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UK mums-to-be - first midwife appointment?

Agcam

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Hi,

A quick question for those of you in the UK, please.

My GP told me that you can only be referred to the midwife after 2 missed periods. That is 8 weeks along! I don't remember it being this way with DS1.

May I ask whether it's the same for everybody else? When did you have your first midwife appointment?


Thanks! :flower:
 
That sounds ridiculous, as lots of women have irregular cycles and don't know how many periods they've missed so that's really not a very professional way to determine it. But your booking in appointment should be around 8-9 weeks anyway (mine was 11 weeks this time because I booked in late on purpose, so it doesn't matter if it's later than 8-9 weeks), so it doesn't really matter if you don't book in until the point that your GP is telling you to. But it's still a load of horse crap, you should be able to get the referral any time and then they'll just give you an appointment at around 8 weeks based on LMP.
 
I agree completely ridiculous. That's why pregnancy tests exist! It's not 1930 anymore.

Honestly, I've not gone through my GP for any of my pregnancies. I just call up the midwives and self refer. You should be able to find the number for your local team somewhere (or just call your hospital and ask to be transferred to maternity reception and ask for the community midwives). I've been pregnant 3 times now and I called them around 5 weeks and always had my first appointment somewhere around 7-9 weeks.
 
Thank you, both.

Talia, your "horsecrap" comment made me giggle. :haha:

MindUtopia - I looked it up. Apparently, where I live, the referral has to go through the GP. There must be different procedures depending on where you live. :shrug:

I'll give my GP surgery a ring in the next week or so, and book an appointment. Even if they only want to see you at 8 weeks, I suppose it doesn't hurt to have the appointment in place.
 
Haha, well it is. Oh yeah, in my area it's only recently that you're able to self refer, with my son I had no choice but to go through GP. Could you see a different doctor at your surgery? Like you say, typically you see your GP as soon as you find out you're pregnant and then you get given an appointment for like 4 weeks later. That way you know you've got that sorted. I recently had a midwife tell me I couldn't get the maternity exemption certificate till 25 weeks which is the most untrue thing ever so definitely these professionals sometimes get it wrong in terms of what the protocol is!
 
The GP often technically has to refer so the right catchment area gets the funding. But it doesn't mean you can't still call direct to the midwives. Technically here after we book our appointment with the midwives (ourselves), you just go to the surgery and fill out a form at reception and that's your referral. I would still call them to say your GP won't refer you because they'll want to know (it's going to screw up they're scheduling if they have to rush to get you in after 8 weeks especially if it's a busy service) and they'll need to book your scan soon. Plus then they can talk to the GP about how this isn't the way things are done. They may just make your appointment and wait for the referral to come through in the meantime.
 
I was actually shocked when I was offered an appointment at 6/7 weeks, as with my DD it wasn't until after 8 weeks you would have your booking in appointment. Although the midwife didn't/wouldn't sort out my scan, or test my urine until after I was 10 weeks. So I had two "booking in" appointments.

I skipped seeing a doctor this time too and went straight to the midwife, I wasn't sure if I could do it but obviously I can.
 
I skipped seeing the Dr this time, I instead asked my gp receptionist to book me in with the midwife and she made an appointment with me there and then for my booking appointment at 8 weeks. It wasn't a necessity that it was 8 week, just that was the only free available appointment.

Different areas do have different protocols though, would be so much easier if the whole process was uniform throughout the UK.
 
It's between 8-10 weeks here I believe. I'm in no rush I can remember from my son that nothing really happens at the first one other than generating a scan appointment but that will happen even if appointment is delayed somewhat.
If all goes well I'll go about 10 weeks I think.
 
I went to my doctor at 6 weeks as I had a uti and she gave me a leaflet to self refer.

Haven't heard anything yet thought
 
Thanks for all your comments. I'll give them a call in a week or so, and ask to be referred. I'm only 4 weeks along, so that should give me enough time to get an appropriate appointment.
 
In my area we don't even need to go the GP to confirm pregnancy (or I least I never ) I just called into the surgery and the receptionist gave me a card to phone my local maternity unit .

not sure how many weeks pregnant I was with DD2 as I had a few early scans due to possible eptopic pregnancy before I got an appointment to see my midwife .

I would just try and book your own midwife appointment I wouldn't want to wait until they refer you !! I've never heard of this !
X
 
Where I am from you had to fill in a form and a midwife rang you.
 
Here you had to make an appointment with the midwife when you were 8 weeks based on LMP they wouldn't see you before through the GP surgery but never saw the Dr - although with my 2nd I saw my Dr at 5 weeks as I was so sick I needed medication
 
I called mine today and they are going to set me up with an appointment before I'm 10 weeks.
They invited me to a group pre-booking appointment though but I declined as it sounded very basic, the fo's and don'ts of pregnancy basically.
 
I called mine today and they are going to set me up with an appointment before I'm 10 weeks.
They invited me to a group pre-booking appointment though but I declined as it sounded very basic, the fo's and don'ts of pregnancy basically.

Yeah, I went to one of those in my first pregnancy. It wasn't worth going to and was pretty much what you say!
 
They set my first appointment for next Tuesday... I'll be 14 weeks!
 
They set my first appointment for next Tuesday... I'll be 14 weeks!
That's crazy, are you in the UK? They can only test for sickle cell and thalassaemia before (I think) 10 weeks, which is why the booking in appt is usually before then. But yeah mine wasn't till 11 weeks because I knew I wasn't at risk for those. But I've never heard of anyone not seeing a midwife until after their 12 week scan!
 
They set my first appointment for next Tuesday... I'll be 14 weeks!

14 weeks! I thought they wanted to see people around 8-10.

Well, I spoke to the receptionist a little while back. You have to have 2 missed periods to book an appointment.
There are no forms, etc. The midwives hold a clinic every Thursday at the GP surgery, so if I call them when I've missed my second period, they'll book me in.
 
Well I still think that's a load of, you know. It sounds so old fashioned. They should just say "8 weeks since your last period" if they insist on making you wait that long.
 

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