[ANGWife]

I love my OB GYN but I'm alittle angry. I called to make my first appointment, and they won't even see me until 8 weeks. And I won't have my first ultrasound until 12 weeks. Which is also the same time I will hear the heartbeat. I have to wait another 8 weeks to know if everything is okay?

Is this not the norm? How come alot of you girls are seeing your doctors and hearing the heartbeat earlier?

[thepinkleprechaun]

That sounds totally normal to me! Usually they don't even try to hear the heartbeat until 12 weeks if they are using a doppler. Don't be too disspointed by your first appointment, they are usually pretty boring. All I had done (the last 2x) is get blood drawn, get a pap, etc. Not too exciting. Here they don't even do any u/s until 22 weeks, but I lied and said I didn't know when I conceived so I could get an early u/s hehe

[SandKmommy]

Thats normal with my OB too. Unless the LMP isn't known or theres bleeding or severe cramping my OB wont give an u/s usually till 20weeks though. But the first real appt isn't usually till 12weeks with my OB you just come in when you first find out to fill out paper work and get prenatal script.


I didn't even get an u/s with Seamus till I was over 15weeks and it was horrid sense I had just had the m/c a few months before he was conceived

[HopeWishWait]

Sounds about right. I had my first appointment at around 8 weeks (its always on a Tuesday so I'm alwas x weeks and 4 days...so I was 7w 4d). She tried to hear the heartbeat that time but thats VERY unusual because it's so early that you most likely wouldn't have heard it.

I didn't see her again until I was 12 weeks and at that appointment I heard the heartbeat and came back 2 days later and had my ultrasound So I'd say you're right on schedule!

[Resi]

My doctor's office wouldn ot see me until 8 weeks. I didn't even see my doc at that first appointment. I just saw a NP that went over everything with me. At my 12 week appointment I met my doctor and she tried to find the heartbeat. Since she could not locate the heartbeat with the doppler I was sent for an ultrasound. I would not have had an ultrasound if they could find the heartbeat. It's very normal not to have an appointment until 8-12 weeks for the first time.

[Frozendesire]

Yup that's normal With Curtis I was a couple months along and I didn't see him until 14 weeks and that was only because he was conceived on BCP and they weren't sure of the dates. Here usually you only get one around 18 weeks.

I wasn't seen by my OB for the first time until 10 weeks. I was peeved too! Early pregnancy is SOOO important, and yet that's the only time that your doc won't see you? It makes no sense to me. I'm sorry you have to wait, it sucks, but hopefully it will go by quickly.

[Mars]

I didn't see my OB/GYN until I was 9 weeks but I had an u/s at that appointment. I didn't get to hear the heartbeat until around 16 weeks. So I think the timings relatively normal. I don't think they see you much before unless you have problems or are considered high-risk.

[Frozendesire]

Breanna, I think most doctors wont see you because if anything goes wrong, there is nothing they can do.

I think that's why when you are high risk you usually get more attention during that time cause they want to monitor the outcome whether good or bad so they know the appropriate steps to take.

Oh and I haven't heard this little one's heart beat yet. I go for my appointment tomorrow so we'll see I have seen this one twice but that's only because they have an u/s machine in their office.

[Oriyan]

For me, once the pregnancy is confirmed with the RE, its off to the midwife. My midwife will be seeing me at 6 weeks since this is an IVF baby (They do an u/s to make sure baby is where it belongs and to check on how many are there... although for us it will be one). From there, i think they want to see me at week 12, 18 (Gender u/s!), 24, 28, 32 and then 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Thats what the lady on the phone told me today

Thats the norm though. You might want to call and tell them that you had a recent miscarriage and would like to get in earlier if possible to set your mind at ease.

[Frozendesire]

Oh ya! Call them and tell them that you recently had a loss. They might squeeze you in before and maybe even an ultra sound. I was seen 7 weeks I think?? and they did a quick u/s just cause we expressed that we were nervous due to our recent loss.

[niknok]

I just had this same conversation with my SIL who is 6 weeks pregnant. The main point I emphasized to her is that she is a paying customer, and needs to start asking for/demanding what she wants. If the Dr or midwife truly cares, they will do as you ask and bill it accordingly so insurance will pay for it. My midwife repeatedly lied for me to get early scans,etc. One suggestion is as Katie said- lie and say you have no idea when your last period was. Or call and say you have cramping/spotting. If they blow you off, tell them that's unacceptable and does not meet the standard of care. Make sure they know you just had a MC, and ask for beta HCG levels to be drawn, as well as progesterone. Lie and do whatever you have to to get an ultrasound b/t 7-8 weeks, so you can see the heartbeat. And when you go back 4 weeks later, they should be able to hear via doppler. NEVER leave the office without heartbeat confirmation. They may try to blow you off around 11-12 weeks if they can't find it via doppler, saying it's just to early. Then of course you will be freaking out, which isn't fair. Demand your ultrasount, b/c if they can't hear via doppler they truly don't know the baby is fine. Assumption is not okay.

