OB Question...To Stay or To Go?

lwhrmomma · December 2016

I apologize in advance if this is a "special snowflake" question...but since nobody else knows I'm pregnant, I have no family or friends that I can ask for advice, lol.

Ok...So I've been going to the same OB for 15 years. I absolutely love them. They've always been so accommodating, have great bedside manner, have taken care of me through a few medical scares, and I had a wonderful experience with them throughout my first pregnancy. They know me, they know my history, and I just adore all of the doctors and nurses there. They are affiliated with one of the best hospitals in the state, with the best NICU in NJ, which came in handy when my son was born with neonatal sepsis.

The downside: I now live about an hour away from the office (longer depending on traffic), and at least 45 minutes from the hospital. Since having my son, two of the 5 doctors have left and haven't been replaced yet, so I can imagine that the wait times are pretty long now. The distance to the hospital concerns me, because I'm considered high risk during delivery and will need to be on antibiotics for at least 4 hours before pushing. I'm afraid that this labor will go a lot quicker than my first, and I won't have enough time to get there and be on antibiotics for as long as I need to be.

So...do I leave a practice that I absolutely love and pick a new one that I have no experience with? Or stay with my current doctors, and find a more local office after this baby is born?

I'd appreciate any opinions you ladies have...I change my mind 10 times a day, and my husband is leaving the decision up to me, so I'm at a total loss of what to do! Any opinion you have, I'd love to hear them...thanks in advance!

Happyin14 · December 2016

I also live in north Jersey so I know the traffic you speak of. I would stay with the dr and hospital you love.

My Ob moved offices and I moved work offices and she's way less convenient. Takes me an hour to get to her office and we are both in Manhattan. You'll have some idea of labor so you can leave early to avoid traffic or whatever. I just think it's so rare that anything happens THAT quickly.

For me, I am much happier staying put.

and_peggy · December 2016

In your boat kind of. I am changing OBs. They did a great job, and I really like him and the office staff. No wait time. But the travel time is about the same as yours. Now with a 7 month old, time isn't usually on my side. So I've decided to find someone around the corner. I figured I didn't love him enough to stay. You really need to decide what is more important: liking your doctor, or convenience of the location.

clairemwalker · December 2016

I am in a similar boat . . We use midwives here, and the midwife i used with dd has moved further away and is very busy. I absolutely adored her though and cant imagine using anyone else. I have decided to stay, i figure its more important to me to trust my carer and feel safe and looked after. I do worry a bit about travel time to the birth centre and long waits, but i trust it will work out!

NYTino24 · December 2016

@kristenk727 Another North Jersey mama to be here! Feel free to PM me info about which hospital. I have to choose between St. Clare's and Morristown and will be doing MMH even though it's farther from home because it's closer to the doc office and work. I wouldn't worry much about July or August traffic unless you're near the city or shore now. I had a friend deliver a 1 lb. 1 oz. baby at MMH and she came home a couple of months ago. Another delivered a 1 lb. 5 oz. boy who just came home a week ago from St. Barnabas.

lwhrmomma · December 2016

@NYTino24
Yay Jersey! I'm further south in Burlington County. I had DS at Saint Peters in New Brunswick, and if I switch practices I could deliver at either capital health in Hopewell or Princeton Medical Center.

Thinking I am gonna stick with my old practice for now...

SPurp13 · December 2016

I think I would bring my concerns to THEM. Ask what they recommend you do. Say all that you have said here--you love them, but the distance concerns you--and see if the distance also concerns THEM, and if THEY would recommend you find someone closer.

I would say that if you love them enough, you could just keep going to them, knowing that the end stage might mean, if you go into labor quickly and things are progressing too fast, ending up with a closer team/hospital.

kissthesky32 · December 2016

I would stick with the practice you know and love. Sure, traveling there for weekly appointments at the end will get to be a huge pain, but I think being comfortable with your care throughout makes all the difference. I was over 45 minutes from my hospital with my second, also in an area where traffic can be brutal. I was told to head in as soon as I was sure it was really labor so that I didn't end up having a baby on the side of the road ... and I still ended up hanging in the hospital for about 10 hours before giving birth.

NYTino24 · December 2016

@kristienk727 I used to work in Princeton. Rt. 206 can be brutal, but I've always heard good things about the hospital! My grandfather went to St. Peter's and RWJ a lot.

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