Looking for a doctor in St. Charles County, Missouri.

abernardo340 · September 2014

I am six weeks pregnant and looking for a new ob in the area that leans more towards natural childbirth. I just found out today that my previous doctor no longer practices obstetrics (which would have been nice to learn in January when I last saw her!) At this point I'm open to a male or female but woulld really prefer a woman. Hopefully someone has a suggestion! Thanks!

jennypolkadots · September 2014

Do you plan to deliver in a hospital? If so, choose the hospital after going on tours of the ones in your area/in your insurance network. Ask questions about natural birth. Usually the tours are given by L&D nurses and they know a lot about the doctors that deliver there and can guide you towards the most NB friendly. OBs all have different hospital privileges, so you don't want to get stuck in a hospital that is anti-NB just because you liked the doctor a little more. Questions I would ask would be if they support natural birth, if they allow food/drink during labor, if they have telemetry (mobile) monitors, and anything else that seems relevant. I would also look into getting a doula and ask her for recommendations.

The reason I say to ask the nurses is because 90% of your care during the actual delivery will be your nurse on staff in a hospital environment. The doctor will not be the one pressuring you to get the epi, it is much more likely to be the nurse. Doctors come in every several hours for a quick cervical check and then pop back in just as you start to push. Of course having a NB-friendly OB is helpful because they can sign off on your natural birth plan and can help you stay healthy to avoid intervention to begin with, but I still think the hospital is the #1 concern.

Also look into local birth centers and midwives if that is something you are interested in. You have plenty of time but starting now will really make you more confident in your pregnancy.