In what week of pregnancy do you call for your first appointment?

[Tenaj]

O.K. I'll admit it - I always tend to be on the slow side with this. I've never had any problems with any pregnancy and with my first few kids it always irritated me that they have me come in at 12 weeks and then panic when they can't find the heartbeat, rush me to the ultrasound room and, all's well.

 

So with my last few pregnancies, I tend to wait until 10 or 11, or with one kidlet I think I was 15 weeks before I even called (LOL). I'm always pretty confident that if I'm throwing-up on schedule all's well, and if I'm concerned about something, I would call of course, right away.

 

So, I'm about 13 weeks right now and decided today to call for the first appointment. First the audible gasp by the receptionist when she heard my date of birth was a little off-putting. . . yes, I'm 44 but I thought the gasp and long silence was a bit unprofessional. Then another audible gasp when I stated the date of my last period. Lots of comments about how I was already past the time they wanted to see me, on and on and on. . . . They got me in on Thursday, basically a whole week past the time I would normally have been there but I had to listen to all this drama. :confused:

 

So, am I that wierd that I wait that long? Basically, I am so sick the first 12 weeks that I don't even want to think about heading out in public anywhere. I'm hoping the receptionist was just having a bad day, or was new, or something or it's going to be a long nine-months (or rather six now ;) ).

[Janna]

I think it's odd that they reacted that way, LOL.

 

I always call right away, but they never schedule that first appointment until I'm 12 weeks anyway. When it was my first baby, they had me come in at 9 weeks.

 

I don't think you are weird for calling that "late".

 

By the way, Congratulations!

 

:party:

Edited February 24, 2009 by Janna
to add the important congrats!

[dirty ethel rackham]

Janet,

 

You are not wierd. Some doctors will not even see someone who has no previous risk factors until after the 12th week. If office staff treated me like that, I would be looking for a new healthcare provider. But, then again, that's me. I prefer as natural of an experience as possible and would not trust a practice who panicked over my first appointment, age or whatever.

[lynn]

Pretty much as soon as I find out I'm preg. With my dd I was in shock because I was on the pill and my age (over 35) I did not want to wait. Also, if it matters to you, with the new tests they do, they can only be accurate up to a certain week.

[Tap]

I had doctors refuse to see me in one pgy because I was Possibly past 3mths (I had no idea how far along I was). I had to call all over town, to find one who would take me, and finally found one who would take me by saying "I don't know how far along I am" instead of 'Up to 13 weeks".

 

The told me then it was a liability issue...but I also wonder if it is an insurance payment issue too :0/.

[Janet in Toronto]

My mother was an obstetrician, and her issue on at least **calling** earlier on in the pregnancy was her ability to manage the number of deliveries expected at any given time. She would kind of limit the number of women due in any given month mainly for her own sanity and ability to provide quality care and see patients through the pregnancy. So if you called 4 or 5 months along, she might have already reached her maximum quota for women with your approximate due date.

 

That being said, this was in the "old days" when she did all her own deliveries except two weekends a month when she signed out to a colleague. But I would imagine that most practice groups these days need to manage their case load in some way.

 

Just another POV.

 

Janet

[Tenaj]

My mother was an obstetrician, and her issue on at least **calling** earlier on in the pregnancy was her ability to manage the number of deliveries expected at any given time. She would kind of limit the number of women due in any given month mainly for her own sanity and ability to provide quality care and see patients through the pregnancy. So if you called 4 or 5 months along, she might have already reached her maximum quota for women with your approximate due date.

 

That being said, this was in the "old days" when she did all her own deliveries except two weekends a month when she signed out to a colleague. But I would imagine that most practice groups these days need to manage their case load in some way.

 

Just another POV.

 

Janet

 

I could see how that could be a valid point in some situations but in this case there are four drs. in the practice so one of them is always on call. Besides, if that's the problem, just tell me without all the drama. Thanks for the view from the other side though, I hadn't thought of that.

[Tenaj]

I had doctors refuse to see me in one pgy because I was Possibly past 3mths (I had no idea how far along I was). I had to call all over town, to find one who would take me, and finally found one who would take me by saying "I don't know how far along I am" instead of 'Up to 13 weeks".

 

The told me then it was a liability issue...but I also wonder if it is an insurance payment issue too :0/.

 

 

One of my guesses was that it was insurance (or the drs. own accounting office) that was the problem. They want you to pay a certain amount each month, at each appointment, and I wondered if they were worried about being a payment short if they couldn't get me in. Though I've got the money set aside, I'm sure some of their patients may have trouble with that.

