How do I pick a good Ob/Gyn for my first pregnancy? No one is helpful?

Question

My doctor referred me to an ob/gyn, but he is so booked up that he cannot see me until I am 12 weeks along. I tried calling to ask questions and they blew me off. This is my first pregnancy and I need some guidance. My husband is worrying I may be put on the back burner by the ob/gyn during my pregnancy.

My friend has two children and she said she suggested to look for a new ob/gyn that handles new patients with more care. I cannot go to her ob/gyn since he moved away. I don’t have any other friends that have babies other than my boss who is a good friend. But I don’t want her to refer me to someone since I don’t want her to know I am pregnant as I am only 6 weeks.

Any advice?

How do I find a good ob/gyn?!

Answer 1

I'm pregnant for the first time. I was lucky enough to get a new, really good OB/GYN that had openings. But I didn't see her until about 10 - 12 weeks along. If he is a really good OB/GYN, then wait the time to see him. It will make a difference. Most really good doctors, OB/GYN or not, that have been around are going to have a waiting period. The doctor that referred you to him wouldn't refer you to the wrong person. Take his advice and stick with the good OB/GYN and just wait for your first appt. I know it's hard because you want to see the little sac where you're baby will be growing inside you and you want to try to hear the heartbeat. But trust me, wait the few weeks to get the good OB/GYN.

I'm going to have my baby is 3 - 4 weeks and I can't wait. My OB/GYN has been aswesome. And once you get into the OB/GYN, you will be able to go back to him with your future children.

Good Luck!!

Answer 2

I would go in and ask them both a lot of questions, but if you already know Dr. G, then you know their background. If you don't know Dr. Z, find out what kind of ob/ gyn he is. I always want to know how many C-sections a doctor performs, if they do epis, and how long they think a normal labor should be. Ask this other doctor what he does in an emergency situation. It sounds like he is good with that, but birth is a natural process, so if you think he's going to do lots of interventions and you're not down with that, you need to find out. There are some doctors out there who will almost always do a C-section whether necessary or not, and there are others who are knowledgable and know when the right time to intervene is for the safety of the mother. The C-section rate is at 31. 8 %. I ended up with a C-section with my first Ob/gyn, and I came to find out that he always only does C-sections if the women is in labor over 10 hours, and then he calls if failure to progress. So, just do your research and ask lots of questions.

Answer 3

I've been pregnant 3 times. The first time I was 19, young, and naive. I had a horrible OB (oh the stories I could tell), but I didn't know any better. The second time I did my research and found a woman who became one of my favorite doctors ever.

#1 First find out who is covered by your insurance or works with low-income patients. There's no use trying to find a doctor you can't pay for.

#2 Look for local new-moms groups in your area. There are often groups affiliated with churches, community centers, preschools, postpartum support organizations (call some doulas and midwives from your phone book to find such organizations), etc. These groups are filled with new moms who are more than happy to share their experiences. They'll definitely let you know if there's a doctor you should avoid or if there's a doctor you should check out.

#3 Start calling doctors' offices and talking to receptionists. A phone call doesn't require you to actually become a loyal patient to that doctor. It just gives you the opportunity to get to know how their office works. Some OBs will want you to come in as soon as the pregnancy test is positive. Some will suggest that you wait until 12 weeks. I'm a huge fan of getting in early. I waited with my second child and, surprise, I was actually much further along than I thought (my pregnancy was already half over!), and this could have created lost opportunities for treatment if there had been problems with my child.

#4 Look up the doctors' backgrounds. Try the http://www.ama-assn.org/ or http://www.acog.org or your state's medical board. Avoid any doctors who have bad marks on their records.

#5 If you live near a teaching hospital, you'll have a better chance of finding good-spirited, experienced doctors who actually teach med students how to be doctors (so you know they know their stuff). Plus, you'll also be checked out by happy, perky, positive med students who are amazingly thorough since they want to get everything just right. (Med students work right along the doctors, so don't think that the med student will be doing all the work alone. It's almost like getting two or three doctors for the price of one.)

#6 After you choose your doctor, remember, you can switch doctors at any time for any reason. Even if you just don't like the way your doctor smiles or smells. Just start seeing the new doctor, call the old doctor's office, and let them know that you will be seeing this new one instead. If they ask why, just say "We just feel this other doctor will work out better for us, our schedule, our philosophy, etc." Don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings.

Don't forget. It's your body. It's your baby. You're the boss. Don't let any doctor pull the "but I'm the doctor, and I know best" bit. You're in charge.

