For those of you that are high risk....

Gigi2195 · January 2011

I'm wondering what your high risk ob visits consist of....

The reason why I'm wondering is because I sort of feel like when I have my monthly visits, I'm a little rushed. For example, I don't get to hear the heartbeat, he goes over results, he doesn't check the measurement of the belly...etc... All I get is weighed, b/p check, the occasional blood work and urinalysis or urine culture. I'm almost agravated to sit there for up to 2 hours and then just have a 5 minute visit with him. I'm not sure what a typical visit consists of since I've never gotten this far in my pregnancy.

What are your visits like?

Bakes4u · January 2011

I'm not high risk but something seems off to me about your visit. My visit consists of urine check, BP check, weight, belly measurement, hear the heartbeat. I would ask them why they don't do these other things.

IU_baby · January 2011

My visits consist of urine sample, weight, blood pressure, listening for the heartbeat, questions with the doctor.

My belly has yet to be measured so far this pregnancy, but as I recall from last time, it happens a bit later.

I do get to hear the heartbeat with a dopper though.

katieandjeffie · January 2011

IU_baby:
My visits consist of urine sample, weight, blood pressure, listening for the heartbeat, questions with the doctor.

My belly has yet to be measured so far this pregnancy, but as I recall from last time, it happens a bit later.

I do get to hear the heartbeat with a dopper though.

Same thing for me, I'm not at high risk though. I would definitely voice your concern at the next visit.

Pythia1022 · January 2011

My high risk visits (once a month; next month will start every 2 weeks) consist of urine sample, check weight, blood pressure, having a couple vials of blood drawn, belly measurement, and an ultrasound. But each "high risk" situation is different, and people are high risk for all sorts of reasons. Mine is on the higher-risk end; I have a friend who sees the same high-risk OB but she doesn't have an ultrasound or get bloodwork at every visit.

However, if your high-risk OB isn't doing anything to check the baby (ie, hearbeat), that is a SERIOUS red flag. I'd bring it up next time, or switch OB's, ASAP.

chatty6176 · January 2011

I get weighed, urine check, blood pressure, listen to the heartbeat with the doppler, ask any questions of the doctor and today was the first day I got my belly measured....23 weeks this week. All was measuring right one track. I would definitely be upset if there wasn't time to talk with the doctor and ask questions....this is my second pregnancy and I still have questions because this pregnancy is so different. I wouldn't like a doctor that didn't seemed concerned. And you wait up to 2 hours sometimes???? That is crazy...sounds like the dr. is a bit overbooked .....

chatty6176 · January 2011

chatty6176:
I get weighed, urine check, blood pressure, listen to the heartbeat with the doppler, ask any questions of the doctor and today was the first day I got my belly measured....23 weeks this week. All was measuring right one track. I would definitely be upset if there wasn't time to talk with the doctor and ask questions....this is my second pregnancy and I still have questions because this pregnancy is so different. I wouldn't like a doctor that didn't seemed concerned. And you wait up to 2 hours sometimes???? That is crazy...sounds like the dr. is a bit overbooked .....

I should say I am NOT high risk either

MrsDL · January 2011

I don't like to consider myself "high risk" but I'm 35 so they do. I get my BP checked, weight, they check my urine, etc. The doc measures me, checks the hb, feels my belly and then she spends some time to answer questions I have and she goes over what's coming up (glucose next week). I have not had any internal exams since my pap early on. I have office visits every 4 weeks. They'll go to every 2 next month.

They also apparently do ultrasounds every 4 to 6 weeks (I go to an advanced center for fetal care in the hospital which is also where my doctor is located), so if I've had one she'll review the results. I figured after my fetal echo that would be it - but nope. I have another in Feb. - I was told it's routine to check the growth of the baby.

Personally - I think all of this seems like overkill but I assume they know best and the reassurance is nice.

amahrey · January 2011

i'm high risk since i had ds at 29 weeks. usually i get weight, urine, bp with the nurse. doc comes in and listens to the heartbeat and i ask questions. last visit (20 weeks) she measured my belly for the first time. this upcoming visit (24 weeks) i will start getting internal ultrasounds to measure my cervical length. i am also getting weekly progesterone shots, but they are letting my dh do those at home.

Heather & Nayt · January 2011

I am high risk so I see my doctor every other week from day 1. I have my urine check, weight, b/p check, we listen to her heart beat, he checks my cervix, uterus hight, we go over my blood sugars and he answers all my questions. He will also pull in the u/s machine if he has any worries. I am so lucky, I seriously see my doctor 1 on 1 for at least 30-40 mins every single time.

I would bring it up next time you are there if it worries you, you need to feel 100% confident with your doctor and the care you are getting.

ETA: Starting 31 weeks I will be going in ever week to see him, I'll have u/s every other week and I'll be having NST two times a week at l&d. Thats if my blood pressure holds steady where its at now.

