help needed: private or NHS mw (UK)

[Lara_W]

Hello ladies, could you please help with advice re privately-led vs NHS midwife-led pregnancy options. Are there any benefits/disadvantages? Has anyone tried both?

I'm 6 weeks now, and I did my HCG (and progesterone) tests in a walk-in clinic to make sure they were doubling because I know NHS don't do these... Do you think private doctors provide more support in terms of tests, checks, etc?

My GP told me to get an appointment at UCL Elizabeth Garret Wing (he said it's a self-referal thing..really???), but I am also considering going private with one of the doctors at St Mary's...

Thank you in advance for any comments on this matter!

 

[Snowleopard79]

Hi

I cant really answer your queation but was thinking of the same thing. I cant get seen by anone in NHs until 8weeks, i would just like something to tell me things are going ok. What wa sthe walkin clinic you went to, was it NHS or private and how did you find them.

I just feel compared with the USA where they get HCG test regularly and scan ealy on (between 5 - 7 weeks we are just left for the first few weeks to hope its all ok!!!!!

 

[_Lexi_]

I guess the USA get the extra scans because they pay for them. Here, most midwifes see you between 8-11 weeks for your booking in appointment. There isn't much need to see you before that unless you have pain/cramping/bleeding as there's not much they can do before that. I don't know of anyone that's gone private for maternity care in the uk. If you're high risk or have problems, you'll be offered the various tests and extra scans. If you've had no reason to worry, it's normally fairly safe to assume that everything is going ok. You can book private dating scans if you want to see baby early, without getting a private midwife. More scans and tests isn't always a good thing. I'm high risk and from 20 weeks I have scans every 4 weeks minimum (currently 23 weeks), it's more nerve wrecking as you worry about what problems will be found.

 

[Lara_W]

You're both right... I guess my previous experience doesn't allow me to relax and wait till 12 weeks: I had a fading pregnancy leading to a mc in another country, and I did have all sorts of things checked throughout those 11 weeks (low progesterone is easily fixed a pill, tone of uterus - same, etc etc). But then again - it didn't help me saving that pregnancy! It did feel good to know I did all I could possibly do though...

This time I passed out at 5 weeks, had cramps and suspected ectopic/appendicitis (that is now out of the question thnx to a scan) and I have been ill with temperature going up and down since then... My GP didn't seem interested in this at all

P.S. I had my blood tests done at Harley St walkin-clinic, just paid for it myself. Will probably repeat these by the end of this week.

 

[lynnikins]

Private care can be costly and hard to come by. Before 8was the nhs leave us be because if things do go wrong its not like they can stop it. You can get early scans if you have cause ie... Cramps and or bleeding at an EPU but typically by 12wks things are normally considered viable so they start scans etc.. The stats for fixing a failing pregnancy are a very low success rate which doesn't make it viable to be running extra scans and tests on everyone

if you want the same mw all the way through then private is good cause otherwise you have to normally be under a team of MWs none of which would normally be there at delivery but you will end up paying for everything including hospital stay if you go private

 

[Lara_W]

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated!