1st prenatal appointment? when?

[FireWithin]

I just made my first appointment at a different midwife group than before. My appointment is not until I'm 11 weeks. It feels so late. My other option was just before 8 weeks. The secretary said most likely you can't hear a heartbeat at that time. So I decided to wait until 11 weeks. It just feels weird. I am attempting to take a more hands off approach for this pregnancy, at least for the 1st trimester.

I am also a little concerned that there was so little availability. I don't want to have to struggle to make an appointment for each month.


When is your first appointment?

[dharmama]

i'm getting ready to call now....

i'll let you know!

[nydiagonz]

My other option was just before 8 weeks. The secretary said most likely you can't hear a heartbeat at that time.

I was told that you can hear the heartbeat starting at 7 or 8, so my first appt is at 8 weeks. Then again, I am considered "high risk", so things are a little different for me.

[luckylady]

I was just thinking about this today - I need to decide MW or OB...and call!

[Sydnee]

I have a consultation with a midwife a week from Thursday. I have never had a Midwife before, so I need to "interview" her first!!! I don't plan on having an actual appt. until 11-12 weeks.

[dharmama]

:

well i couldn't even make an apt. the receptionist told me they are incredibly short-staffed today and asked if i could call back tomorrow.

that was for the hospital midwife. now i'm going to call the homebirth midwife (still don't have dh on board 100% for a homebirth but he seems to be coming around). la, la, la...

[Naughty Dingo]

I have the initial appointment on Friday, it is just an intake appointment since I am a new patient at these midwives. I don't know what there schedule for appointments after that is.

ND

[ksmommy]

Since I am at risk for an ectopic, I had my blood work today to check the numbers and the progesteron. Also, I am having an US and doctor's appointment on the 22nd, I will be 6 1/2 weeks then... A little nervous!!

[minimunklemama]

first appt is sept 21st but if i find a m/w here in CT then I'll change,

[tiffanyrk1786]

I had an OB with both previous pregnancies and saw the doc about 7-8 weeks but this time I am seeing a midwife and will be seeing her on Monday, the 12th. I will be about 5 weeks and a few days I suppose.. I need to sit down and look at a calendar though lol

[djinneyah]

i've already talked to the gal (GP) who i've chosen to do my prenatal care. she just finished her residency and started her practice last week, so her patient list is still pretty short. and, i think, i'll be her first OB patient!

i've already discussed with her the things i want/don't want done during this pregnancy. she seemed fine with everything; refusing the gestational diabetes testing, triple screen, any blood draws beyond the initial blood typing/Rh screen/hCG level done at the first visit, etc. she said she's fine with me having one screening ultrasound. i even told her there might still be a giant corpus luteum cyst on my ovary, and that it didn't interfere with my last pregnancy, so i didn't want constant US monitoring this time around, and she said "okay"

i told her i'd come in for my first visit around 8 weeks or so, and she said that would be fine. so i'll probably call in another week or two.

[gabry]

I was told that you can hear the heartbeat starting at 7 or 8, so my first appt is at 8 weeks. Then again, I am considered "high risk", so things are a little different for me.

I think you both may be talking about different things. By US you can see/hear a heartbeat by 7 weeks or so, but by doppler (the little handheld machine thingie) by 9-10 weeks or so.
My first appt. is this Friday with ob, at five weeks which is really ridiculous, but I feel like I want to do something. (and first they gave me the appt. for 4 weeks..) Anybody else frustrated with not knowing anything yet, not being able to do anything? I guess I only feel that way because of my recent m/c. I just wish I was at 20 weeks or something already - besides, I have some really cute maternity stuff left over from last time and need an excuse to buy some more

[ChattyCat]

Well, because I'm seeing an RE right now, I have lots of appts still. They won't release me to an OB until I'm 8 or 9 weeks along. I had an hcG on Tuesday, and I go back tomorrow and Monday for hcG tests to make sure the numbers are doubling properly. I'll probably have an u/s about 2 weeks from today, which would put me at about 6w5d, and they should be able to see the heartbeat. I'll have another u/s about 2 weeks after that to make sure everything's still okay, and then I can go to the OB. I imagine that I'd get in for that around 10 or 11 weeks, about two weeks after my last u/s with the RE. Once we see the heartbeat though, I have to go see my internal medicine dr to get the referral to the OB. How I hate that dh is military. The insurance is such a pain in the tushie!

[dharmama]

ok. got my apt.

oct 17.

i'll be a little over 11 weeks then.

they also said a nurse will call me to schedule a nurse apt sometime during my 7-8 week. not sure what happens there. didn't do that with dd.

[susannella]

I just spoke with a homebirth midwife today, and have an appointment for next Friday. It was so unusual in that she didn't ask for insurance information. This will be the first of many differences from my previous experience with the hospital midwives.

I'm off to research questions to ask at my appointment!

[Mamabeakley]

I've got my first appt. for next Tuesday - I will be 6 wks + some days. I wanted to make sure I got on their "list" (only legal hb midwives in my area) but I don't feel any especial need to go this soon, really. Until later on, I'll only go every 4 weeks, so it's not like it adds up to a lot of appointments by starting this soon or anything.

Unless something is/seems to be wrong, I don't want to use doppler this time or have an ultrasound. It just felt . . . invasive last time. (I had two vag. ultrasounds to rule out ectopic b/c I was bleeding, and several doppler listens to the heartbeat because I was still bleeding and scared.) Every time, I felt like the baby didn't like it and would have rather had his privacy. So this time I'll give baby the privacy if at all possible. I can wait till 12 - 14 weeks to hear the heartbeat via fetoscope.

[merrick]

I had my first appointment yesterday, at 6 weeks 1 day. They did an ultrasound and we saw the heartbeat! Couldn't really make out a baby though, just looked like a little white blob. DH said he was just glad there's only one in there!

[Willzmama]

My first midwife appt. isn't until Oct. 24. I'll be 11ish weeks by then.

[Mamatoto2]

I'll be just over 10 weeks at my 1st appt. I think I was 9 weeks for my 1st appt with DD. I'm glad this one is a bit later. I'm not terribly inclined toward intervention, and I'd just as soon avoid a vaginal U/S to confirm the heartbeat by waiting a bit longer so the HB can be nice and strong (and be picked up by doppler).

[gabry]

Had my first appt. yesterday. The first two times I was in no hurry to get an appt, but after the m/c I really had this need for any kind of reassurance, even tho I know it's no guarantee for anything. Soo, had my US, which showed an appropriate size sac. Phew.. Of course, no heartbeat would be expected yet. I'll go back in two weeks, and then prob won't have another US until 20 weeks or so, if that.