So my husband is military and we are within our first 6 mos. at our first base.We met and married quickly (when you know, you know) and got pregnant very soon after (Married 4 mos when we conceived). I want to make it very clear that I love my husband's job and that the Air Force is such a wonderful branch to have a family in. I am very grateful to be a spouse and have an immense respect for the military and the job it does. That said, here is my experience:
I took two home pregnancy tests five and four days ago and (the first one in the evening and the other the next morning). Ignorant of the how to handle a pregnancy through Tricare Prime (silly me, i thought you just called and scheduled an appointment to get the hospital to confirm), I tried to make an appointment. I feel like its important to mention that the base that we're stationed at has a clinic and not a hospital. I told that the I would have to go to the women's clinic in building such & such and just ask for a pee test. Then after I got it confirmed, I would be referred out to an OB of my choice. "Simple," I thought, so I went in to the Women's Health Clinic and walked up to the desk looking for the sign in log. Instead, after minutes of searching and looking like an idiot I see a sign that says to go sign in at the main desk which is in another building on the campus. Why I was not instructed to go the the main desk and not women's health, I'll never get a chance to ask the woman who took my call. "Oh well, minor hiccup. It'll only take a few minutes to fix." I thought and left to hunt down the main desk.
It wasn't hard to find as it was down a fairly major breezeway to bet to the main lobby and I walked in. I presented my base ID and without speaking to me other than to confirm my date of birth and full name the receptionist says that he can't find that I have an appointment. It's protocol, I realize that he was following and not his fault, but I couldn't help but feel like he should have asked me what I was there for instead of assuming that I would just show up to a clinic that requires appointments for everything other than a pregnancy test. I answered that I just needed a pregnancy confirmed and he asked if I had taken a home pregnancy test. Again, I realize it's protocol but come on! Why would I leave the comfort and privacy of my own home to get this done unless I had taken a test? Not his fault so I patiently answered the question and he hands me a form to fill out and a clipboard. I brought it back up to a different receptionist (the first left on something official looking) and she told me that she would let Women's health know, but that I was supposed to go to the Lab which was right next to the Pharmacy in an entirely different building. She was telling me where to and I was so annoyed that I was only vaguely listening.
Why was I having to go to the Lab to pee in a cup? Why wasn't I going to Women's Health for that? I've seen the tests they use and it was supposed to be quick in, quick out, yes you're pregnant type thing. Anything I had looked up on the clinic's webpage had said that it was just a urine test and I felt like it was going to be done in a private exam room with just me and the doc or nurse, and now I am going to a lab to be tested by a technician? Again, I was annoyed but that's life, it doesn't have to be what you thought it was going to be to be okay so I took my little form and meandered down the way the receptionist had been pointing.
I got to the lab and signed in and waited. I should point out that I was the youngest in the waiting room and the only other woman in the waiting room was well past her childbearing years and i couldn't help but feel that even though I had a legitimate reason to be that it was an unusual place to find out you're pregnant. At that point I had figured out that I had come for a blood test and not a urine test, which would have been fine accept that that meant I wasn't getting my results today (a bummer considering you have to wait three days after being notified by a doctor to call Tricare and get a referral so that I can even schedule an appointment) and that I was going to get stuck. I am not afraid of needles but I don't have a particular affinity for them either and would have liked to have known going in that that's what was happening. After i got done, they said that someone would call within seventy-two business hours and not to call before then, No congratulations, no have a great day, no nothing.
I realize that this was not the worst experience in the world or even really a bad one but I just thought that it would be different. I realize that to them, it isn't special, that I am one of hundreds of women on at this base that they see for the same thing, but it was a big deal for me. This will be my first pregnancy and though I am with my wonderful husband I am away from everything familiar. I really hope that I don't feel like the whole time I'm pregnant that I am jumping through hoops to get info and to be prepared. I realize that I'm over-reacting I just can't help but feel like there was a simpler way to get that done and I could be calling to set up my first exam on Monday. Now I am going to have to wait until at least Thursday to get this ball rolling! Why couldn't a urine test have been good enough?
Re: 5 Weeks Along and Dealing with Tricare - Venting, Sorry
Interesting. I didn't have to confirm in order to get an OB appt, but we're Navy. Our clinic made an appointment for me and had me go in to the lab for blood/urine a few days before my appt so they had my results in hand at the initial consult.
It sounds like an issue with your clinic, not Tricare Prime. Tricare isn't the controlling factor in daily operations of branch clinics.
I'm sorry, but the military is not going to hold your hand and wish you a happy pregnancy. This experience was mildly inconvenient. You really need a thicker skin to survive military life.
If they wanted you to have a child, they would've issued you one. lol.
Want a synopsis?
OP ended up going to three different buildings on base and ended up with a blood test (instead of urine) to confirm. She felt she was given the runaround and no one even congratulated her. Also, there were old people there.
Hehe. OP...honestly you should probably grow thicker skin. The people in the clinic are not there to give you the warm and fuzzies. Your experience doesn't even sound THAT inconvenient, and I have no idea why you would think that they would have a special place for pregnant ladies to take their tests.
