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Austin Babies
BFP - and need some help!
Hi ladies,
Husband and I just found out I'm pregnant! We're really excited but it was a bit of a surprise and we just weren't as ready as we could have been (although is "ready" really possible?). I've got my What to Expect book and my vitamins.
What I don't have is an ob! And I would really love your recommendations. I have a kinda intense phobia of doctors so I'm having tons of anxiety about seeing the doctor. I'm looking for someone who has really great bedside manner who could put me at ease (and is of course also good) and an office that doesn't feel super clinical would be awesome! We live in Westlake. How common is it now for a doctor to consider elective c-section (or for women to choose this -- it seems like a lot of women i know did)?
Thanks so much for all your help (and if you replied to my deleted post teh other day, sorry - hopefully it's worked out now - cleared cache!)
This discussion has been closed.
Re: BFP - and need some help!
Congrats!! I LOVE my OB, Brooke Leath. She's in Round Rock though, so that may be too far of a drive.
I just had a c-section and I would way rather hav had a vaginal birth...I'm still sore and my activities are still limited...hard with a newborn! Why are you wanting a c-section?
Congratulations!
No recs for Westlake, but my OB - Dr.Cutler - at NAMC in North Austin is really good and I recommend her to others. She answered all of my questions and was proactive with issues that we had. GL!
Conratulations!
There are several practices that seem to be very popular on this board. I know you'd get recommendations for:
Women Partners in Health
Hill Country OB/GYN
Dr. Seeker w/ Austin Area OB/GYN
Renaissance Women's Group
My OB/GYN is Dr. Tara Cherry with Austin Regional Clinic. She's in south Austin off S. 1st St. (next to South Austin Hospital.) I, too, have a huge fear of doctors and she has never made me feel uncomfortable. Her staff is excellent, too.
As to your question about elective c-section, are you thinking that you want to have a c-section instead of a trial of labor or are you trying to avoid physicians who might push you into a c-section? I think the general rule of thumb is that most physicians are going to let you go into labor on your own if your pregnancy is progressing normally. I haven't heard of anyone on this board experiencing pressure to have a c-section when it wasn't medically necessary (if I'm wrong about that, I'm sure someone will kindly point that out.
)
Good luck and welcome to the Austin Babies Board!
congrats!
i chose an elective c-section and it was such a great experience. i think the women who have a tough time with c-sections tend to be those who labored first? not scheduled. the whole process was very calm, smooth and i was walking around that same day. highly recommend! the only downside is i think "they" (insurance?) won't let you have an elective c-section until you're 39 weeks, so you could end up going in to labor before then.
love my doc - dr. solomon at ARC by the arboretum. nice office (wood floors and such) and love that they're able to do blood work and sonograms right there in their office. and, any time i call, i'm able to speak with a nurse right away - which is great when you're newly pregnant and scared, with lots of questions! also, for 1st timers like yourself, they have a prenatal class. you and your husband meet with a nurse who goes over the list of foods/activities to avoid, what to expect at each appointment, she gives you a ton of prenatal vitamins to sample, etc. it was great. we did our class at about 6 weeks and then had our 1st appointment at 8 weeks.
i agree with this. my doc said aubrey needed to come early and started talking about inducing. i brought up elective c-section because i have so many friends who have been induced, only to end up with an emergency c-section and that was definitely not the way i wanted to go. i was (am) terrified of surgery and it was my first one ever! but it felt like a more calculated/safe move then forcing my body to do something it was ready to do (inducing). BUT, that's just me. everyone's different, of course.
you have lots of time to make this decision.
Congrats on your BFP! I see Dr. Seeker with Austin Area OB/GYN. If bedside manner is important to you, seriously, this guy has the most incredible demeanor of any doctor I've ever known. I know a lot of girls on this board see him, or another doctor with his practice (AAOBGYN). They are currently at Seton Central, but are moving to new, nicer accomadations at North Austin Medical Center early next month.
I have also heard tons of great things about the docs at Hill Country OB/GYN, and I know they deliver at Seton Southwest (maybe a little more in your area).
GL finding a doctor you love, and congrats again!
I totally understand your doctor phobia - I was a mess during my first pregnancy. I had a panic attack in the hospital parking garage on our way to tour labor and delivery. Be upfront with your doctor about your concerns and your fears. Mine put on my chart that I was to be given pain meds, including an epidural, as soon as I asked for it - check with your doctor about this as well. I didn't have to wait until any set point in labor for it.
The clinic I used in my first pregnancy (not in TX) did not do elective c-sections. For medical reasons, I was induced early, and I have to say that induction went REALLY well for me. Knowing WHEN we'd have to go to the hospital helped me relax tremendously, as did knowing that I could have pain meds whenever I requested them. I had a long labor, but I felt like I was in control the whole time, and I had a really good experience. I would happily be induced again this time around.
Some clinics/doctors will do elective c-sections (ie, those done for no medical reason), and others will not. There is a slightly higher risk of medical complications with a c-section, as opposed to a vaginal delivery. A c-section is major surgery, which means a longer recovery time for you. Despite my long labor, I was up and walking around very quickly after giving birth. I bounced back right away and felt great. Having experienced that, I would definitely prefer to avoid a c-section this time.