[KristenS]

I always call as soon as I know, but they don't usually see patients till around 9 or 10 weeks. But in my case, we've had risk factors (threatened miscarriage with my first, and actual miscarriage with my second), so they get us in as early as possible. They don't *do* anything extra for me, and with two live ones, we're done now, but that's how it worked for us.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I also waited to call the doctor and set up an appointment with my 2 1/2 yr old. I was just shy of 12 weeks and I also heard the gasp and scramble to set an appointment quickly. I was happy to wait and did it on purpose and then they got what they wanted because then I went to an appointment.

 

My dr's office said they want to begin seeing a patient as soon as she gets a positive test with them. If we were going to have more children I would do the same thing as before and wait until around 12 weeks or so.

 

Oh, and as far as insurance goes the amount the doctor charges for the prenatal care is a flat fee. I know this might not be true of all doctor's but everyone I've known and asked it doesn't matter when you decide to come in because the care is the same. For example, from pregnancy test to delivery is $1700 whether you come in at 20 weeks or 5 weeks. That's about billing. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an insurance issue about liability for coming in earlier. Why not? People sue for worse! ;)

 

Congratulations!!!

Edited February 24, 2009 by PinkInTheBlue

[Tenaj]

Janet,

 

You are not wierd. Some doctors will not even see someone who has no previous risk factors until after the 12th week. If office staff treated me like that, I would be looking for a new healthcare provider. But, then again, that's me. I prefer as natural of an experience as possible and would not trust a practice who panicked over my first appointment, age or whatever.

 

Believe me, I've been tempted but I've had six kids with this practice and the actual dr. I see does not make comments about my age, or blink when I refuse all the tests so I hate to break in someone new. What I would love to do is have a homebirth with a midwife but in my state, a midwife can't assist at a homebirth so I'd still be stuck going to the hospital.

[lionfamily1999]

My doctor's office response to, "I believe I may be six-weeks pregnant" is, "congratulations, now, why did you call?" They never want to see me until I'm at least ten weeks along. Maybe it's just your age (no offense) and the amount of risk added to this pregnancy because of it.

[joannqn]

As soon as you know your are pregnant.

 

I learned the hard way. I didn't call my midwife right away and she was booked for my due month so I had to find a different midwife. Every other midwife in my COUNTY (not just city) is also booked.

 

Thankfully, I found another midwife in a neighboring county (35 minutes away) who had an opening. Unfortunately, she is MUCH more expensive than my 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices and will be charging additional for travel expenses.

 

ETA: The first appointment isn't scheduled until 10-12 weeks but you still want them to know so that you can have one of their "slots". This is probably less of a concern with an OB who takes lots of patients but midwives are limited in how many patients they can handle in a month.

Edited February 24, 2009 by joannqn

[Marie in Oh]

I've missed alot around here lately. I don't go right away either, but since you are such and old lady. . . ;) just kidding. Where do you go? My OB just laughs at me surprised I'm not homebirthing by now. Congratulations Janet. Are you doing PE? I wanted to ask you where you go to church as well. We may be looking.

[newlifemom]

I don't call until after 8 weeks. With my history of miscarriages I hate all the extra blood work for the dr to say I don't know it doesn't look good. I have enough fears and ups and downs that I don't need any extra in that dept. lol. If there is a problem then I go earlier. I don't call b/c they would tell me that I have to come in right away and I just don't want to.

[Mamagistra]

Janet,

 

You are not wierd. Some doctors will not even see someone who has no previous risk factors until after the 12th week. If office staff treated me like that, I would be looking for a new healthcare provider. But, then again, that's me. I prefer as natural of an experience as possible and would not trust a practice who panicked over my first appointment, age or whatever.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree: :D

[Mom-ninja.]

For my last pg I had my first appt around 12 weeks.

[Barb_]

O.K. I'll admit it - I always tend to be on the slow side with this. I've never had any problems with any pregnancy and with my first few kids it always irritated me that they have me come in at 12 weeks and then panic when they can't find the heartbeat, rush me to the ultrasound room and, all's well.

 

So with my last few pregnancies, I tend to wait until 10 or 11, or with one kidlet I think I was 15 weeks before I even called (LOL). I'm always pretty confident that if I'm throwing-up on schedule all's well, and if I'm concerned about something, I would call of course, right away.

