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Success after IF
DavezWife
member
What's a "peri" for? and why OB and not RE
DavezWife
member
What do some of you have a "peri" for? (perinatologist, I presume?)
Also, In a post below, when I was discussing about going back to my OB... I'll explain things more to see what you think...
I originally started at RMIA here in MPLS. and liked them, but just as we did all the standard testing, HSG, etc. were to start injects/IUI Ava surprised us. Then once we wanted to start trying for #2, we lived in a new area of town, and there was a SET of clinics that "specialize in IF" as part of their services, and "partner with RMIA" - whatever that means. (when they can't KU they send to RMIA for IVF????)
I don't care for the doc I chose, but there are 4 others in her group that "specialize" in IF. Both OB clinic locations are 4 miles from my house, where the RE is 30, and lots of traffic. Plus I would stay with this OB for the rest of my pregnancy, and f/u girl part care. And I can bring Ava to my many appts without worrying about offending RE clients. So my thought at the moment is to stay with this OB specialty clinic, demand the tests I think I need, and see how they do.
I'm thinking of the RE as my next step, should 3 cycles with the OB not work, I'll take my broken ute to the RE. By then I'll be 104 years old, and really need some help. hhhffttpp.
Any thoughts welcome. Someone explain the peri thing please. ;-)
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Re: What's a "peri" for? and why OB and not RE
Peri's traditionally handle high risk pregnancies... I see an OB and a Peri because my little guy has some weird issues with fluid around his heart and lungs... they keep a closer eye on the baby. My OB keeps an eye on me... make sense?
Savannah
Callista
Baby Trail Blog
"Someday we will look at our babies and know it will be worth it. If it was easy, we would not have had our babies, the babies we were meant to have." From Amy052006
a peri is basically a high risk type OB - almost everyone pg with multiples sees a peri in addition to their OB, and other women with high risk will see a peri. Most peris do not deliver babies, though...so you would see both a peri and an OB together.
If given a choice i would always see an RE for IF treatments- and not an OB... even if they claim to specialize in IF - an RE has much more training/knowledge - and i always believe in going to the best i can find.
if you had to see an OB b/c of location, etc - then make sure you get monitored (assuming you do clomid or other stim meds), via US/bloodwork, etc.
good luck!
I had a peri because of my twin pregnancy. My first OB had crappy equipment so she had me go to the peri so she didn't have to do anything...with my new OB he had me continue with the Peri because they had been seeing me for 6 months already.
I hope you are able to do what's best for you.
I've never seen a peri myself, but I did learn about them when I was carrying twins. ?From what I understand, they specialize in high risk pregnancies or pregnancies where there is a complication with the fetus (heart probs, kidney probs, etc.). ?Many twin mommas see peris, although my OB did not consider twin pregnancies to by high risk unless there was some other complication (something that I personally do not agree with, but that is a different story). ?
As for seeing the OB vs. RE, here's my $.02. ?We obviously had to see an RE because we were doing IVF. ?I did feel very comfortable there, but -- it is very clear from the moment you walk in there that you are an IF patient. ?As much as I love our clinic and the doctors/nurses/staff, just by being there, in my mind, I felt "broken." ?If you do not need IVF, and your OB specializes in this stuff, why not give it a try? ?Of course, you need to trust that your OB knows his/her limitations and will refer you elsewhere if it gets to a point where he/she feels that someone else is more qualified to help you. ?I think your reasons for staying with the OB are good. ?And, if the testing and follow-up care can be done there, why not??
?
Jill, that's kinda my thinking. I do not think we have to think about IVF unless some major genetic thing comes back and Ava was a strange lucky fluke. I was monitored VERY closely when I took stims (this OB) so I'm good there.
I'm willing to give them a couple cycles, mostly for convenience's sake.
But I need to stop this overthinking right now. it's driving me nuts. anything to avoid thinking about yesterday, I'm sure.
Where's skims and her dirty dirty mind & polls????????
i went to a peri last time due to the fact that i was preg with trips at first, but they gave me the choice to stay if i wanted after i lost the third baby, and i was just very comfortable with them, so i stayed. this time i went straight to them because of the fact that i am high risk due to the Pre-E/HELLP/pg so soon after c-section..
my SIL had multiple losses including a still born, and this last time she went to a normal OB, but visited a peri a few times through the pregnancy.?
I think that is what most "high risk" people do, just see the peri every month.
I would say to call the RE and see about just sitting down and talking about them about what testing could be done, maybe at least just to discuss and if they think that the OB could help or if you would be better suited there..i just don't want you to be lead on a wild goose chase..
a friend of mine did 5 rounds of clomid/IUI at an OB that "specializes in IF" ugh..she went to RE i went to and got pg that cycle with follistim.
maybe Davez could watch Ava for one day? ?for at least a consult appt.
Joey, Ronnie, and Audrey,
my awesome IUI 30 week twins, and my surprise miracle
LOVE my SAIF ladies
Ditto this.
