WTF is wrong with some of these OB offices?

mrsf123 · October 2010

If you're 38 weeks pregnant and you call your OB's office with symptoms of labor, shouldn't someone call you back promptly? I mean, every time I call my OB's office I get a prompt call back, and it wasn't until I see these posts on TB that I realize that may be rare?

Why would an OB's office not call back someone who is in labor? WTF?!

Does your OB's office call you back promptly? If not, why would you keep going to them?

~Flossie~ · October 2010

My OB doesn't have an answering machine and the line is busy 99% of the time. There is a recording if the line is busy that says if you have an emergency to go straight to L&D.

In the 3 or 4 times I've called about something, it literally took a few hours to get a hold of someone.

Ridiculous, I know.

ETA: And there is no emergency or after hours line to call what so ever. Just go to L&D and get checked by the doc on call there.

PinkeLLe2 · October 2010

If it's something like that, my OB's office gives you the option to push 0 and be connected directly to a nurse.

SookieFrackhouse · October 2010

My OB office didn't want to give me a call back to tell me I was pregnant. It was a Friday and they said they'd call me in the morning. By 2 p.m., I got fed up and called. Their office had closed and they were on answering service for the weekend. W.T.F.

I sicked DH on them. Stick out tongue Got my positive result within 20 minutes of his call.

I couldn't believe they were going to leave me hanging all weekend! Not cool! My OB actually gave me his cell number in case I went into labor, which was incredibly nice, but I'm in a small town where everyone knows everyone.

ashonkwiler09 · October 2010

My Peri's office gets back to me within 5 minutes of me leaving them a voicemail.

mrsf123 · October 2010

~Flossie~:

My OB doesn't have an answering machine and the line is busy 99% of the time. There is a recording if the line is busy that says if you have an emergency to go straight to L&D.

In the 3 or 4 times I've called about something, it literally took a few hours to get a hold of someone.

Ridiculous, I know.

That is so crazy! My OB doesn't want me to go to L&D until I talk to her so she can call L&D and tell them to expect me and what she wants done. I sorta thought this level of care was what ALL OBs did.. I guess I'm lucky!

designermusings · October 2010

At my OB's office the after hours answering service is much better than the response time during business hours. However lately, when I leave a voicemail message for the nurse I am sure to say "This is designermusings, I am XX weeks pregnant" ... then state the issue. It has made it a bit quicker - like one hour rather than 3.

kcisthebombdotcom · October 2010

mrsf123:
~Flossie~:

My OB doesn't have an answering machine and the line is busy 99% of the time. There is a recording if the line is busy that says if you have an emergency to go straight to L&D.

In the 3 or 4 times I've called about something, it literally took a few hours to get a hold of someone.

Ridiculous, I know.

That is so crazy! My OB doesn't want me to go to L&D until I talk to her so she can call L&D and tell them to expect me and what she wants done. I sorta thought this level of care was what ALL OBs did.. I guess I'm lucky!

If you're having trouble getting through, I'd just go to the hospital, especially if you're having contractions regularly.

To answer your original question, if I call the OBs office and leave a message for the nursing line, it does take a few hours to get a call back. However, there's an option for emergencies so if I ever needed to speak to someone immediately, there is someone always available.

Good luck!

conley81 · October 2010

It takes my OBs office at least 2 hours to get back to me. Then I get to talk to the nurse and wait again for her to talk to the midwife or my OB then call me back. I thank this is rediculus as well the only time my OB calls me is after hours when I use the hospital switch bord to contact her or the midwife and this too takes forever.

My biggest complaint isn't the waiting for the reply thou it is that they just assume I need to drink more fluids (hello people I drink almost a gallon of water a day) or to take either my bp med or either zofran or my anti spasmotic because of course it isn't contractions its my sphinctor of odi spasaming. I had to actually fight with them yesterday just to be get a word in. I am so peeved at them that it isn't funny. These meds. combined make me act nuts (I means suicidal) and feel anxious and Ive told them this many times but still get the same thing. Today they still haven't called back and I have a fever, swollen knot on my neck, and have had the same headache for three days that tylenol will not take away. I am so tired of this OB my husband is actually thinking of driving me 2 hours to a larger hospital like their L/D on call OB sugested because it takes all of my energy just to get out of bed literally. Thanks for letting me rant! This is just my story and I am so tired of my OB it isn't even funny.

divasociety · October 2010

At my ob I call and press the option to talk to a nurse. I just wait on hold until a nurse is available. They have 2 dedicated phone nurses and your calls are answered in the order they are received. They are available during office hours. My usually wait time is about 10 minutes. If they have to ask the Dr and call me back it is usually fairly quick.

