Is this a normal OB group policy?

genmalone · April 2012

I got the information packet from my OB practice and am not thrilled. It says that they work as a group and therefore they each only deliver 1 day per week so you can get any any of the 7 Dr's at your delivery. It goes on to say if you have a strong preference for your Dr then they will induce you within 1 week of your due date which I think is really odd. Is this the policy with your OB? I just feel like I have too many complications already to not know who will end up with me in the delivery room.

Am I overreacting? Is this the norm? I'm already upset because when I called to make the appt they informed me my OB has just stopped delivering babies so I was already thrown for a loop. I cancelled my OB appt and am researching other practices.

Thoughts?

DeputiesWife · April 2012

that is the norm at my place.

i met with each of them prior to going into labor, just so i could be familiar.

when I went into labor, it was 10 at night, my dr wasnt on call, nor were any of the 5 in the practice, but she did come in and do my delivery on her day off.

ELF4321 · April 2012

It's pretty common in group practices nowadays. My OBs office has 3 who do deliveries and you have to see each of them throughout the pregnancy. They also share on-call duties with 2 docs from another office, so I could actually end up with a doctor that I've never met delivering the baby.

If you're not comfortable with it, I would recommend changing sooner rather than later. A solo or a practice with only 1-2 docs may offer more one-on-one care.

I wish I had made a change sooner and am now in the process of trying to switch to a midwife group at 37 weeks as I get more and more anxious about not being able to have the experience that I want with my current docs.

mandalinn25 · April 2012

Yes, my practice has 4 OBs and 1 CNM and you will get any of them at the time of birth. They rotate you through to each of them during your prenatal care. To be honest, I really don't care who I get, they are basically only there to catch the baby. The nurses are there for most of it. I do like all of the doctors at my practice though, so that helps.

lovebug33 · April 2012

At my ob's office, there are 2 doctors and one on call. I was told if I deliver on Mon-Thurs, I would have my OB. Or, if I am induced, he will deliver the baby. If I deliver on Friday-Mon, I will get whoever is on call that weekend.

genmalone · April 2012

Thanks ladies. That is what I was afraid of. I'm just thrown because I know this wasn't the policy when I switched there 2 years ago.

Elf, I'm really considering a Practice that has midwives. It sounds like the best of both worlds. I would see both an OB and have the personalized care of a midwife. I hope you're able to figure something out.

Mrs.RockyM · April 2012

At my practice there are a bunch of doctors and they suggest you see each of them throughout your pregnancy because unless you have a scheduled c-section or scheduled induction, there's no guarantee as to which doctor you'll have for delivery. My practice doesn't give the option for induction just to get a specific doctor. They'll only do it if it's medically necessary.

cookie_queen · April 2012

Totally the norm. That's why docs join groups so that they aren't on call all the time.

That being said, one of the reasons I love my OB is that she's been through our whole journey with us and actually asked me if she could be called no matter what if we made it to 32 weeks which is when our local hospital can handle babies.

limpetfan · April 2012

Mine hasn't said it like that, but it has been made clear that there's a possibility my OB could be unable to deliver my baby, and if that's the case I'll get a different doctor in the practice. They told me I will likely meet most of the doctors at some point during the pregnancy at regular appointments, so hopefully I will know the person I get, if my OB isn't available when the time comes. It doesn't really bother me -- but I also knew this was the case before I got pregnant.

genmalone · April 2012

Thanks for all the input. I guess I just need to get over it. I'm just not feeling very good about a lot of things right now so having to start with a new OB has just freaked me out.

naybird · April 2012

That's normal for my MFM group, which is why I also see my OB. He is the only Dr at his practice, so he will be there for the delivery and also which ever MFM is on call.

jillychris · April 2012

My clinic also has 5 OB's. They rotate my appts through all of them through the pregnancy, so I have at least met all of them. Depending on who is on call when I deliver, it will be one of the 5. I think it's fairly common at practices with more than one OB.

ccam · April 2012

My OB office also works as a group. Each patient rotates between Dr's and sees each one at least once for prenatal care. Who delivers you depends on the day you go into labor. They never mentioned inducing to get your pick of Dr though - I don't like that, personally.

So I was kind of upset that I most likely won't get the Dr I have been seeing for years. But after seeing each of the doctors and hearing so many good things about the practice, I'm fine with it now.

mdiblasi10 · April 2012

My clinic has four OB's. However, I only see my doctor at my visits and she will be the one to deliver. I am not sure how they work that out, but that is their policy. I'm sure there are sometimes exceptions, but the majority have the OB they have seen at delivery.

Crispity · April 2012

My clinic has 6 OBs, and whoever is on call when you go into labor will deliver the baby. They want you to see all of the doctors at least twice during your prenatal care, so that you will have some familiarity with the doctor who will deliver your baby. Honestly, I'm not thrilled with the arrangement, because I feel like that way you don't get to know any of them, and they don't know you.

