All paperwork and no play
Even since before we started trying for Ripley it's been paperwork all the way. From the word go there was a doctor's appointment just to say we're going for it, that resulted in the first lot. Blood tests, associated consent forms and results pages, which eventually ended up in the notes. Nothing much else until the blue line appeared, and then the deluge started.
Piles of paperworkThere wasn't much at all in the first trimester, mainly information leaflets and books, some provided by the NHS, some bought, some recommended, some not.
Then the second trimester came in, and the Fat Lady got her notes. At the booking appointment there was what seemed like a truckload of leaflets to take home and read. Topics ranging from blood tests, Downs & Edwards, breastfeeding through to car parking charges at the hospital, family tax credits and the child trust fund. Still no manual, though.
And there it didn't stop. Blood test results to file in the notes, second and third trimesters producing another set of A4 sheets, midwife reports, etc etc. There will be onsent forms to sign once we get the the hospital, I'm guessing there'll be a separate consent form for each procedure, but we'll have to wait and see.
Catalogues galore, product leaflets, forms for shopping "clubs", the list is endless.
This afternoon the Fat Lady has to sign her rights away under the FSA rules governing car sales. Not strictly related, but as we only bought a new car as Ripley was coming then it's directly his fault (or hers)
Then it will be midwives, health visitors, thankfully the GP is all electronic now so that's a blessing. Not forgetting the registration and the resulting birth certificate!
So, exactly how much paper has the average baby generated by the time it is born? The mind boggles.
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