Booking Appointment

What Is My Booking Appointment?

Your booking appointment will automatically be sent to you once you have told your GP that you are pregnant. It usually takes place at the hospital maternity unit or at a community clinic. A Booking Appointment usually takes place between weeks ten and twelve of your pregnancy. Their purpose is to take samples of blood, check your general health, give advice and answer any questions that you may have. The whole process takes a couple of hours. In most cases you will see a midwife although sometimes you may see a midwife, GP or obstetrician.

What Information Will They Want From Me And Why?

• date of last period. This will be used to calculate your due date or Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD) This date will be confirmed by a scan
• lots of information about your general health. This might include information about recurrent family health problems, and history of pregnancy and miscarriage
• information about folic acid, prescription and illegal drugs
• urine test. Your midwife will be looking to test your levels of protein. An abnormally high level can be an indication of pre-eclampsia. They will also check sugar levels as this can provide an indication of gestational diabetes. A third test will be for urinary infections which are common in pregnancy. Blood test to check your blood test and check for a variety of blood conditions including, rubella, hepatitis B, Anaemia, Syphilis, HIV, and Rhesus factor
• height and weight measurements will be taken. Rapid weight gain before the twentieth week can be another sign of pre-eclampsia
• blood test for Down’s syndrome might be discussed. This is routinely done at sixteen weeks
• ultrasound scan

What Will The Scan Reveal?

• the midwife will be interested in measuring the baby’s length to get an idea of how advanced his development is and to see how many babies there are
• the scan will give a more accurate EDD
• the scan is usually the first opportunity for the parents to see their baby. They should be able to make out the hands and feet.
• a second scan at eighteen to twenty weeks enables the midwife to check that the baby is developing correctly and is properly positioned in the womb. The baby can then be screened for a range of conditions
• many antenatal units give you a picture of the scan as part of their service. Others make a small charge

Click on this link to read our related article about Checks, Scans And Tests