I really hated it at my 20-week appointment, when I was diagnosed with complete placenta previa. I was really freaked out about it, and my appointment was with a doctor I hadn't met before, who was not particularly reassuring. I ended up calling one of the other docs in the practice later to discuss it with her.

There are still two doctors in the practice that I haven't met, so I will schedule a routine (ie heartbeat only) appointment with each of them just so I've met them, in case on of them ends up delivering me. Other than that, I'm requesting my favorite doctor from now on, because I need to be able to talk to someone that I am comfortable with.

vanessagorc · April 2012

Mine too, unless u are induced or have a c csection, then ur own dr schedules u.

leolyns · April 2012

My OB is part of a 3 OB office and I'm guessing if she isn't on call when I go into labor one of the other on docs will be there.

kobrie01 · April 2012

Yep, this is the norm at my practice. They rotate 6 doctors Mon-Fri, and on the weekends you could have any of the 6 plus 5 others from two other practices! I'm not thrilled with the arrangement either.

mswood1977 · April 2012

My OB is part of a group and you get whoever is oncall for that day when you deliver. Unless there is a medical reason my OB's office doesn't schedule induction or c-section before your due date. They only induce or perform c-sections when medically necessary.

IttyBittyBaby · April 2012

I personally looked into this years ago before when I first was TTC. I switched then to an independant doctor who delivers all of his own babies. I know that is not the norm but it was something important to me - so thats why i switched then.

MrsNap_515 · April 2012

Same for my group, I've seen most of the drs at this point, however my ob wants to be the one to deliver for us, she's known us since before ttc, and was the one to refer us to our re, so she is so happy for us and wants to be there

byrne15 · April 2012

That is exactly how my OB office works....I think there are like 10-15 OBs

GypsyEsq · April 2012

As pp have said, this is typical for an OB group. You mentioned possibly seeing a midwife group with OB backups and again, this would be typical for them as well. You will likely rotate through all the midwives and then whoever is on call the day you deliver is who you get, unless you have a scheduled c-section then you get the OB backup and if that person is out of town you get an on-call doctor for the hospital -- which is what happened to me, a doctor I'd never met before and a resident did my cesarean for my daughter. Also, the nurses at the hospital when you go into labor are who help you through your labor - in 26 hours I rotated through three nurses, the third stayed on shift to see me through my cesarean. Of course I'd never met any of those women before ever.

If you're really concerned about having a support person you know to see you through your entire labor I'd suggest looking into an OB or midwife group that encourages and is accepting of doulas. GL!

mystic_J · April 2012

IttyBittyBaby:
I personally looked into this years ago before when I first was TTC. I switched then to an independant doctor who delivers all of his own babies. I know that is not the norm but it was something important to me - so thats why i switched then.

This is the same for me too. I switched shortly before my switch to RE # 2 due to a bad group experience when I had my c/p. My OB is a one woman show, and she is and will be the only doctor I see at prenatal care visits and in the delivery room. Her one on one care made my transition from RE to only OB much smoother and I am very happy I made the switch.

STL34 · April 2012

My OB is part of a 4 person practice. If you deliver during the day during the week, you may get your OB even if he/she isn't on call. Otherwise you will get the on call OB from the practice. They try to have you meet all of the OBs for this reason.

That being said, those on here that have said their OB will deliver, must keep in mind that there are many circumstances when that is not the case. For example, if your physician is on vacation, at a conference, unreachable, in surgery, delivering another baby, etc. Even sole practitioners have contracts with other OBs to be "on call" for them at times. So, while it is more likely that you would have your doctor, it is not a guarantee. Especially for those of us having babies during peak vacation times (summer, spring break, holidays, etc.).

I personally like that I will have at least met the OB that will deliver my baby. But, like at least one PP mentioned, the doctor is only there for a short period of time. Unless there is a complication, doctors aren't usually called right away and don't usually show up until you are about to start pushing. So, you will spend a lot of time with nurses and possibly residents if you are at a teaching hospital.

hunterjumper102 · April 2012

Wow I am jealous of you ladies who only have 4 or 5 OB's in your practice. I have to go to a huge Naval hospital OB clinic that has at last 20+ doctors I could see or deliver me due to their rotating schedules. I was very uncomfortable with this until talking to some friends who told me that the doctor is really only there to catch the baby and having good nurses was more important. I feel pretty comfortable now and everyone I have seen has been pretty nice so I just hope I get a good doctor on the day I deliver!

MrsLouie10 · April 2012

It's the norm at my OB's. Wonder if we go to the same one? When I was doing monitored Clomid and Femara cycles, I had the opportunity to see 4 of the OBs because mine was on maternity leave the first several months of treatment. With that said, I loved them all and would be comfortable with any of them delivering. But if you aren't comfortable, there are a lot of good single practice OBs in the Houston area.

krismott25 · April 2012

that is the norm at my office too. I really like all of them but one. She's really nice but really green. If you do a schedualed c-section then you can pick the dr. I have a friend that is a nurse in L&d so she gave me the scoop on all the drs. I know it's frustrating but if you are in a bigger office that's how it works. Even in the small office I had a chance of 3 doctors.