I guess my point is to stand up for yourself. You have to be your own patient advocate, b/c noone else will be. You may be known as the difficult patient with the office staff, but honestly- who really cares. You need and deserve the peace of mind to know your baby is okay. Hope this helps. Being a healthcare provider, I see the other side of how imperative it is for pt's to advocate for themselves.

[Garfieldbear]

I guess I'm really lucky, in a sense, that I am currently still at my fertility clinic where they do an ultrasound every week until I transfer to my OBGYN (my first appointment will be September 11th, when I will be 10 weeks pregnant). Once I begin seeing an OBGYN, I will most likely have a visit every month or so (that's what I heard, at least). What about your insurance....a few insurances will only cover 1 or 2 ultrasounds...if you have a few hundred to spare for piece of mind, maybe consider paying out-of-pocket for this one ultrasound?

[ScottishBrit]

I guess it's different for everone. I got a confirmation at 4 weeks, seen at 6 and an U/S at 8. But then i didn't get seen again till i was 19 weeks....

[greeneyes]

That sounds normal. I managed to get in at four weeks because Lee was leaving and we wanted to make sure everything was ok. Even then the only reason they budged it was because of our previous losses. Then I went in at 8 weeks (the typical first appt) and 12 weeks. My next appt is for AFP testing and I'll be 16 weeks, after that it's 20, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Most insurance companies will only pay for 13 appts and one u/s, unless otherwise deemed medically necessary (example, early u/s for dating).

[ShannonMVT]

With my first pregnancy, I went in about 6 weeks for u/s confirmation. When we didn't see a baby, I got extra ultrasounds. The insurance usually only covers one.

With this pregnancy, I am seeing my RE until 10 weeks. She told me I'd get ultrasounds at 6 weeks and 8 weeks. I'm guessing it will be covered as high risk but I am really not sure.

If I were you, in all honesty, if they refuse to give you an early u/s, then I would lie and tell them that I think I had a little spotting. Then they will consider it a threatened miscarriage and probably give you an ultrasound (which insurance should cover).

It is killing me to even wait until 6 weeks, 5 days. I can't imagine waiting until 12 weeks.

[soImarriedAnerd]

OK I am going to be the big old bi*tch here....NEVER LIE to your doctor!!!!! They make medical decisions on things that happen if you are telling them your having cramping, pain, or spotting and your not-well if something later happens they will factor in the past issues--this can be a BAD THING! Plus look at it this way--the u/s people are always booked full and should be doing "unnecessary" u/s, they have other patients who could actually be sick and having major issues that need it more and you would be taking them away from that. And you don't want to get me started on what I think of all the extra tests and things we do that drive up the cost of health care. (sorry about the little rant but Its driving me crazy on my DDC how all these women are lying so they can get u/s!)

Medically there is nothing they can do the first trimester if things go wrong-its all up to mother nature. (this is assuming you have no health problems already).
The norm is blood tests/pap/history about 8-10 weeks and doppler check for Heart beat 11-14 weeks and an anatomy check u/s between 18-20 weeks.

With all that said morgan you have had a recent loss, I would tell them THE TRUTH and how you are very concerned and would like to get in sooner. if they will not do it, tell them its unacceptable and you will find someone else. BUT DON'T LIE! I would think that since you had a recent loss they maybe will let you in early for a HCG blood test and progesterone level, and maybe an earlier u/s (but I am guessing your still looking at at least 6 weeks for that u/s) Unfortunately we don't look at one m/c early (before 8 weeks) loss as really anything medically important, you need two for them to figure it in more, or one later. The view is mother nature made a mistake and corrected herself (20% of all conceptions). So they don't view it as a medical issue. {{{huggles}}}

[Angelaosaurus-rex]

My first appointment was at 5 weeks and so was my first u/s. But I didn't hear the heart until like week 13! I think it all just depends on your insurance and the doctor. Have you tried calling around to see if another doctor will see you sooner??

[soImarriedAnerd]

Dang Angela thats the fastest Military first appointment I have ever heard of!!!!! Was that because of your kidney issues?

[~* Helen *~]

I love my OB GYN but I'm alittle angry. I called to make my first appointment, and they won't even see me until 8 weeks. And I won't have my first ultrasound until 12 weeks. Which is also the same time I will hear the heartbeat. I have to wait another 8 weeks to know if everything is okay?

Is this not the norm? How come alot of you girls are seeing your doctors and hearing the heartbeat earlier?[/b]

We are the same here in the UK, we have no appoinments to til 8 weeks, we only have an appoinment to confirm pregnancy when you get a + HPT.
Then booking in at 8 weeks, scan at 10-12 weeks, an appontment at 16 weeks to take bloods etc, scan at 20 weeks and then appointmnets every 4 weeks til 36 weeks and then every week from then til birth