I saw a RE, obgyn and peri (even saw a re on my break cycle as they would do bloodwork/betas on me). Peri/MFM is for high risk care. They do all nt scans for all patients sent from my obgyn's office.
My peri/MFM did my cerclage and saw me every 4-6wks for u/s and then I was referred to him for GD monitoring - but I was seeinghim anyway. They usually do high risk and/or twin+ pregnancies. I hate a love/hate relationship with my MFM, but I'm glad I saw him. I'm not sure you qualify to see him based on issues though - not sure. I think schmoddle wasn't seeing a MFM.
I see a perinatologist because of being high-risk (due to other medical issues). All the doctors at my perinatology clinic deliver the babies, too. I don't go to a separate OB on top of the perinatologist.
The RE consult... not a bad idea...
(my parents can sit Ava, too... just not constantly for multiple appts)
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
I did 2 cycles of Clomid with my OB and my HSG and initial testing (blood glucose and DH's SA). After the second cycle of no response he suggested that there was nothing else he could do for me and referred me out. I have to admit, I cried. Boo-hoo'd. I was not prepared to have to go to an RE. I just felt like for sure my OB could get me pregnant. But my RE experience was good. Better in fact for a lot of reasons not the least of which is that he did get me pregnant. It's clearly up to you and you have good reasons for staying with your OB right now but I think in retrospect I would have liked to know with more specificity when and if my OB would refer me out so it wasn't such a surprise. I really see the practices as complimentary so there's no reason for an OB to keep you from seeing an RE since as you said you'll go back to the OB anyway but I get the feeling that some of these OBs who dabble in reproductive medicine very much see the IF patients as people to make money off of - make sure yours isn't one of those and does intend to send you on if needed and my opinion is your fine with the OB. For now.
And again, so sorry for your loss.
I think your plan sounds good. Sounds like you really like/trust your OB practice & feel they're competent & were on top of things this last cycle so deciding to stay there and setting a # of cycles before heading to a RE seems pretty reasonable to me. A consult w/ RE couldn't hurt in the meantime & also might help you get in for an appt quicker should you need to in the future, as you'd have your initial appt & paperwork out of the way already.
As for the peri, if someone is not high risk for any reason other than having done IVF or IF treatments or having multiples, I think it really depends on their OB's comfort level w/ the situation, the resources they have at hand in their office & sometimes their network/hospital system. Some OBs want to be extra super careful & not mess around, some are very comfortable with their ability to deal w/ theses issues & don't see the need for a specialist, some have great U/S techs on staff that they trust, some may not want the liability, some may feel a specialist is warranted, ?etc.... plus some patients may request it & want the extra care from a peri. ?
My OB is very comfortable managing twins & has an U/S tech on staff who has been with him for like 15 yrs and is really good at what she does, so he only routinely sends pts with multiples to the peri for the 18-20 week growth scan & if any other problems come up. The patient can choose to follow up with the peri if she chooses and we chose not to. Everything looked as it should on all our u/s's, the peri spent about 5 min with us telling us nothing except that they looked really good (and the $400 coinsurance bill came in the mail shortly thereafter), and I trust my OB's abilities but I will hightail it back to the peri the second anything seems out of the norm. He was very open to me going back for follow up if I wanted to but I just didn't feel the need at the time. We'll see what the rest of the pregnancy brings.?
When I wanted to TTC I obviously started with my OB. I have PCOS so she said she would go through some standard testing with me. I had an HSG and everything came back normal and she ordered a SA for my DH. This was all in prep for starting clomid and TI cycles. Well we didnt need to do that bc I got PG right after the HSG. But then I had the mc and the sh!t hit the fan.
After my betas finally fell (I mc'd in te beginning of July and we got to start trying again at the end of sept) she gave me some clomid and told me to come in on x-date (presumably cd11 or 12) to do a follie check - looking back at everything we went through at the RE this was absolutely USELESS!!!!! I just feel like I wasted my time with my OB for 3 cycles because getting me pregnant was not her job - it was not her main focus - she even said this at my last appointment, that she can't wait to help me maintain a healthy pregnancy but getting me pregnant is not something she is equipped to do.
So off to the RE and he takes a look at the SA she did for my DH and what do you know - we have a MFI issue as well. Who knows what she thought, but there was defintely an issue.
All this said, you have to do what's right for you, but I defintely feel like I got better care, much more specialized care at my RE. His "job" was to get me pregnant and get me out of there.
Good luck to you
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart) Our first love and loss 7/2/07
3 cycles clomid TI = BFNs
3 cycles clomid Ovidrel IUI = BFNs
6/27/08 Surprise BFP = chemical pg
IVF#1 July 08 BFP @7dp3dt
TTC #3 since February 2010
FET Sept. and Oct. 2010=BFN's
IVF#2 June 2011=BFP