Answer 4

Since you are in a pinch, you should first decide if you want male or female or if it matters. Then call the office and ask some of your questions to the staff. They usually have a good idea of how the doctors work. Make an appointment with a couple or a few and go, see how they treat you and get a feel for the doctor. Your appointments can be for anything you want, it doesn't have to be for pregnancy (this way your insurance won't say anything either). Most women will say they have a great doctor, so no point in asking people you don't know well. You just have to get in there and shop around. You can also go thru Yahoo Local and some of the doctors have ratings. Also check the medical board of the state you are in - they can advise you of any potential warnings. Good luck, you'll find a good doctor!! Congrats!!!

Answer 5

I would highly suggest finding a midwife in your area. They have done as much schooling as an OB/GYN, and can do everything an OB can do, except surguries. While an OB might only have 5 minutes to spend with you, and you seem to only be a name on a chart and not a real person to them, a midwife will schedule a half hour for you, and become a close friend. They typically also work with an OB back-up, in case a c-section (surgery) is needed at the time of delivery. Even if you interview one midwife or OB, you have every right to interview more and find one who seems to fit with your personality and beliefs. The most important thing to have during labor and birth are people around you who you trust. Good Luck!!!

Answer 6

If a dr is not willing to see no matter how far along you are.. Find someone else!!! That means when you do become their patient, your health will still be of no importance to them... I chose my ob, by going to my insurace website, and looking to see who was closest to where I lived. You can always set up a consoltation, and ask them ?'s you may have in regards to delivering...I didn't do this the first time, and was very unhappy with my dr. With my second. I asked what hospitals they delivered at ( you don't want a dr who delivers too far or somewhnere where there is ALWAYS traffic). Will you be able to meet the drs. on call (meaning, the dr that will take the place of yours if for some reason they can't deliver you) Hours of operation. See how comfy you feel around that dr. You can always change drs if anytrhing arises... Not sure what area you live in but some good sites to go to and post the topic are the following...
babycenter.com
americanbaby.com
urbanbaby.com
the last site pertains to specific area's so you may be able to get a little more help...
Good luck....

Answer 7

Call the hospital where you will be having the baby. Get the number to their referral line. Ask for several OB/GYN's #'s and just call around. Before you schedule ask about coverage as far as if the doctor is out of town or if you need to be seen sooner if they have several docs in their office etc. After you see your new OB for the first time make sure you are comfortable with him/her. That is important. Make sure they are concerned about how your feeling. If your in the Long Beach area I know a few good ones.

Answer 8

I am surprised that you weren't seeing one prior to your pregnancy. While you can go to a general practitioner for female health issues prior to becoming pregnant, it makes more sense to have been seeing an OB/GYN all along for female health issues/checkups, etc. This is their specialization...remember, family docs/gps, etc, see a little bit of everything - meaning they have a little knowledge about everything, but not a lot of knowledge about one particular thing.

With that being said, start by checking with your insurance company to see who is on your plan. Ask female friends - those without kids even, who they see as an OB/GYN (btw...in my experience in going to the OB/GYN - never been pregnant - seems I've always been stuck in the waiting room with predominantly pregnant women). Most state medical boards allow general public to check the physician's license on their website (if you need a list of state websites, email me). There are also services available to the public - through AMA and others - which allow you to check up on physicians.

Also, I spent nearly four years working in the credentialing office of another hospital. The CNMs (nurse midwives) we had they were not in their own solo practice, but in with an OB/GYN and were essentially not allowed to come near the patients (in the hospital) if their backup OB/GYN was out of town. That's just an fyi for you.

Answer 9

Well honestly, 12 weeks is normal for the first OB visit in a pregnancy. They want you to miss at least 2 periods before seeing you in most cases. Some women get seen sooner due to medical issues or prior/reoccuring miscarraiges.

I would contact your dr and see if can recommend a different OB for you to see if you dont feel this one is going to be good. And you can always change your dr in the middle of you care/pregnancy....its a pain in the butt but its doable.

Answer 10

Re. "The CNMs (nurse midwives) we had they were not in their own solo practice, but in with an OB/GYN and were essentially not allowed to come near the patients (in the hospital) if their backup OB/GYN was out of town" -- that's...interesting. Here, they're primary care providers, not people with "back-up."

I'd go for a midwife. It seems to solve an awful lot of those "my ob/gyn isn't paying attention to me" complaints...

But, www.ratemd.com might be helpful