these have to happen in relatively narrow windows, to get worthwhile results.

I'm glad the EPU people were able to resolve things for you, anyway.

PinkArjuna · 31/12/2004 22:56

I had a horrid appointment the second time I went. I was going nuts about the positive test I had done at home - I was just 2 weeks by then but had been feeling rough since 2 days after conception.

The first time I did a high sensitivity pregnancy test as the Dr wanted to be absolutely sure as it was so early. When I went back a few days later the test said negative. I honestly thought I was having a phantom pregnancy (was pursuaded into it by GP as she said I wasn't pregnant) but for someone who never in there life had the desire to have a child this seemed stupid. So I got really upset and thought I must be ill with something else which scared me.

So I walked home upset and alone as I had nobody to tell anyway. I couldn't get it out of my head so I got another test from boots, did it and it said I was pregnant. I phoned the GP (who is usually the best person ever) and she sorted out going to an Early pregnancy testing unit. I went there and they said the test must have been fouled but as it was such a clear positive result it couldn't have been missed. I had a scan too and at 2 weeks you can see a blip, but they have to use the internal probe rather than the external one you get later on.

I think they must have mixed the tests up. I found it really upseting. Can you imagine though if my test was mixed up with a couple who had been trying for ages and really they weren't pregnant? I hope this didn't happen. Cos somewhere somebody got my test, even the nurse at the early testing place thought that. Well the GP was really nice after that anyway and sent me to the midwife, and if the midwife has quibbles they send you to someone to sort it out.

Hope you get things sorted out

PinkArjuna · 31/12/2004 22:59

meant glad you got things sorted out

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