delivering with on-call doctor?!

Knottie14651511 · February 2015

I had my first OB appointment today and was told that when I go into labor I will be delivering with whoever the on-call doctor is, not necessarily the doc I'm seeing at all my other appointments. They sort of brushed me off and acted like this was very typical when I questioned it.
Is this typical?

kgregson411 · February 2015

It is for a lot of our Doc's here. Mostly our midwives are usually the only ones who take their own call. Not sure about other places though. If it's something your concerned about is there any way you can shop around and find someone who takes all their own call?

Knottie14651511 · February 2015

In looking into it. I prefer to find a new doctor if I can, or else find a doula to accompany us if I know its likely my doctor won't be there on delivery day

MrsHark122 · February 2015

This time I will have to deliver with an on call doctor because I moved to Japan. Sad. My last doc delivered all his own patients and it was amazing. To me that is so important... That's when the important decisions are made. I like that person to be one and the same personally.

CabinByTheSea · February 2015

That's how it was when I had my son I saw 3 different doctors while in the hospital before he was actually born [-(

Knottie14651511 · February 2015

I agree. I'm very upset about this, since it seems most of the duchies in my network operate this way

tracij12 · February 2015

Was that way with my first as well. I missed my dr by like 5 hours, but honestly, in the moment, I really didn't care. My situation was different as I had to have an unplanned c-section so I was happy to have the in call dr perform that specialized in c-sections perform my surgery.

alhittner · February 2015

That's how most practices work

last14real · February 2015

My practice calls my OB if she is unavailable for personal reasons or busy with another delivery than they send the oncall dr. She made it to the first 2 births of my other babies I would love to have her for this one too but if she can't I know there is a reason why. You have to remember doctors have lives too and they can't guarantee that they will make every birth every time. While it's nice to have the comfort of your ob my practice also has you see the other 2 obs in your last few months just to meet them in case they have to deliver. They do an every other system so you see your ob than the other than yours than the last one, not the whole pregnancy just like a meet and greet but towards the end. My opinion might be different if I was high risk but I'm not so for the most part I just go with the flow:)

AnnikaD20 · February 2015

It's usually how it's done. Doctors share a call schedule within a practice or just a call group, so they can still do things like prenatal appointments, and sleep and such. Usually a L&D nurse will be the one doing most of your care during labor, and you'll just get checked on by the doctor a couple times until you're ready to deliver, and by then you probably won't care who's helping you.

lissabee21 · February 2015

Yup! I had a practice of like 13 doctors so you can try and meet everyone. The one dr I hadn't met because he was always so requested was the one who ended up delivering my son. Depends on the practice but it's pretty standard unless it's a smaller place.

lissabee21 · February 2015

So true. Loved my L&D nurse. And dr showed up last minute to deliver and stitch me up.

bauerkj · February 2015

It's common. My Mom is the nurse manager at an OBGYN office and that's the way it has to be sometimes with staff and needs and circumstances.

My dr was on vacation in Europe the day my first was born. My son wanted out a week before his scheduled C-Section so it wasn't anything that could have been done. Sure, I would have preferred my own dr but that's another story.

satori15 · February 2015

I had the on-call dr. Never had met her but she was nice and did a great job so I was perfectly happy with my delivery. DS had the cord around his neck so DH was about to freak out but he said she pulled it off super fast. So she was obviously a good dr even if she wasn't my dr.

tdenen · February 2015

I haven't found a doctors office that doesn't operate this way. I didn't like it at first, but I'm ok with it after I went through it once. You spend much more time one on one with your doctor during appointments. When you're in labor you mainly deal with nurses up until it's time to push, and at that point I personally could have cared less who was down there as long as they were going to get him out :-)

sunflower1986 · February 2015

Our office works the same way. They also gave a partnership with another office to maintain in office appointments. Last time I had the midwife I really liked for dd's birth and I'm hoping for the same but bc there are so many doctors and midwives I doubt it.

on_the_move · February 2015

It is how most practices work. With my first I was at a practice with 3 doctors and met all of them before delivery. Unfortunately I had the one I liked the least on D-day, but she didn't do anything specifically wrong. For my second I went to a large practice with many doctors and midwives. I saw someone for the first time at my delivery and during the birth we heard her exclaim "I've never seen that before"...great *insert sarcasm* This time I am going to a small practice with 2 doctors and have heard great reviews about both of them. While I will be just one of their patients, the other one was available when I called about my miscarriage last year and seemed very good and understanding also.

xtineelaine · February 2015

I didn't know this with my first and ended up with the on call doc I had never met. I wanted a low intervention birth and really had to fight him for it. I was lucky and had a doula and some really great nurses to help me have the birth I wanted.

numbr2 · February 2015

At my Drs office that's the rule, but throughout your pregnancy u see each of the doctors sometimes twice so u get to know them a little. I was happy with that and it wasn't a big deal
When my daughter was born

deanna1313 · February 2015

A lot of women get upset about this so you're not alone. I wouldn't be bothered either way. You're with the labor nurse the majority of the time and the dr pops in and out and then delivers the baby. By the time you're ready to push the baby out all you care about is getting it over with.
My office has 5 drs and I rotate through everyone during my pregnancy. So when I go into labor I know who my dr is anyway. Not all offices do this, but the should for those people who are upset by it.

VioletandRose · February 2015

I was told the same thing. Went in thinking I'd have one doctor, but that is not the case. They do their best to assign you the same doctor for your appointments, but it also depends on your schedule. They do encourage you to meet all the doctors regardless. There's a possibility that "my" doctor will deliver my baby, but it is not guaranteed (unless for some reason I am high risk and need a maternal/fetal specialist).

Sweet Sadie Mae · February 2015

This is how office operates. I was lucky with my first. The Dr that I loved happened to be on call when I was in labor. He's semi retired now and does not deliver anymore. My office has me go around to each Dr at different appointments so that I at least know all of them.

Knottie14651511 · February 2015

xtineelaine said:
I didn't know this with my first and ended up with the on call doc I had never met. I wanted a low intervention birth and really had to fight him for it. I was lucky and had a doula and some really great nurses to help me have the birth I wanted.

Thank you for the response. The "fight" is my main concern. Not something I anticipate I'll wasn't to do that day. Wet will look into a doula so we have an advocate.

rayebritt · February 2015

I had the on-call doc with my son and I actually liked her better than my actual doctor!

Rise05 · February 2015

I am new to North Carolina and I was told the same thing by several offices. I just kept calling until I found a doctor who said they would be with me every step of the way. In Florida my doctor was that way and I wanted the same reassurance.

Cynthia1207 · February 2015

Very typical. My OB doesn't even deliver babies anymore but he refers to the head of the department who is always present for his patients deliveries. I has no problem with either one. What's important is that your baby comes into the world safely.

lauriebethbrown85 · February 2015

I was a little disappointed by this at first, too. But now that I've been throw childbirth twice, let me tell you. When you're in labor, you're really not all that concerned with who's there. You just want someone there to catch the baby. That said, I see a few different doctors through my pregnancy so I'm at least familiar with a few of them. It works out great. I really wouldn't worry

nrocke129 · February 2015

My practice has doctors and midwives. My first appointment is with a midwife and from there I can choose to stay with the midwives and rotate thru them or rotate thru the doctors or thru both. I can change my mind at anytime. They still have on call doctors and midwives but I can make a priority list and they will do their best.

tate62610 · February 2015

It's pretty common. I delivered with the oncall doc and it went great

tate62610 · February 2015

well.....HE was great....delivery was - eventful

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