Coombe Hospital 1st Visit

Hello Ladies, I have my first visit to the Coombe next week, and Im just wondering what to expect, I've heard it can be a little crazy in there when your going public. I was told to be in there by 8am even tho my appt not till 10 is this normal. I also have a dating scan should I have a full bladder? It didnt' say anything on my appt letter? Sorry a little clueless

Hi Volvic! At your first appointment you will see the midwife and she will take a full medical history and check your urine and then you will get bloods done and be sent to to have your scan (no need to have full bladder I think they say to go to the toilet before hand) I dont know why they told you to be there at 8am if your appointment is not till 10 but I know if you arrive at 8 you will nearly be first in the que so its no harm. I'm going semi private but first appointment is in public and I was there at 8.30 and out at 10.30 which was not bad at all so hopefully your experience will be the same! Any more questions just ask!

Thanks wild child for the reply, it was just a girl in work that said she would go to her appts early even tho her appt would be later, she found if you got in early you'd get out early as one day she went in for 10am for her appt and didn't get out till near half 2, I dont fancy sitting that long in there, So I think I might chance going in early and being seen early if I can. How far were you gone when you had your dating scan Ill be 10weeks &2days and Im dying to see what we'll be able to see on the scan

Hey Volvic, My first appt was for 9.30 and I was in there until 12.30, by the time I'd had my scan, done the medical history and had blood samples taken. Most of that time was spent waiting so my number 1 piece of advice is to bring a book! There is conflicting advice on the bladder - I had a full one going in at 10 weeks because that's what I heard to do, but the midwife asked me did I want to go to the loo cos it was full and the bladder was getting in the way of the baby then! Make sure you join the queue outside the First Appointments window. Best of luck!

Nadie Ill be 10 weeks and 2 days getting the dating scan done, what could you see when you had yours done? We'd one done at 6 weeks and then at 7 weeks and it was like a jelly baby sweet

Expect more of the same Volvic! Little blob wiggling about. It was only at the second scan at 17 weeks that we could really tell that it was human! The really exciting part is the heartbeat, which you may not have heard at your early scans. Mmm, jelly babies, must get my afternoon sugar rush into me....

Volvic - I had my first scan done at 7weeks 4days and the baba looked like a peanut I then had another one 2weeks later 9weeks 3days and we could see hands and feet and also the baba was swimming around! Here is a photo 9weeks 3days [img:2ajizkfe]http://i689.photobucket.com/albums/vv251/Wild_Child_2009/Photo-0118.jpg[/img:2ajizkfe] I also had another scan 2weeks after the one above and they said in the 2weeks the baba has grown 3weeks in size so they have moved my dates forward!!! I havent had a chance to load pictures of the new scan but my advice is get DH to bring camera we took a video of the scan and its great to watch you can see the baba moving and also you can see and hear the heartbeat....Totally Amazing!!!

OMG wildchld how cute is that scan picture, you can really make it out, we seen the heartbeat at 7 weeks 2 days, hoping to see a bit more at my dating scan. I cant wait. Thanks for the replies girls

Hey Volvic, I was public in the Coombe and they have signs everywhere telling you to come 15m before your appt and NOT really early! I'd imagine this is especially so for the first one as the midwives are taking an oral history from you. I don't know if it would make any difference at other times to turn up 2h in advance of appt. Sometimes, there aren't enough midwives and that part was quite slow. But usually, apart from the 1st appt which was really long, I was in and out (inc cup of coffee) at all the others within 2h. Thought that was quite good seeing as I was seen by midwife and doctor at each appt.