antenatal care and hospitals

[Lol]

Hi Ladies
It's been a loooong time since I've been on here cos we've had a bit of a rough time of it from the beginning. But now I'm feeling confident enough to start looking on here again, and as ever,it's been a wealth of helpful info.
However.... due to our uncertainty about how things were going to work out for us we haven't had any antenatal appointments or sorted out the hospital or anything. Now I'm starting to feel a bit stressed!!
I'm 17 weeks now and have had to go through a lot of tests and a LOT of waiting for results so have had a couple of scans via the city hospital (Brissie) and have got my 19 week scan booked with them. But I live near another hospital (Redlands, for anyone who's from this way)and have heard great things about them and would like to have the bub there I think. But I'm also confused about what to do because this is my first, and I'm from the uk where things run differently anyway!!! PLEASE HELP, MY MUSHY BRAIN CAN'T COPE!!

The gp i saw while all this was going on said about the different types of care available but at that point I was struggling to digest what he was talking about and now I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Do I need a referral from him to book at the hospital for antenatal care? Or do I have to keep seeing him (which I'm not keen on cos he didn't fill me with confidence)? Or do I book the hospital myself?? AAAARRRAGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!
I'm sure it's all so simple but I've been in denial about this pregnancy for 17 weeks now because we were too scared to pin our hopes on it and now it feels like we've only just found out and have so much less time to get things sorted out!
Sorry, I've no-one else to ask!!!!!!!

Thanks
Lol xx

[visitor1]

With both my girls id see my GP first. He then sent off a booking in form to the hospital, who then contacted me to make the first appointment to come see them. My care was through the hospital and GP. I had a handful of visits to the hospital for check ups, but my GP was the main care giver.

[bon]

Hi lol - I have a friend who had her baby at Redland's last year and she said it is a great hospital. My suggestion would be to go to your GP and ask for a referral to the hospital - and he will then pass on your details and test results and whatever, and then you should be able to make an appointment at the ante-natal clinic there. You could also try ringing the hospital directly and ask to get put through to ante-natal where you can see if they will make an appointment for you. I did this with my babies - just rang the ante-natal clinic directly, however some hospitals prefer you to be referred by a GP, so will just depend. Also, you do not have to keep seeing that GP if you don't want to - you can have all your check ups done at the hospital ante-natal clinic. I did it this way, as I preferred seeing the midwives at the hospital who IMO are better at giving advice and support in pregnancy. The hospital will also have ante-natal classes if you want to do that.

[Lol]

Thanks ladies.
I've got an appointment with the gp today so hopefully we'll get things moving along!!