A Sprinkle of Stardust: The Booking Appointment

The first antenatal appointment that you have in the UK

With the NHS

Is called a Booking Appointment

And is usually with your community midwife

Often the midwife you will see for all appointments

Through your pregnancy

My local midwife is actually away for a month

So I had to travel out of area for this appointment

And tell my whole sorry story

To a poor lady

Who was very lovely

But who I will most likely never see again

The Booking Appointment lasts about 90 minutes

If like me you have a complicated history

It can take even longer

It is best to leave plenty of time

It is also worth remembering that you will need to give a urine sample

So make sure you have something to drink so that you feel able to produce your sample!

Of course, this appointment is very individual

The things arranged

Booked

For you

Will be specific to you

Your history

And your pregnancy

This is the story of my booking appointment

For Baby Number Five

Eeek!

At this appointment you have to answer lots of questions

About your health

And your families health

It is best to have this appointment before you reach 10 weeks

There are bloods taken and tested

And it is best that some of them are done

Before this time

I was a lot more relaxed this pregnancy

I also wanted to be certain baby was okay before this meeting

So only after a scan at 9 weeks

Did I feel I wanted to book in

And my appointment ended up being at exactly 12 weeks

We started by conforming all of my personal details

And making sure all my contact details were up to date

We then went through my medical history

And current physical and medical state

We also talked about my mental health

Which I was very grateful for

We talked about PTSD and Anxiety

The midwife assured me that if my CBT sessions are not enough

I will be able to continue counselling through the maternity services

Which is good to know

After talking about me

We talked about my family

Going through their medical history and status in great detail

Then it was time to talk through my obstetric history

Through five rounds of IVF

Premature delivery of twins

The pregnancy and birth of Matilda Mae

Tilda dying at 9 months

My first miscarriage and ERPC

The pregnancy and birth of Bea

My second miscarriage

And this current sprinkle of stardust

You know that your history is a long and complicated one

When the midwife is teary and lost for words

You know your story is a sad one

When the midwife wants to reassure you that this time all will be well

But we both know that she cannot promise that will be true

Things are not shared out fairly in this world

And though I have had more heartbreak than many

It does not mean that there is not more heartache to come

The midwife was lovely

She allowed me to talk

And she listened

Even though I will not be her patient

She was lovely

She told me that a referral had already been made for me

To a CONI Health Visitor

And that they would be in touch at 16 weeks

Care of the Next infant is a scheme led by The Lullaby Trust

It was not available in our area when Bea was born

I am so relieved that it is now

As I am hoping that the CONI Health Visitor will help me

Stop Bea sleeping in my arms every night

And help me to parent our new baby

In a less anxious, over protective way

It will be good to have them to talk to

Because they know

Raising a rainbow is no an easy task

Even when baby is not our first rainbow

raising rainbow big

So after talking through all of my details

Strategies are put in place for this pregnancy

Based on what the midwife has learned

At the moment

These are the main points of care

For this pregnancy

Which will hopefully lead

To a healthy baby in our home

In my arms

Next May

Care Plan (set at Booking Appointment)

From 12 weeks take low dose aspirin once a day
This has been prescribed because I am 40 years old. Also because all my family suffer with high blood pressure (except me) and my mother had Toxemia (pre-eclampsia) when pregnant with me. I was a bit worried about the prescription as my blood pressure is naturally very low but I have been assured that it is fine.

Next routine midwife appointment with my own midwife at 16 weeks

Meet the CONI Health Visitor at 16 weeks

Nuchal screening with NHS, scan and bloods

Referral to Obstetric Consultant Team
There are many reasons that I will be under Consultant Care for this pregnancy. The first is that I am 40 years old. The second is because the twins were born so very early. The third is because of Tilda’s death so just as with Bea they are providing every possible level of care which I am so very grateful for.

General Anaesthetic Review
This is because I reacted badly to anaesthetic after my ERPC. My blood pressure was very, very low so they struggled to bring me round and then would not send me home as my blood pressure remained very low. This appointment will just put a plan in place in case I need to have anaesthetic during birth.

Growth Scans
From 24 weeks gestation I will have ultrasounds every three weeks to measure the growth of the baby. This is because of my age and also because I had suspected IUGR with Bea.

After all the information

Taken

Given

It was time for urine samples

They were sent away to the lab

So have not yet had any results

Blood was also taken

Testing for

Blood group and rhesus factor

Antibodies

Rubella

Syphilis

Hepatitis B

HIV

Full blood count

Iron levels

As with the sample

Bloods are sent away

And results will be discussed at the 16 week midwife meet

The 90 minute appointment

Is very intense and exhausting

For me

I think for many

It is a lovely chat

About pregnancy

And thinking about birth choices

And breastfeeding

And ways you may choose to raise your baby

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Here are some links to general information posts

About the Antenatal Booking Appointment

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/antenatal-care/booking-appointment

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a551015/your-booking-appointment

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/antenatal-midwife-care-pregnant.aspx#first

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