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1st Trimester
Argh! Rant about health care (LONG)
I absolutely love this site and enjoy hearing about everyone else's experiences but am feeling a little bit left out of the loop thanks to our awesome health care system here. It seems like everyone is having an ultrasound at around 6, 7, or 8 weeks (viability u/s I think it's called?) and I won't be able to get one until week 12...and that's only if I choose to do the combined screening. If I choose not to do the testing, I won't get one until after week 20! If you're really low-risk, they sometimes won't even do an ultrasound until the very end.
I've been to one checkup so far with my family doc (which is who you go to here when you're pregnant...no OB/GYN unless you have serious complications) who asked me a bunch of questions, did an internal exam and then quickly ushered me out to get blood tests. To date, that is the only blood test I've had and that was only to check my immunity to chicken pox/rubella and my STD status. When I looked at the form she filled out, she hadn't checked anything under "pregnancy", including HCG levels. So while everyone else can see their numbers go up thanks to multiple blood tests, I have no clue what mine are, if any. For all I know, I may have already had a miscarriage/ectopic pregnancy since a total of zero tests have been performed.
I've also been really interested in being followed by a midwife (since they give more specialized care than a family doc) but have recently discovered that out of the three practices in the city (a total of 13 midwives in a city of 1.3 mil), two are already full for April. I haven't heard back from the third but I'm guessing they won't be taking any new patients either.
So it looks like I have not choice but to have my family doc care for me throughout my pregnancy and have my delivery in a hospital (I had really wanted to at least consider a home/birth centre birth) by a different doc who I will likely not even meet until I deliver.
Sorry for the rant. It?s just been difficult coming to the realization that where I live, who cares for you during pregnancy, how and where you give birth, and who ultimately delivers your baby isn?t really up to you at all unless you?re one of the very few people who can get a hold of a midwife to claim your spot pretty much the second you conceive.
I am doing my best to be positive and thankful for the care that I do receive but it?s frustrating knowing that my options and choices are so limited.
I've been to one checkup so far with my family doc (which is who you go to here when you're pregnant...no OB/GYN unless you have serious complications) who asked me a bunch of questions, did an internal exam and then quickly ushered me out to get blood tests. To date, that is the only blood test I've had and that was only to check my immunity to chicken pox/rubella and my STD status. When I looked at the form she filled out, she hadn't checked anything under "pregnancy", including HCG levels. So while everyone else can see their numbers go up thanks to multiple blood tests, I have no clue what mine are, if any. For all I know, I may have already had a miscarriage/ectopic pregnancy since a total of zero tests have been performed.
I've also been really interested in being followed by a midwife (since they give more specialized care than a family doc) but have recently discovered that out of the three practices in the city (a total of 13 midwives in a city of 1.3 mil), two are already full for April. I haven't heard back from the third but I'm guessing they won't be taking any new patients either.
So it looks like I have not choice but to have my family doc care for me throughout my pregnancy and have my delivery in a hospital (I had really wanted to at least consider a home/birth centre birth) by a different doc who I will likely not even meet until I deliver.
Sorry for the rant. It?s just been difficult coming to the realization that where I live, who cares for you during pregnancy, how and where you give birth, and who ultimately delivers your baby isn?t really up to you at all unless you?re one of the very few people who can get a hold of a midwife to claim your spot pretty much the second you conceive.
I am doing my best to be positive and thankful for the care that I do receive but it?s frustrating knowing that my options and choices are so limited.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Argh! Rant about health care (LONG)
I don't think your experience is much different than that or a normal low risk pregnancy. My doctor doesn't do an u/s until 20 weeks. The only reason I had them early on was b/c I was with a RE and had bleeding issues.
At 8 weeks, it's totally normal to have only one visit so far.
Where are you that the system is different? While sometimes it has to do with insurance, most of the time the care you receive just varies based on your specific doctor or practice. I see some girls on here who got taken in for blood tests and u/s right away. My OB practice is wonderful but it's just not their policy to see anyone until 9/10 weeks.
It does stink that you can't get a midwife if that's what you want though
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Also my husband is in the Military so our insurance is covered and maternity is covered 100% I thank god every day that we don't have to pay more then like 150 bucks this whole pregnancy or worry if we are going to be able to afford my doctor's visits!
I'm sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your care thus far. I live in a major metropolitan area, and my care has not been that different than yours (except that I got to a practice with both physicians and midwifes), and I am actually happy with it.