Gigi2195 · January 2011

I'm not saying that he isn't concerned because he does send me for 1-2 u/s a month and does review them with me but I just really don't like that I am not getting the other things done like the rest of you. I'm most definitely HIGH high risk....I'll be 35 next week, I have Crohn's disease, hypertension, hypothyroid & gestational diabetes. So I def feel that I should be having more time with him. He is over booked because he is one of the best (or so I've heard and read) high risks in the area so I have no choice but to see him. If I were to find another high risk there would be a wait of at least 2 months and by that time I'd be VERY pregnant and not willing to go to a doctor that is not familiar with my case. I think that would be an even worse predicament than my current one. So, I guess that this doctor is going to have some explaining to do as to why I haven't been getting the other routine things done...I will be asking!!! Tx ladies!

chelsea_ems_fire · January 2011

I am high risk and see a high risk OB as well as my regular OB every month (bi-weekly starting next week). At every high risk OB appt. I get an ultrasound with measurements, heartbeat...all that good stuff. Then the doc comes in and talks to us for however long we want...about any concerns we have (baby's size is of concern right now) and the medications that I am on. Then that's pretty much it.

My regular OB is pretty standard I think....urine sample, weight, B/P check, fundal height, HB check, talking about any concerns, and talking about what the high risk doc and I talked about. I go to the Cleveland Clinic, and it's nice both doctors are able to look at each other's notes because the Cleveland Clinic is all electronic!

jtosh623 · January 2011

my high risk visits are done every 3 weeks at the perinatal center. They do a belly and vaginal ultrasound and examine my cervix... They also measure the belly & do all of the things you mentioned above. . . . I was told this will continue up until week 32

mcwhittaker · January 2011

Are you asking about your OB visits or your perinatologist visits?

If you are truly high risk, you should be seeing a peri (maternal fetal specialist) as well as an OB.

My OB visits are a joke. I pee in a cup, they take my blood pressure, listen to baby's heart beat with a doppler and then ask me when my next visit with the peri is.

My Peri i see monthly, so the visits usually line up that I'm at the OB or the Peri every 2 weeks alternately.

The perinatologist does a sonogram every time we go, they do blood pressure, order labs if necessary (depending on your condition i.e. hypothyroid, diabetes, etc)

I get all the important info from the Peri. My OB we've nicknamed "the baby catcher" because that's about all they do.

LegalLadyBug · January 2011

I am considered high risk but as far as I can tell my appointments are no different than anyone else's. I think they just know to ask me about certain things and look for certain warning signs, my OB is going to love me on Thursday because my fingernails turned purple yesterday :-( Most likely means my anemia is back.

Anyway, my appointments are me peeing on a stick to test protein levels, bp, take weight, and have a general review of meds I am taking and and problems I have been having. I go see the doctor, or in my case LNP, and she asks me some questions, I ask her any questions I have, she uses the doppler so we can hear LO, and she feels my abdomen to see where my uterus is.

ETA: I am considered high risk, as marked on my file, due to history of high bp, anemia, being overweight, and a past surgery I had. These are all things that only I need to be monitored for right now. I am assuming if something comes up with them the baby will become the concern. That is why I am only seeing a regular OB right now, there is no need for concern just yet.

SweetieD21 · January 2011

My regular visits consist of urine sample, weight, blood pressure, checking baby's h/b with the doppler, and measure my stomach with measuring tape. My high risk appts were for cervical length checks because I had an incompetent cervix with my first pregnancy and lost our baby at 18 weeks. I have graduated from the high risk drs but when I was going from weeks 16-24 they would consist of a urine sample, weight, blood pressure, p17 shot, and a vaginal ultrasound.

kikibird · January 2011

I have appointments every two weeks, alternating appointments between my OB and my peri. OB does the standard b/p, urine sample, doppler to check heartbeat, measures uterus, checks for swelling in my legs, answers any questions, goes over peri results. At the peri, I'll have ultrasounds to check the growth of the baby and my fibroids, b/p, urine checks too, and I'm not sure what else. I'll see each doctor every four weeks until I hit 32 weeks, at which point I'll go weekly. The peri will then do NST's. Not sure what the OB will focus on.

I'm higher risk due to my age (40), chronic hypertension, and fibroids.

everam01 · January 2011

I'm high-risk, so I see both an OB and a MFM specialist.

At the OB, my appointments are similar to yours. Urine sample, BP check, weight check. A little chit chat. Sometimes a belly measurement.

At the MFM, I don't do any labwork. I get an u/s every time. Sometimes it's a cervix check, where I'll get a transvag u/s to check my cervical length, measure my monster fibroid, check the fluid levels and heartbeats of the babies. Sometimes it's a growth scan, where I'll get the above plus measurements of the babies.

ETA: I'm high risk due to fibroids, twins and previous uterine surgery for a septum.

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