Does your doctor explain things at all?

sisterindigo · July 2013

My doctor does not explain anything to me I have to pry information out of him. I have to ask 10 questions just to get him to adequately answer my original question. So frustrating. I have to ask my husband or his boss (a doctor) about things all the time. My husband is PA and sometimes I think he knows more than this idiot OB.
Also, I'm 31 weeks, I have not had my fundal height measured, not once. I don't know what position my baby is in, how much he might weigh, nothing. I know nothing about my baby. All he does is listen for the heart beat with a doppler and feel my stomach. This is especially frustrating considering how far I have to drive to his office every 2 weeks.
One of these days I'm gonna blow up on him.

klewis888 · July 2013

That's a bit odd. He should at least be measuring your fundal height at each appointment moving forward. My OB usually answers all my questions very thoroughly and offers suggestions. The appointments are pretty short, typically she will check the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, measure fundal height, check my weight and ask if I have any questions. Hope your future appointments are a little better.

HFrizzle · July 2013

I'm 28w5d, have yet to have my fundal height checked, I guess the position of the baby myself and the weight at this point is just a guesstimate. Some doctors don't start checking fundal height till around 32 weeks, like mine. Position of the baby at this point is hard to tell cause they are still kind of small and its not really important till about 37 weeks. The baby weighs around 3lb, give or take. I'm really not sure what else you are expecting to find out, but if you're not happy with him, switch doctors.

shelley1002 · July 2013

Each doctor is different.

My doctor started fundal height measurements at 26w. Some may start later.
I have no idea what position my baby is in. They can keep moving so it doesn't matter for a few more weeks anyway. I don't think my doctor checks for position until 34 or 36 weeks.
And my doctor does not due weight estimates. I remember that she felt around my belly to get a feel for size but never have a guess. And ultrasound weight guesses can be off by as much as a pound.

You can change doctors at anytime if you do not like the care you are getting with your current one.

ballygirl · July 2013

My OB doesn't tell me anything. Its just pee in a cup, check the doppler, and I'm out the door. Luckily I also see an mfm every 2-3 weeks and she is much more comunicative.

sleepy33 · July 2013

I don't think you can fairly expect him to know your baby's position or approximate weight without an u/s.

pmarie33 · July 2013

Usually mine does, but today she didn't and I didn't ask. I'll ask in 2 weeks.

Weljadraak · July 2013

Definitely don't blow up lol. That'll just be a shit storm and probably embarrassing. Idk what kinds of medical questions you're trying to get him to answer but as far as procedural (next u/s, why not measuring, wtf-types) he should have a definite answer for all of that. I mean...my appointments seem to go like the PPs so it seems pretty standard....

jorkz821 · July 2013

sleepy33 said:
I don't think you can fairly expect him to know your baby's position or approximate weight without an u/s.

Apparently they can tell position by feeling from the outside. Though as PP said it doesn't really matter until closer to term. And fetal weight doesn't matter at all unless they're worried about poor growth.

bkeane619 · July 2013

FYI I discussed with my new Dr why my old Dr never did fundal height with my son. He said if there is only one Dr in the practice they measure fundal height with their fingers. In a practice with more than one Dr their fingers are all different so they use a tape measure. He said you probably didn't even notice him doing it. I didn't.

sisterindigo · July 2013

Changing OBs has to do with my insurance, unfortunately. It's possible but has proven to be a difficult process. And I wouldn't know who my next OB is, so there's the risk of me not liking them even more. Freaking medical! I feel for the women trying to navigate things without the help of doctor friends, seriously would have lost my mind.

KerCo51 · July 2013

My appointments are really quick. The doctors will answer any questions I have, but they don't volunteer information much. I feel like moving forward, the appointments will be a little longer and more detailed since we are getting closer to the time.

CousinVicki · July 2013

quit whining and look for a new OB, 'difficult process' or not. it's your body, your baby and YOUR medical care. take some control here.

msronzio · August 2013

My OB didn't measure fundal height until around 28wks. Fundal height is only a guide measurement anyway. Also, all OBs are different. A lot of the women on these boards have all this information because they probably went out of their way to ask, or their doctor just does things differently.

My OB has been in her practice for over 25 years. I'll use an example. At the second appointment that she measured my fundal height I noticed she never commented if I was measuring small or large etc.. Since she hadn't said anything, I asked, and she said well, you're measuring a little small but it's fine. Then I felt dumb because my OB is an OB and if there was cause for alarm she would tell me.

Keep in mind that maybe since they see you every two weeks now (or soon) and for some women every week, they think that since you're going out of your way to stop by, maybe even having to leave work, they may want to get you out of there as quickly as possible so that it's convenient to you. Idk though lol. If you don't really care for your OB, it's not too late to change to another one.

Wino0920 · August 2013

I'm trying to figure out what else you need to know besides the heartbeat? I am 31 weeks and just had my fundal height measured for the first time, some do it later. He probably doesn't check for position cause its way to early, I have no idea mine as well. The baby's weight? Really, even with an u/s there is really no way to determine this. It's just an estimate.

I am all for being comfortable with your OB but I am not sure I understand what it is your looking for?

Love My Lil Princess 509 · August 2013

My last Dr. with my 1st pregnancy never once measured me and had a Doppler that didn't work. She did for some reason do a sonogram at every appt, I'm thinking she somehow got extra money from this and sent me for an unnecessary specialty sonogram that I got a $500 bill for. She also told me a few weeks before I was to give birth she don't do c-sections and a stranger Dr. would be doing it lol. Well that Dr. turned out to be great and I switched to him with this pregnancy.

sarah_norton · August 2013

I was worried about the practice I go to because there is three OBs that you see not just your main OB because anyone might be on call when you go in. But after meeting with all of them now they have been super about answering all my questions. The only negative has been that sometimes their appointments get behind schedule and I end up waiting up to 30 minutes in the waiting room. My appointments are normally quick too. Weight, pee in cup, blood pressure, doplar, and the just started measuring two appointments ago for fundal height. The dr did mention what side baby was on at my apt last week but it didn't seem to be a real important item at this point.

RedZee · August 2013

The practice I'm at doesn't measure fundal height. They do a quick u/s at each visit. There are lots of problems with using fundal height anyway so I'm totally fine with it. My last OB would measure fundal height, feel for the baby (and make up a weight based on that), and listen to the heartbeat. Then again, the weight they give with an u/s is not accurate.

I would never use a doctor that didn't explain things to me.

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