After hours I call and it sends me to the switch board who takes my info and then pages the on call Dr. The on call Dr calls me back. I have had to wait 2 min and I have had to wait an hour depending if they were in surgery etc.

I have to say overall I am very satisfied with the customer service end of my practice.

kspies · October 2010

I haven't had to call them for an emergency, but I REALLY didn't appreciate the girl at the desk declining to schedule me for a 40-week visit, saying she'd check, and then talking to the drug rep who was passing around snacks instead. I called the nurse the next day who confirmed that yes, I did need an appointment, and this chick STILL couldn't figure it out--she actually asked me "did she tell you a time that would be good for them to see you?" Isn't that YOUR job?

CherryStarburst · October 2010

wow, I can't imagine waiting HOURS to have someone return my call. I go to a BC and they always tell me to call anytime with questions or concerns. The few times I have called after hours I always get a call back within 5 minutes. And I've actually called when I wasn't pregnant either, like a year later, with a question and they called me right back.

gchertok · October 2010

My OB's office is very quick about calling you back after hours. During business hours, they will try to get the doctor on the phone right away or they will call back very quickly as well. Also, if you need to go to L&D, they will call in for you, so the hospital knows to expect you.

MJHershey · October 2010

Mine is very good with calling people back and it's a very busy practice. My doc does one better- he has an email address he gives all his patients for non-emergency questions, and answers it within 4 hours usually.

Buggygirl84 · October 2010

I have not needed to call my OB's office yet. But my understanding is that during office hours, I will get to talk to her nurse who will help me or get me in touch with my OB if needed. After hours, I leave a message and the OB/nurse team that's on-call will call me back. Again, this is what's "supposed" to happen as I have not used the service.

I would expect that a person gets a call back within an hour as a reasonable amount of time. Any more than that is IMO terrible.

BeetleLinz1125 · October 2010

I'v only had to contact my OB's office this past weekend, but did get their answering service. They told me that if I didn't get a call back within a half hour to call them back and they would page the doctor again. Luckily both times I got a call back within 5 minutes. On the weekdays though, it's another story...Sometimes they don't call until the next day :-(

OliveBaby · October 2010

Wowza, that's pretty crazy. My practice calls back in 20 minutes tops with the on call doc.

WannaBeCrunchyMama · October 2010

I spent a lot of time researching OB's in my area and found one who doesn't take on more patients than they can handle. So yes, I get immediate call backs, its rare for them not to answer. I never wait more than 10 mins for my appointment. (unless someone is in labor in that case they come tell me and ask if I'd be ok seeing a different doctor immediately or waiting.)

To me, it just shows that the doctor has his patients best interest in mind to limit the number of patients they have.

swimming47 · October 2010

My OBs office has a press 1 if you think you are in labor. Whenever I have called the nurses line I either wait (which has taken up to a half hour) or left a message and heard back within an hour (but it wasn't for labor)

izzyb248 · October 2010

~Flossie~:

My OB doesn't have an answering machine and the line is busy 99% of the time. There is a recording if the line is busy that says if you have an emergency to go straight to L&D.

In the 3 or 4 times I've called about something, it literally took a few hours to get a hold of someone.

Ridiculous, I know.

ETA: And there is no emergency or after hours line to call what so ever. Just go to L&D and get checked by the doc on call there.

I'm in the same boat. At least my cousin is a L&D/NICU nurse so she is gets all my questions. My brother is a paramedic, so if I'm having BP issues he checks me. My other cousin is a pharmacist, so all medication/OTC questions go to him.

Next pregnancy (at this point I don't know if there will be another one) I hope to have better insurance!

AppleMomma · October 2010

Last year my OB office had an answering service 24-7 and they would transfer me immediately to the doctor on call, and I'd either get them right away, or they would call back immediately after leaving a message.

JenGarden · October 2010

I've been pretty happy with my practice, although I have not yet needed to call the after-hours answering service. If I call with a question, I usually get a call back within two hours (and always on the same day).

ccmathis07 · October 2010

my OB has an after hours that cannot give u advice except if u feel like u need to then go to lnd...wtf?? im trying to avoid that if at all possible that it may be nothing. i called it at 28 weeks because my BH were 5-7 min apart for hours straight..i decided to just call back the next morning and it only took 10 min to receive a call back from his head nurse and then she yelled at me for calling from work when i was in pain..but i wasnt in pain just uncomfortable the night before.