Antenatal Care

[JuliaJulia]

Hi

I'm nine weeks pregnant (first time) and I haven't had anyone contact me yet about a booking appointment for my antenatal care.

I went to see my GP at 5 weeks to let him know I was pregnant. He asked if I was 'keeping' the baby, took my blood pressure, asked when my last smear was and advised me to start taking folic acid. To be honest, I was expecting a bit more information, he didn't even give me a leaflet about foods to avoid etc... Anyway, I asked him what would be the next thing happen, would it be my 12 week scan? He said yes and that was it.

I know the GP surgery sent off my forms to the hospital (St Thomas's in London) as I got a letter with the date of my first scan. But I have also been reading that I should be having some parallel care from a midwife, and should be scheduled for a booking appointment between 8 and 10 weeks. I spoke to the GP's receptionist who was about as helpful as you'd expect for an inner city GP surgery (i.e. not very). I did manage to extract some information from her, she said that the midwives and antenatal care were organised through the hosptial (rather than through a community midwife at the surgery) and that a midwife would 'probably' be assigned to me at my scan. I'm not sure about the second point, I thought my scan would just be with a sonographer and didn't have that much to do with the midwives.

I rung NHS Direct who told me that I should be have be having blood tests for chicken pox and all kinds of things around now.

I rung the hospital and eventually got through to what I think is the right department, only to be faced with voicemail rather than a real person. I did leave a message. My question is really, am I on the right track? Is it right that my antenatal care should start BEFORE my first scan? And is it a separate process than scans and sonographers? I know it's a bit different in different areas, but I'm starting to feel a bit that I have fallen the cracks and whatever is supposed to happen to kick off my antenatal care hasn't.

Any advice, especially from anyone who's been cared for at St. Thomas's is very welcome.

Julia.

At some hospitals you don't see a MW until after your first scan. I haven't been to Tommies, but my first MW appointments have been after 12 weeks.

The NHS does not routinely test for chickenpox immunity, so NHS Direct is wrong there. My first blood tests have always been done at my MW booking appointment, so after the scan.

Just check with the hospital ante-natal clinic that you're on their list (the number os here. Try not to worry to much - you won't get much NHS attention in your first trimester, because it is usually the least medically complicated part of pregnancy.

I have used St Thomas' for my last child

I wouldn't expect to see a MW until after your first scan
They will probably ring you before then to make the appt though or you might get a letter

I felt that way too - went to see my GP as soon as I found out I was pregnant and expected all sorts of things to happen, loads of checks etc. In fact the GP did nothing but said I'd hear from a midwife. After several weeks I still hadn't heard so rang them and was told I'd hear form them by 12 weeks. Which I did. I had a midwife appointment about a week before the scan. She asked me lots of health questions and filled in some forms and then told me to go to the pathology lab of the hospital straight after my scan for blood tests. She also booked me in for my second midwife appointment (at about 16 weeks). After what I'd been reading I did expect a bit more contact and info - at both of my midwife appointments they haven't volunteered much info I have had to go with a list of questions - but I guess they are understaffed and as long as you have your scan appointment I think everything will kick in after that. I guess to them this is an everyday occurence so unless you seem to need special care they donlt seem to make much fuss. When it's your first experience of pregnancy though you do expect a bit more. I know everything I know from books and websites such as this ratehr than from anyting my midwife has told me! You'll be fine!

Thanks for the replies. It's good to know that I shouldn't be worrying as much as I am about my antenatal care. I guess I'm a little suprised that the care doesn't start earlier, to talk women though healthy eating and choices about tests and scans before you actually have them, but I guess with the power of the internet no-one has any excuse to be ill-informed these days.

I was a little confused about the letter I got through for my first trimester scan, it included a fact sheet about the Combined Test (which it also said was optional), is the Combined Test the same thing as my first trimester scan? Or are they done at the same time? I.e. do I get a blood test when I go for my scan and do they get the results there and then? Also, if I did want to opt out, do I just tell them when I turn up, and will I still get a scan that isn't part of the Combined Test?

Lots of questions I know.

Also, EldonAve - I know everyone has a different experience, even at the same hosptial, but I would be really interested to know your personal impression of the standard of care that you got at St Thomas's.

Julia.

IME, from speaking with friends who've recently had babies, every area seems to be different and have a slightly different approach to antenatal care. Also, same as bambamma i was always a bit underwhelmed with my mw appts, and learned most things from books, or MN of course. Good luck!

Ante natal care is shit for the first 12 weeks. Nobody is interested until you have your scan. Though having just had my first consultant appt & MW I'm not sure they are interested then.

Think it's a NHS plan to save money by not bothering until you aren't going to MC.

Sorry but hopefully your care is better than mine!

They will take bloods before your scan and process them there and then

They combine the results with the scan measurements to give you estimated risk for Downs etc

If you want to opt out you can
You can probably also ask them not to measure the nuchal fold in the scan if you don't want that done either

The care at Thomas' has been fine although they are very busy so sometimes there is a long wait for clinic appts (not scans)

Make sure you allow extra time to reach the 8th floor as the lifts are slow and busy
If you are late for your scan they may turn you away

Not all hospitals do nuchal fold either.