 

So, I'm about 13 weeks right now and decided today to call for the first appointment. First the audible gasp by the receptionist when she heard my date of birth was a little off-putting. . . yes, I'm 44 but I thought the gasp and long silence was a bit unprofessional. Then another audible gasp when I stated the date of my last period. Lots of comments about how I was already past the time they wanted to see me, on and on and on. . . . They got me in on Thursday, basically a whole week past the time I would normally have been there but I had to listen to all this drama. :confused:

 

So, am I that wierd that I wait that long? Basically, I am so sick the first 12 weeks that I don't even want to think about heading out in public anywhere. I'm hoping the receptionist was just having a bad day, or was new, or something or it's going to be a long nine-months (or rather six now ;) ).

 

Uh, with a reaction like that I'd be looking for a new office.

 

I wait until about 14 weeks.

 

Barb

[littlebug42]

I call right away. My OB sees me from as early as I call. I have had two miscarriages and my youngest daughter born with a birth defect so I personally don't put it off. I want the knowledge that someone else is looking out for us as well. I have also had difficult pregnancies so waiting for me would not be an option. I usually need the IV fluids before 10-12 weeks.

[musicianmom]

I call as soon as I get a positive test, and they schedule an appointment for me at 8 weeks. This time they had me come in for a blood test earlier than that to try and figure out exactly how far along I was so they'd know WHEN to schedule the 8-week appt.

[AudreyTN]

With this one I called as soon as I found out. They had me in at about 7 weeks to do all the blood work. 12 weeks I had an ultrasound, just cause that's how they do things. :)

 

With my ds5 I was quite far along before I went the first time. I was probably about 5 months by the time I went.

[Tenaj]

I've missed alot around here lately. I don't go right away either, but since you are such and old lady. . . ;) just kidding. Where do you go? My OB just laughs at me surprised I'm not homebirthing by now. Congratulations Janet. Are you doing PE? I wanted to ask you where you go to church as well. We may be looking.

 

Hi Marie -

I PM'd you the information about where I go and the church. Believe me, I know I'm an old lady! My OB's have been telling me that for the past five kids (I think I'm finally beginning to believe them!). Thanks for the congrats!

 

We are doing PE this year although it's not my favorite thing to do now that it is three times a week. My five yods is so excited though that he can participate this year that I didn't have the heart to say no.

[Carrie12345]

I probably waited the longest with my first, which I guess is kind of weird, lol. I think I called around 6 weeks and went in around 10 or 12.

 

After my first, I had a miscarriage, so I was really scared with my next pregnancy and called right away. They wouldn't see me until 10 weeks or so, either.

 

After my second was born, I was scheduled for an IUD appointment. I had to call to cancel when I found out I was pregnant again! I switched to midwives, and they saw me within a few weeks so we could try to date the pregnancy.

 

I called right away with my fourth baby, too. My cycles were so messed up that we didn't know if I was 5 or 9 weeks when I got the +.

 

And I called within hours of getting a + last time. I managed to conceive with an IUD, and I knew there could be serious complications (which there were).

 

If I ever do have another baby, I'm supposed to call right away again because I'm considered high risk for another ectopic.

[Holly IN]

For me (and because of my history) I have to call within 3 days of a missed period. I have a history of miscarriages and ectopic pregnancy. I have to go in asap for blood work every other day until they are comfortable with my numbers then go for a check up the 2nd week.

 

I am very high risk of pre-term labor so I am an unusual case.

 

My first appt with my oldest was 4 weeks. Then I had a miscarriage with my 2nd. They required me to come in earlier after that.

 

Holly

[Veritaserum]

I schedule my first visit for somewhere between 9-12 weeks. I like to go when I'm far enough to hear a heartbeat. My mw is fine with whatever I want to do.

 

If you were wanting the first trimester screening tests, you'd be too late for some of those, so maybe that's why they reacted that way? I'm not sure I'd want to use that office with those sorts of reactions....

[Susan in TN]

When you're on your 7th child and pretty much know what to expect, I don't think it's weird. If your pregnancies tend to be routine and you're not having any complications, and you know what "signs of concern" to watch for, there's really not much in addition that your doctor can do except poke around and take a couple of unneccessary tests (like to see if your blood type has changed since last time :lol:)

 

Like many homeschoolers, doctors have their charts to fill out and they like to check off boxes and make sure they are on schedule. I usually call around 8-10 weeks, and they usually try to get me in as soon as humanly possible, which, with my schedule, is never soon enough for them.

 

I have a friend who was on state funded health care with her 4th pregnancy. Because they kept messing up her paperwork, she didn't get an appointment until she was 5 months along. By that time, she wondered if she should even bother :).