Disappointed with first appt?

Question

ok so yesterday was my first dr appt. and i was very excited to go because i had been having cramping and had some questions and i guess i was just expecting more. but it was like nothing. i got there they went over my insurance info, then i met with the nurse she asked me a bunch of questions, did the little wheely thing to tell me my due date, gave me a bunch of papers and magazines, gave me my prenatel vitamins and that was it. i asked her about the cramps and said oh yeah thats just stretching nothing to worry about.
they sent me to the lab for blood and made another appt for 2 weeks.
does that seem a little weird to you? or was your first appt about the same?

Answer 1

Yours sounded better than mine. Corporate america rush you in rush you out. I don't even think I saw my doctor at that appointment. Unfortunatly all of the appointments will be like this, you always leave thinking what a waste of time (expect for the ultrasounds, and the 5-10 seconds to listen to the heartbeat.) Even though you hate wasting your time you continue to go and later are thankful that is was just a waste of time instead of finding out something is wrong.

Answer 2

That's about it for a first appt - unless you don't have a current PAP (within 2 years), in which case the doc would probably do one.

The first appointment is really about getting you set for all of the visits you will make throughout the pregnancy - getting paperwork started and out of the way, making sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin, giving you the chance to ask first-time questions. On the physical side, other than a PAP smear or bloodwork, there's not much to be done - unless you are having your first appointment at 10 weeks or later, the baby is too small to try to hear its heartbeat on a hand-held doppler, so what you've described is pretty much what you get.

My doctor gave me plenty of time for asking questions at my first visit for both my pregnancies, and for my second pregnancy also reviewed my file to see if there were any issues or complications from the first time round. If you don't feel like you got the opportunity to ask all the questions you wanted and needed to ask - call the doctor and try to speak by phone. If you continue to feel as though your doc is really unresponsive, think about switching to another one - but do it early, so you will have as much time with your new one as possible.

Answer 3

That seems about normal for a first appt... but if the cramps persist or are accompanied by bleeding than you should definatley call your doctor or go the hospital... it could be normal, but it could also be an indication that something is wrong...

Its nice that your appt is in 2 weeks... all mine in the early stages of pregnancy until like the last couple months or so were about 4 weeks apart :)

Don't worry too much about the cramps... it is normal for some and you could just be stretching...but if it continues or worries you...mention it again or go to the hospital


All the best to you and your baby!!

Answer 4

Sounds like your average first appointment. Unfortunatly as small as your baby is at this point there is little that they can really do, but get used to the blood work, depending on your OB it can be a very regular occurance. Hang in there though, they will be more interesting before you know it ^_^ In the meantime, there is a very good book called "what to expect when you are expecting" that can help you with any questions that you have and even details what to expect through each month of pregnancy, and at each appointment. It has been great for me through all 3 of my pregnancies.

Answer 5

There really isn't much that a doctor can do on a first appointment. Some women get pap smears done if their last pap smear was over a year ago. But, if you just recently had a pap smear, they'll skip it. (Had my pap smears skipped for both of my daughters during pregnancy.)

You can expect more from the doctor the further along you get. Don't worry, towards the end, you'll be going in once a week, and you'll hate having to make the trip to the doctors so often. I KNOW I DID!!

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!

Answer 6

No, for one thing, I saw the doctor. It included a pelvic to screen for STDs as well as a PAP smear. Discussion about potential problems and things to avoid. Also, my next appointment was scheduled for a month later, not 2 weeks.

Most appointments are pretty much a big nothing except they may include some test or other as you progress. My next pregnancy will be with a high-risk doc, and other than sonogram frequency and amnio, I doubt it will be much different.

I recently took an acquaintance to her appointment (she is blind) and the nurses there do all the initial stuff, although she also saw the doctor. Her total appointment was roughly 2.5 hours including the nurses, doctor and lab (no sonogram though).

Answer 7

That is how my first appointment went as well. Doc needs the lab work to let you know anything further anyhow. Any questions you have, call your doc's office and ask for the nurse on duty to help with questions, most doctor's offices around here have them.

Congratulations on being pregnant.

Your nurse was right, the cramps may just be from stretching, mine were awful.!

Answer 8

Mine was the exact same! I think we go to the same place.

I didn't even get a pregnancy test. Well, I'm sure they did one, but not first nor did they ever bother to call or confrim it. When i went to sign in they had different clip boards, none of which had anything to do with being pregnant, so I asked what one to sign in on. I was asked "are you pregnant?" & that was it. Don't get too excited, the bad news is that most of your visits are going to leave you wondering "why did I waste all that time driving, parking, & waiting for THAT?!" The good news is that the cramping is very normal, so unless you start spotting or anything I'm sure you're fine.

Answer 9

My first appointment lasted nearly two hours. They did all they did for you, but I also had a pap smear, an internal exam, a breast exam and an ultrasound. My doctor spent nearly an hour with my husband and I answering our questions and giving us helpful information. I am totally comfortable with her and know that I could ask her anything, no matter how small it seems. It sounds like maybe you need to find a new doctor if you are not comfortable with the one you have. If she cannot even spend enough time with you to address your concerns, she may not be the best doctor to help you through your pregnancy and deliver your baby.

Answer 10

That's how they go. My first appt went over my history. she told me about the doctors in the practice and then said if i have any problems, that i can always call into the office. my next appt, which was 4 weeks later, i met with the doctor for the first time. they did a doppler for the heartbeat and felt my lower gut where the baby was. that was it. good luck!