8/9 weeks booking appointment

16 March 2013

Here in the UK, the first contact you have with any medical professional once you find out you're pregnant is at 8 weeks, or 9 weeks for me as my midwife is only at my GP surgery every other Tuesday. So I had my first appointment with her this week (the 12th March). It took just over an hour and is called a booking appointment because I think you get booked into the hospital of your choice, if you have a choice, and booked for your first scan which will be at 12 weeks. 

So the first thing I had to decide which I wasn't actually expecting (and I did some research on what to expect at the appointment) was to decide which hospital I'd like to go to. I had a choice between the Royal Berkshire Hospital which is in Reading, North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke or one in Oxford. I decided on the one in Basingstoke as I don't like having to drive into the centre of Reading and have been to Royal Berkshire for X-rays and found it difficult to find parking and find the correct hospital building. I've been driving to Basingstoke for my ear op and check ups, not to the hospital but have passed it and it's really easy to get to.

Next the midwife went through all the paperwork we had to fill out, I filled out some and she filled out some to get through it a bit quicker. There's a whole book you have to fill out and more! Contact details and medical history etc. You also get a certificate which you send off and then get sent a card to be exempt of paying for any prescriptions or dental work while pregnant and up until one year after giving birth which I'll make use of. (The British medical advantages are never ending!)

My midwife is really nice. Friendly and seemed to be thorough. I felt happy with her. A bit different here to SA where I believe you see a gynaecologist, here you only see a midwife unless you have complications where you might see a GP or a specialist as well.

After the paperwork was done she took my blood pressure, weight and height. Worked out my BMI (body mass index) which was fine. My due date she calculated from the first day of my last period which came to be the 15th of October, although I might get a different date when I have my 12 week scan and they measure the baby. She tested my urine for protein (signs of urinary tract infection) which was fine too.

No one has yet confirmed whether I really am pregnant!

Symptoms to date: nausea, tiredness (I start getting tired by 8pm, and can usually make it to 9pm before giving in to sleep!), constant hunger which has subsided now along with the nausea, and then having to get up on average three times a night. I don't even lie thinking whether I really need the toilet or not, I just get up and go, I'm so used to it now! Had headaches for about a week or two, waking up with them in the morning and then usually disappearing when I drink water or eat something. Only had one really bad headache which lasted and I ended up giving in and taking two paracetamol tablets which helped. Touch wood, I've not had a headache for the last two weeks or so which with my history of headaches is really good too! I do have an increased sense of smell and find I don't like the smell of coffee anymore.

I consider myself lucky that I haven't had anything worse and especially have not been sick. Hope it will stay that way!

My jeans are getting a little bit tight around the waist and I can notice a slight bump, which anybody else would assume to be from eating! Andre reckons I've just been eating more, but I don't think I really have as I used to snack lots anyway. Today I looked at maternity jeans online for the first time. A bit early I suppose, but I hate being uncomfortable in jeans. I'll wait a couple more weeks before buying. Luckily my work trousers are still comfy as they're horribly unflattering anyway. I plan to get one pair of jeans for weekends and one pair of black trousers for work eventually. I have a pair of stretchy 3/4 length trousers and another which sits on my hips, below my belly so am hoping that'll do as I won't need much else than jeans and the occasional 3/4 length for the British summer!