First booking appointment

[Kat_C]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm currently about 8 weeks pregnant and have been to the GP who told me to get in touch with my local children's centre. I've done that and have been booked in fur the 27th Jan. I've been looking into this and all advice seems to be that I should be having my booking appointment around now, if I wait until the 27th then I coukd be about 14 weeks by then, without even having a scan! Do you think I should ring up and get an earlier appointment?

[jsth1979]

You need to see your midwife at 10 weeks and your first scan should be at 12 weeks. Your GP has advised you incorrectly. I had similar problems when I was in your position and it was only LUCK that the receptionist at the GP surgery rang me back as I was naiive about it all.

Call your GP back: say you need to see a midwife within next two weeks. IF they can't give you an appointment at the surgery because midwives only tend to visit GP surgeries once a week and they get very busy... call your hospital and speak to midwife section. They will give you contact details for midwives in your area and they should then help you out.

Hope this all makes sense. Do NOT delay getting that all arranged: also, ask for your 'bounty pack' which should include your midwife/pregnancy book which you will keep all your medical notes in for your pregnancy!

[kerry1211]

I was around 8 weeks whwn I found out and was told to make appointment with midwife as soon as you know... id definitely get onto them and get the ball rolling with all bloods and urine samples and stuff they need and to get your scan aappointment sorted aswell congratulations on pregnancy xx

[Kat_C]

Ok. That's what I thought. I've rang the midwife, she's busy but they will get her to ring me back as soon as she's free. Seems like a bit of a mix up in communication. I'm hoping this isn't an omen for things to come!

[ahuruole30]

Omg!! I can't believe all the stories I am hearing here. I am 8weeks pregnant as well and my Gp referred me and I have been contacted by the hospital via letter and text for my first appointment on the 19th of December. Please do ring your Gp back...this is not good. Sometimes you need to stand on your feet and let them know you are not a dumb, that you actually know what you want. Goodluck!

[Cheekymonkey85]

Congratulations Hun! Yeah you should really have your first appointment at around 8 weeks, but if where you are is anything like my area, the maternity units are swamped! I know of women who didn't get their first scans until 17weeks, and my friend had the same issue with her booking in appointment- but pestering the doctors got her in with the midwife quicker. The dating scan doesn't need to be done at exactly 12weeks though. So don't worry too much. I didn't have mine until I was 13+6. It should be done ideally between 11 & 13+6 xx

[Naomi-A]

Every hospital is different, and see you at different points, depending on their priorities and staffing levels. The general rule is 12 weeks for the scan, but you can wait up to 13+6 weeks if you have no previous complications. Some areas of the country won't contact you until you are about 10 weeks. Congratulations and good luck ! X

[SilkeP]

I'm currently 12 weeks and have my scan next week. The scan can be done between 11+6 and 13+6, then think I'm a week ahead so in theory my appointment is when I'm 13+6. With my first child I had the 12 week scan at 13+4, I think many places are very busy and often you're seen towards the end of the time span.

Be sure what they mean by 'bookig appointment'. Some mean by that the appointment you have with the community midwife where you discuss your medical history, any concerns, advice on eating/drinking/vitamins/exercise. That should usually be around week 8 but can be much later as well, mine was at 10 weeks.

Others refer to the 12 week scan as the booking appointment. If the appointment you've been given on the 27th January is just for a consultation with the community midwife then that's fine (although should be sooner but this isn't time sensitive), but you will still need to also have the scan before you are 14 weeks, so if you haven't got that then you definitely need to call back and explain again. They can't just choose to give you a later scan so there must be a misunderstanding at their end. Good luck!