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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Did your dr visits go like this?
Hi everyone,
This is my first pregnancy. I just want to tell you about my latest dr experience and see what you think. I go to a group of drs that consist of three women. You see all of them because you don't know who will be delivering your baby. I just feel that whenever I am there they don't address my concerns and give me the proper care I should have. They measure me and listen to the baby's heartbeat and are out the door unless I ask questions or concerns. Is this normal?
One example is today I asked the dr I saw to recommend a pediatrician and she told me "I just tell people to go close to their home". I then asked about a birthing plan and she tells me "I don't do birthing plans. You pretty much call the shots. The only thing I require is that no kids are in the delivery room, you are hooked up to a monitor at all times, and that you have an IV line in you" Then everything else I addressed with her she just replied "well that's normal" without giving me suggestions . They also never ask me any questions besides "how are you feeling".
My pregnancy, thank God, has been normal to this point with no reason for other concerns right now. I just don't know if this is what a typical dr's appt should look like because of this or should I expect more. I am 27 weeks today and am flabbergasted that she didn't even tell me about monitoring baby kicks since she won't see me until next month. My friend's dr gave her a sheet on this information. Am I wrong to want more. Please give me your opinion. Thanks.This discussion has been closed.
Re: Did your dr visits go like this?
I went to an OB who was like that. I switched to a resident family practitioner at 30 weeks. My first visit with him we talked for more then half an hour, a nurse gave me a packet of info, and even if I didn't have any questions he always had a lot to tell me at every apt about what was coming up. He even made sure to make it to the delivery.
It really comes down to what you are happy with. Some find they don't need a lot of?involvement?and others do. There is no right or wrong answer.?
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to be over, it's about learning how to dance in the rain." -Unknown
Married 3-1-08 | Nathan 11-24-08 | Kaelyn 11-30-10 | Alicia 8-17-13
Hmmmm well it sounds like your OB is coverine all the bases but it does seem like they are not giving you the time you need.
Are they a particularly busy practice?
I would address your concerns prior to your next visit can you talk to an office manager or nurse about what you posted here?
I personally never experienced these problems because my OB always took the time to either answer my questions and/or he was available to talk to me via phone or e-mail in between visits.
yeah, my doctors were like that too. They do the required blood tests and u/s to check for things that may be wrong, but I thought the care was below par. I think the main reason why most OB's rush you is because there are so many women to see AND OB's only bill the insurance company once...after delivery. The entire pregnancy and birth is lumped usually into one bill. I think that has a lot to do with the quick appts too. They are not making any money the 5 minutes they spend with you that day.
Anyway, start writing down questions to bring to your appts and MAKE them talk to you about your concerns. For instance, I had been telling my OB that I was having awful cramping since 30 weeks and asked her to check me..and she refused saying it was "all in my head and normal." The cramping continued and I went into premature labor and had DD at 35 weeks. The same doc then says in the delivery room "gee, I guess you were having contractions this whole time."
It is kinda late in the game to switch doctors if you don't have to, but demand better attention. I wish I did...
My doc was not really very hands on either. He was really laid back and let me call the shots. If I had a question though, they were always answered and he always took the time to field all my questions and make sure they were answered and I felt comfortable. He did reco a pedi for me but some may or may not.
In my estimation, if you are not comfortable, change you doc. Just because one doctor gives one patient a list of stuff on a piece of paper doesn't mean all do and in my case my doctor did not.
Do a lot of reading and if you still have questions ask. If that doesn't work I would suggest a change. HTH!
my doctor was NOT like this. i am very sorry you are having this experience; pregnancy is nerve-wracking and i don't know how i would have gotten through it without an awesome ob. my doctor would take the hb, measure me, and then sit and talk at every visit. i also saw my doctor at almost every apt. (except for a couple when she had issues with her own pregnancy or was delivering a baby, etc.). she was also the doctor who delivered my baby.
if you are not satisfied with your doctor, i WOULD switch even at 27 weeks. you will have a lot more apts. in your third tri and you don't need the stress of this kind of b.s. also, you are going to want a dr. you feel comfortable with when you are in labor. maybe you have a friend who can refer you to someone? if you don't switch drs., speak up! bring a list of questions and make sure you ask them all. don't let the drs. rush you. tell them you do not feel your apts. are going well! also, maybe you can bring your DH/SO or your mom or something. i know i also felt more confident asking questions when SO was there with me. remember, ultimately the doctors are providing a service that you are paying for. don't let them intimidate you. i know medical ppl sometimes intimidate me.
as for monitoring baby kicks, my dr. never really pushed this. different drs. feel differently about this. but they should be answering your questions about this and everything else!!!
good luck!
I have a problem with this:
The only thing I require is that ..., you are hooked up to a monitor at all times, and that you have an IV line in you
Unless you are on Pitocin or have some other valid reason, constant monitoring is unessecary. You can't get up and move around if you are on the monitors all the time.
jay otter, agreed. i had to have a monitor because of pitocin, and it would have been so much better to not have the damn thing.
If you have a Holter monitor (or whatever it's called for contractions... I've had them for monitoring my heart) you can. My hospital had one. It was a little box that attached to your IV stand, someone could hold it, or you could wear it. However, if your hospital doesn't have one, I think the request is extreme.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to be over, it's about learning how to dance in the rain." -Unknown
Married 3-1-08 | Nathan 11-24-08 | Kaelyn 11-30-10 | Alicia 8-17-13
are you planning a med free childbirth? The being hooked up onto a monitor thing would bother me. It's really hard to move around with that, even if they have the wire free kind.
Other than that, yeah my appointments were usually around 5 minutes. pretty standard I think!
Well, the reason you are there is for measurement and heartbeat. I'm not sure what you are looking for in regards to them bringing things up. If your pregnancy is normal and you don't have any questions, then there isn't really a lot to talk about. If I didn't have any questions, then my appointments were pretty much the same as yours. My practice has 5 doctors and you had to see them all at some point during your pregnancy. They always started my appointments by sitting down and asking how things were going, how I was feeling and going over any upcoming tests. (Is this perhaps what you are looking for? More attentiveness?) They always asked if DH or I had any questions. If we didn't, then they didn't offer any advice.
With regards to the pediatrician, we asked our dr and he told us to contact the L&D education center as they have lists of doctors. He also recommended that we talk to people who lived near us. He said that OBs really have very limited interaction with the pediatricians. He did recommend the pediatrican that he uses, but they don't have an office that is convenient for us.
My biggest concern would be the birth plan. She seemed to really brush you off when you asked. I asked my doctor about it and he said that unless you are requesting something unusual, they really aren't necessary, but that if it makes the mom more comfortable to have one, then that it fine. He said more often they are good for dad to have so he can communicate mom's wishes to the nurses.
Unfortunately, if you see an OB/GYN, you are going to get appointments like that. they are often so busy and overworked that they don't have time for chit-chat. If you want a more personal experince, maybe you should see a midwife.
My OB was very business-like the first time around but she was totally different during my second pregnancy. Not sure if it was because she already knew me, or I knew the right questions to ask, or she just liked me better as a patient the second time. Who knows!
As for the kick counts...don't bother. You'll feel the baby moving at certain times each day and other times it won't not move as much or at all. If you get nervous, shake things up in there and the baby will move and reassure you that it is still in there and doing fine (not as scientific as an offcial handout from the doc, but you'll know your baby's routine better than any doctor would or ever could). GL!