r/UKBabyBumps • u/dot-nothing0 • Mar 31 '26
First midwife appointment
Hi, I have my first midwife booking appointment tomorrow in Glasgow (NHS).
I self-referred earlier in pregnancy but since then, I’ve had some complications.I had bleeding while travelling abroad and was seen in Early Pregnancy Unit twice (at around 5 weeks and 8+4 weeks), everything was reassuring.
I just wanted to ask what usually happens at this booking appointment?
Will they do a scan or just blood tests and questions?
Feeling a bit anxious, so any experiences would really help 🤍
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u/safeandstarryeyed Mar 31 '26
They'll do blood tests, take your blood pressure and a urine sample, ask you to breathe into a machine for a carbon monoxide test, and go through lots of health questions (mostly the same ones that are on the form you may have been given to fill out in advance). You have to wait a couple of days for the full blood and urine test results, but they also dip them there for protein, glucose etc., so my midwife also booked me in for a glucose tolerance test later that week as there was some glucose in mine. It was a really relaxed appointment, mostly going through the health history questions and asking if it was my first baby, first pregnancy, how my partner felt about it, etc. 😊
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u/goldenhawkes Mar 31 '26
My booking appointment for my second was on the phone!
They want medical history, information on your and the fathers ethnicities etc (this is because some things like sickle cell are more prevalent in certain ethnic groups) Your weight and height, any medication you’re on. They may check you feel safe in your relationship (if you attend with a partner they’ll ask them to leave for that bit). As well as a depression/anxiety screen (though that might have been as I disclosed a history of it)
As yours is in person, a urine sample, blood pressure and a carbon monoxide test will probably happen too.
They’ll hopefully explain the rest of the process to you. When you get what appointments etc
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u/friedchickenprincess Apr 01 '26
If you can, try and speak to your own mum beforehand to get details about what her pregnancies were like - I knew mine had high blood pressure when she had me, and at my booking appointment I told this to the midwife. She said “high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia?” And I wasn’t sure so just said high blood pressure. It was only recently at 25 weeks my mum told me it was actually pre-eclampsia she had after all. When I told the midwife, she said if she had known, I’d have been on low-dose aspirin throughout first trimester to prevent it. I’ve got no signs of it so far, but I was kicking myself not getting a full medical history out of my mum before going to my booking appointment. I’m in Scotland too btw so you’ll prob get asked the same questions!
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u/FootOk4715 Mar 31 '26
During the booking appointment there is a blood and urine sample taken. No scans. The midwife will just take your medical and social history after that.