ETA:Also wanted to say I switched offices at 20 weeks. I just didn't feel right about my old doctor from the start and wish I had switched sooner. I went from a smaller office to a bigger office and I'm sooo glad I did. Trust your instincts, you have to be comfortable with the person/people delievering your baby.

TJ1979 · April 2012

genmalone:
Thanks for all the input. I guess I just need to get over it. I'm just not feeling very good about a lot of things right now so having to start with a new OB has just freaked me out.

Gen - my OB is the only one I have seen, and she said barring unseen circumstances, she will be the one who delivers me. She is also comfortable working with a doula, should I choose to hire one. Do you know which hospital you want to deliver at? PM me if you want to know who I am seeing. I don't think you should just "get over it." If you are unhappy, it's worth switching. Especially now while you're so early on. GL.

easjer05 · April 2012

Unlurking to say that I see you are in Houston. I don't know which group you are seeing, so apologies if this is the group, but I go Women's Specialists of Houston and absolutely love love love them. They deliver at the new Pavilion for Women at Texas Children's and that hospital is fantastic (I've been to assessment a few times). I know my friends have had good experience with the midwives there, but I can't say enough good things about the OBs.

My OB was due in May a week after, but delivered early - she kept me as her patient and had intended to deliver me if possible, but it didn't work out. Her care was fantastic, and she made sure that I was set-up with another doctor in the practice who would mesh as well and be understanding of my particular emotional issues. Because of some complications (and my OB being out earlier than expected) I've seen three other doctors in the practice, and all of them have been nothing but kind, understanding and extremely thorough in their care, assessment and follow-through.

Just something to consider. My experience through triage to this point is that they contact my OB first, and then if they can't reach her, the doctor on call for the practice, if that helps at all.

DebateThis · April 2012

easjer05:
Unlurking to say that I see you are in Houston. I don't know which group you are seeing, so apologies if this is the group, but I go Women's Specialists of Houston and absolutely love love love them. They deliver at the new Pavilion for Women at Texas Children's and that hospital is fantastic (I've been to assessment a few times). I know my friends have had good experience with the midwives there, but I can't say enough good things about the OBs.
My OB was due in May a week after, but delivered early - she kept me as her patient and had intended to deliver me if possible, but it didn't work out. Her care was fantastic, and she made sure that I was set-up with another doctor in the practice who would mesh as well and be understanding of my particular emotional issues. Because of some complications (and my OB being out earlier than expected) I've seen three other doctors in the practice, and all of them have been nothing but kind, understanding and extremely thorough in their care, assessment and follow-through.
Just something to consider. My experience through triage to this point is that they contact my OB first, and then if they can't reach her, the doctor on call for the practice, if that helps at all.

EAS!!! BOTB has been wondering how you're doing.

easjer05 · April 2012

DebateThis:
EAS!!! BOTB has been wondering how you're doing.

Hey! I'll try to pop in soon. My laptop is not working correctly and I have a hard time getting on without it (can't at work). Let folks know I'm hanging in - 38 weeks! Borderline high b/p, but no pre-e. Contracting irregularly, will definitely induce next week if baby doesn't arrive before. Spent today in L&D after a minor decel on a scheduled NST. The BPP came back perfectly and with good fluid, so it was a fluke - but a fluke that took hours to work out! I'm trying to finish up at work and it's not easy. I'm very ready to be done with work and get this baby here safely.

I've been thinking of everyone - I know there are several new arrivals at this point!

genmalone · April 2012

easjer05:

Unlurking to say that I see you are in Houston. I don't know which group you are seeing, so apologies if this is the group, but I go Women's Specialists of Houston and absolutely love love love them. They deliver at the new Pavilion for Women at Texas Children's and that hospital is fantastic (I've been to assessment a few times). I know my friends have had good experience with the midwives there, but I can't say enough good things about the OBs.

My OB was due in May a week after, but delivered early - she kept me as her patient and had intended to deliver me if possible, but it didn't work out. Her care was fantastic, and she made sure that I was set-up with another doctor in the practice who would mesh as well and be understanding of my particular emotional issues. Because of some complications (and my OB being out earlier than expected) I've seen three other doctors in the practice, and all of them have been nothing but kind, understanding and extremely thorough in their care, assessment and follow-through.

Just something to consider. My experience through triage to this point is that they contact my OB first, and then if they can't reach her, the doctor on call for the practice, if that helps at all.

Thanks so much for the info! This is the practice I'm considering switching to. I've heard great things about them. I think I'll give them a call. I've been going to Complete Women's Care Center which is also in the Med Center. I'm just so disappointed that my OB is no longer delivering I feel like if I have to find a new OB anyway that I should look at other options.

Thanks!

Is this a normal OB group policy?

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