Another thing that helped me with my fears about labor was reading the book "Easy Labor." It's definitely pro pain meds, so not the sort of book for someone wanting a drug free birth, but it did help me relax a little bit. The other thing that helped with my labor fears - to be quite honest - is that by the time I got towards the end of pregnancy, I was so uncomfortable that I really didn't care anymore - I just wanted. that. baby. out.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
I live north so I can't help with an OB. As a nurse I will tell you that you do NOT want to have a C-section if you can avoid it. They are great then they are necessary but double the risks for you and almost triple for the baby =( I know you have your reasons but it's not "just" a c-section. It's major surgery with the chance for complications, all of which can be avoided by delivering vaginally. For these reasons, it's not common at all for any doctor to consent to an elective c-section at the hospital I work at.
ETA: I read Libbyann's post so wanted to add - No doctor I know of would pressure you into a C-section. What you often hear of though are doctors who pressure into an INDUCTION (for a variety of reasons) which greatly increases your chances of needing a C-section.
CONGRATS!!! We live in the westlake area too and go to Dr. Hart at Hill Country OBGYN. She is out on Mat leave right now, but the other drs particularly Dr. Landwermeyer (sp?!) are great too.
I too had a HUGE phobia of drs due to a terrible experience with a dr many yrs ago that made me so scared of the OBGYN, but I have to say that after your first visit (when you get to see your little bean and see the heart beating) all the fear kinda goes out the window (hope that helps!).
With my first child I saw Dr. Seeker who was with Austin Area OBGYN but has recently moved his practice North (see Rssnlvr and a few others). He has incredible bedside manner but in the end, I wanted more of a natural birth experience than I felt Dr. Seeker would allow. I moved to HCOBGYN at 32!! weeks and delivered my baby at Seton Southwest.
I LOVED delivering at Seton SW because it was so private and just perfect. I felt like we were the only people there and the nurses were so wonderful- terrific experience! The only drs that deliver there are HCOBGYN though.
I don't really know much about elective c-sections because I was very much the opposite, so you'll have to ask the drs themselves on that one.
Good luck and again, congrats!!
Congrats!
My rec. is Dr. Edgerton w/ Austin Area OB-GYN at 451-8211. Very personable, great bedside manner. I really like him a lot.
I'm not sure about elective C-sections.
Congrats on your BFP! I was wondering if you were going to come back and try to post again.
The other ladies have your given you great OB rec's.. I live way far north, so I have nothing to add there. I just hope you find a dr you love and are comfortable with!??
The O'Baby Blog
Congrats!!! H&H 9 mos!
I love my OB--Lisa Schneider at Hill Country OBGYN. They're at Brodie & Slaughter and deliver at Seton Southwest.
Congratulations!
I love my OB, Dr. Donell Oliver with Women Partners in Health. Their office is located right behind Seton on 38th St. Seton just finished their brand new women's center, so the L&D rooms are awesome. I don't know about other practices, but my OB's office does not perform elective c-sections for first time moms and will only consent for second time moms who had a c-section the first time around. There is a lot of added risk with a c-section, so most doctors will encourage you to deliver vaginally if everything is normal otherwise.
I just wanted to weigh in on the c-section/induction/spontaneous labor thought. At this time, try not to get too caught up thinking about the specifics of your birth experience. Every woman and each of her pregnancies is unique and may warrant a different birth approach. The experience one mom had with induction/natural labor/medicated labor/c-section etc. is not necessarily going to be your experience.
That being said, I think the most important thing to foster during your pregnancy is a positive relationship with your physician/midwife and your care team (nurses, lab technician, sonographer, etc.) DON'T be afraid to ask questions. Ever. If your health care provider doesn't take time to talk to you about your concerns or you feel like they're brushing you off, don't be afraid to respectfully confront them. If that HCP still isn't paying attention to your concerns, by all means, find a new one.
I had a c-section after 20 hours of labor from induction. I was pretty tired once I finally got to see my DS. But my experience was very positive and I felt well taken care of. I think that was because during my pregnancy I worked to build a good relationship with my doctor and her partners. I understood that she knew far more about obstetrics than I did and I respected her for that. But she also understood that I knew far more about my own body and my pregnancy and she respected my concerns.
Anyway, this post got all rambl-y and I'm sorry for the hijack. I just want to reassure you that everyone here has been down the road you're getting started on and we were all scared and confused and overwhelmed at many points along the journey. But we're here to share our experiences and hope that you can gain something from them.
A happy & healthy 9 months to you!
I agree 110%! Dr Seeker is the BEST and a miracle worker at that! Can't say enough good things about him. Lots of ultra sounds and he tells you the gender at 16wks instead of at 20wks!
DITTO these two lovely ladies. ?:) ?Dr. S is the best doctor I've ever, ever met- his bedside manner is so caring and calm and he definitely knows his stuff and better yet, knows how to explain it in a way that's not confusing or overwhelming. ?
I chose a c/s at my 38 week appt. when I found out how big the baby was getting and that I had no progress. ?Dr. S and I decided we'd get a c/s on the schedule but if I'd progressed by the next week, try induction instead. ?When I went in at 39 weeks and still had no progress, we went ahead with the c/s. ?I loved my c/s birth and will definitely have another one with future babies. ?Dr. S is (IMO and the opinion of the many nurses at the hospital) an amazing surgeon!
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012