Niece pregnant at 7 months but no scan yet, what to do??

[funrunner]

Hi my niece has just had her pregnancy confirmed and we think she’s around 7 and a half months (she was still bleeding and has only just showed a bump so had no idea). We’ve estimated she’s due end of Feb / beginning of March based on the last time she was intimate and has just been given a date for her FIRST scan appointment on the 24th of January.

She had no idea if the baby is healthy, what to expect when giving birth etc. When she was given her appointment they were aware of her situation. I just don’t understand how they can give her an appointment a month before we think she is due. What can we do to get something urgent? Not sure if it’s the same everywhere but we’re in Liverpool and I know you get a pregnancy information pack and pregnancy notes, she hasn’t got either. Please help!

[Chiefy]

Hi, I'm in Liverpool. If she is under the womens then the pregnancy notes are online and your niece needs to register herself. The link is on the hospital website. I was given a plastic wallet at first scan that included a growth chart for midwife and stickers with my details on for urine/blood samples, but not a "pack" as such.

There are quite a few private scan clinics about if you Google and you should be able to get a wellbeing scan with one of them before the hospital appt.

[funrunner in reply to Chiefy]

Thanks for your reply. Before I checked back on this I signed her up on my pregnancy notes, when I say pack I am going off a photo I have seen from someone I know, it’s a labour info pack that you get at your 22 week appointment and she is past that.

We’ve looked into private scans as well I just wanted to see if anything can be done beforehand with it being an unusual situation as she needs a MAT B1 form too and as far as I’m aware you get that at your first appointment. I haven’t had a baby myself so just don’t have a clue.

[LizzieBW]

Hi there,

I'm not in Liverpool but pregnant women usually get their MATB1 form at their next midwife appointment after their 20 week scan (not their booking appointment at 10ish weeks) because that's the scan where they check for anomalies and basically consider it a viable pregnancy. You're quite right that your niece will have missed this if she is 7 months pregnant so it's likely she will be given her MATB1 form at her first midwife appointment after the scan in January.

Hopefully the sonographer/mat dept will realise things are very different for your niece in terms of timescales so possibly could get the form if she enquires about it asap by calling the maternity department at her local hospital directly.

I was able to get private scans almost the next day from multiple local companies where needed so this might be a much better option, especially if your niece is anxious.

[Seb9]

I would suggest she calls and speaks to her midwife and see if there's anything they can do to bring the scan or any other appointments forward.

[Shopper85]

Contact GP can make a referral directly to Hospital

[Lowamh]

You’re best bet is via the midwife, they can usually fight your corner with the hospital. The process can differ slightly in different areas, where I am you call the midwife service yourself to book in for your first appointment (normally before the 12 week scan). If she calls the midwife I’m sure they’ll get on the case for a cancellation. Good luck x