Most of the people in the clinic are members of the military or retired/separated members of the military, not cheerleaders. Congratulating you is not part of their job description.
I can appreciate your frustration on some level with dealing with military facilities and feeling like you're apart of a herd of cattle; i.e. you're just another pregnant military spouse. There are thousands of us on one single post and we are all the same to them. However, I will agree with the general concenus of comments; although some harsh. If you get disappointed like this every single time you have an appointment or have to encounter anything military related you will have a horrible experience (pregnancy and military life). You have got to have a better attitude about it.
Perhaps you are having trouble because you are not aware of how things are done (typically?) here is an outline of what I did: (i'm sure one of the many ways to do things but the way i did things seem to go pretty smoothly)
I took 3 home pregnancy tests and called my PMC that monday to set up a pregnancy confirmation appointment i.e urine analysis. (same protocol as if you were civilian and needing a pregnancy confirmation)
FYI: Your PMC is who you chose when you and your husband set up your tricare insurance.
My appointment with my PMC wasn't until that Thursday. We did a urine test and they happily congratulated my husband and I, sat us down and talked with us about how exciting everything is etc. They referred us for an OBGYN which they warned us tricare would MOST LIKELY place us in the Army community hospital on post and we would go to the women's clinic there for all of our prenatal appointments.
Not even a week later, we got the referral letter in and sure enough, we were referred to the Army Hospital. (As I learned quickly, having Tricare Prime does not give you the privilege of decided where you want to go) The only way you can choose where you want to go is if you switch your insurance to Tricare Standard. But forwarn: you can only switch back to Prime if your husband is Specialist and below)
Anyway, when I got the referral letter in, I then called the women's clinic to set up my first prenatal appointment, which was about another week later. (This is protocol for ANY little thing you do army health insurance related - go to your PMC, have them refer you to whoever/whatever types of services you need, wait until you get your APPROVED referral letter through the mail (or call tricare to check the status), see who you were referred to and then call them and set up the necessary appointment)
My first appointment at the women's health clinic on post was to take blood to check levels, which is very typical, a urine analysis and basically talk about medical history. (This is pretty much the same as if you were civilian going to your first prenatal appointment, as well).
My next appointment wasn't until 3-4 weeks later when we could hear the heartbeat and see the baby for the first time. I was about 9.5 weeks along at this point, which is actually early. Army regulations states that hearing the heartbeat and first u/s wont be until 10-12 weeks. They did ours a little early because my husband was deploying. Thankfully, they were VERY accommodating and willing to do this for us.
There is a lot to take in when you marry into the military so I can truly appreciate your disappointment, questioning, frustration and feeling helpless. I hope this reply finds you well and gives you a little more confidence!! Enjoy your pregnancy - it is an extremely special time and a true blessing. Do not let military regulations and protocol ruin that for you. Just make sure you do your research, be sure to ask questions and take one day at a time!! Good luck
OP I am an Air Force military spouse stationed overseas. We've been married almost two years and are expecting our first child. I'm 19 so I know how it feels to be the youngest when you go to the hospital or to spouse functions, you get used to it. You should become friends with the spouses who have been doing this longer than you have, they usually have great advice. However I agree with everyone who said you need to get some thicker skin. The military gives you the runaround sometimes and you just deal with it and move on. Compared to other things you have to deal with, (like never having been around the military and figuring out how to PCS to an overseas base for your spouse's first duty station), that was nothing.
The military life is hard and the base facilities can be annoying but it's all worth it to support your spouse who deals with way more frustrating aspects of the military on a daily basis. It is completely normal to be referred to the lab to confirm pregnancy then talking to the OBGYN clinic. In all honesty all you are going to do the first time you go to the OBGYN is fill out a stack of paperwork. You may have to do an orientation class and then they will schedule you for your first real appointment between 10-12 weeks. Roll with the punches and get used to the wonderfully frustrating experience that is military life. I love it and I hope you will too.
Especially because 1. they did not have the results and therefore don't **know** you're pregnant and 2. not every pregnancy is a happy event. I can imagine that it would be pretty awkward for someone to be congratulated if she planned on terminating, for example.
If your old enough to be married and have a baby then your old enough to deal with things on your own. We're Navy. All I did was call my PCM. I have to agree with all of the other ladies, you need to toughen up. Who cares if you have to wait the military is full of hurry up and wait. I have to wait another 2weeks to even get my confirmation appt. Why would you think that lab work would be done in a clinic? Thats what the labs are for. If they did all that in clinic then no one would get seen. They also do the blood test so they can check for HIV they do it twice in your pregnancy (Hubs is a Corpsman and worked L&D). You want congrats, then call your family, post on facebook, etc.... Not everyone is going to congratulate you.
And in the future, don't write six long paragraphs for a story that should only need one small paragraph.
You need to buck up. The military lifestyle will eat you alive if you stay this sensitive. This is nothing but a minor inconvenience. It can be much worse.