My practice does not regularly order an ultrasound to test for viability, and my insurance would not cover one. I did receive an early ultrasound, but that was for other reasons. I have the option to have the NT scan (which I am having tomorrow), but other than that would only have the anatomy scan at 20 weeks. In fact, my practice does not even have an ultrasound machine in-house -- I have to go to a separate clinic.
I have never had my HCG lelves checked for either pregnancy. And I've looked at my records. The initial blood draw was to test for the things you note, along with blood type. My office does a pee test to check if you are pregnant.
While you hear lots on this board about people having more done, some of it is based on their own prior circumstances -- IF treatment, prior miscarriages, etc. There was a fairly recent post on how many ultrasounds people get, and a good chunk of people said they are only getting a 20 week one. You are not alone.
No, not everyone is having all that you listed! My doc only requested a 10-week u/s to measure the baby, and then not again until 20 weeks. No viability u/s. No beta levels. In fact, my confirmation appointment was even less helpful than yours, they tested my urine to confirm the pregnancy and then did a blood draw. It sounds like you're pretty normal for a low-risk pregnancy.
I am sorry about the mid-wife issue though!
Maybe it's your particular doctor's office because I'm a fellow canuck and I got my ultrasound at 7 weeks to see how far along I was and I can't see my family doctor, only an OB (or a midwife if I chose to). When my mom was pregnant with my brother it was in Calgary and she had an OB too (no complications), same one delivered him at the mother and baby hospital (can't remember the name). My mom raves about her doctor and that hospital. Kind of makes me wish we had a hospital like that here in BC!!
But in all honesty, like you said, you should be thankful that our healthcare up here is paid for and we don't have to shell out thousands of dollars or pay tons in insurance premiums to be able to have great healthcare. I'm so thankful for our system, especially after seeing how much some of the other bumpies have to pay in the US!
No, what you have is 'normal'. It's actually not the norm to have a ton of tests, multiple u/s, etc.....and honestly it's one reason why healthcare costs skyrocket when people come to 'expect' these sorts of things (yes, I fully am aware some NEED these things, but not everyone).
I saw a family doc both kids. As he put it, I'm pg, not sick. Therefore he is there to guide me along the journey, not 'treat' me. I think many OBs/docs that people have treat pg like an illness that must be monitored, tested, poked, prodded, etc.
Maybe it's because I had to go through more to get pg I didn't want so much testing after I was pg.
With due respect you have zero out of pocket cost or health care premiums so it's a bit difficult to compare to the US sytem where many of us or our employers pay very high premiums for services.
It sucks you aren't able choose the type of provider but it sounds like u/s and number of appointments is consistent with the US.
I totally understand where you're coming from.
I have my first appointment with my family doctor tomorrow! I have no idea what's going to happen, although I hope to bug her for an u/s to get done. and even so, to get an appointment for that needs 2 months booking in advance! unless you're persistent and call every single day, to every clinic, at least twice, hoping for a cancellation!
I know that you need to get a referral for specialists but had no idea that they don't really see you!!
Oh they definitely pay out of pocket for health care! Do you have any idea what the taxes are like in Canada?
Yeah I live in a border town so I am familiar with the tax plight. Regardless of the taxes they pay, no country pays more then the US for healthcare. You realize American tax $$ go into the system along with premiums.
I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that isn't getting the early u/s and beta testing. It seems like a lot of girls on this site are, though, which was making me a concerned. Since I've never done this before, I didn't know what to expect when it came to prenatal care and after reading plenty of posts about beta count comparisons, excitement over 6 week u/s, etc., I guess I formed some obviously incorrect expectations. I just wish I had more choice in who would provide me with care during my pregnancy and delivery. That's really my primary frustration.
And as a side note, we most definitely pay for our health care, just not in the same way as the US. Though we may not pay directly for each doctor's visit, we pay dearly through our taxes.
Fellow Canadian here too. I think it really depends on your Doctor. I am not doing the IPS screening so thought I would not get an early ultrasound but my Doc is still sending me for one at 12 weeks. I have only had blood taken once ( thank goodness as that was a horrible experience, newly pregnant + a little phobic of needles = me almost passing out haha). I have had 2 appointments, one basically to have him order my blood tests and one today for internal, pap etc. I kinda appreciate it too that I am not always at appointments, hard to get time off work, plus I did that enough with the whole TTC thing.
I can understand your frustrations though, I just want to see, or hear what is in there! It just does not seem real yet.
Good Luck