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Shot of an confident female doctor consulting with a pregnant patient at a hospital during the day
The number of decisions you must make when you are pregnant can sometimes overwhelm. What will you name the baby? Will you stay home with Baby or go back to work? What color should you paint the nursery? However, arguably the first decision you must make is who your OB/GYN will be. Before you rush into choosing Dr. Right, consider these seven things first.
- What kind of care provider is right for you? Although OB/GYNs are traditional care providers for expecting women, many options are available. Other options you might choose include a midwife, perinatologist or a doula. In order to decide which care provider is best for you, you will first need to decide what kind of birth you envision for yourself. Do you plan to use pain medicine through labor? Are you open to a water birth? Do you have a high-risk pregnancy? Do you plan to labor at home? Once you have a birth plan and know what is most important to you, you will be able to decide what kind of provider is best for you.
- Get referrals. Ask your friends and relatives who their doctor is and what their experiences have been. Oftentimes a friend can tell you about a provider’s bedside manner, availability, communication style and philosophy. Friends can also be brutally honest. If they had a bad experience during the pregnancy or labor, they are likely to be up-front about it. While taking referrals from your friends and family, keep in mind everyone has her own opinion about what is most important. Kylee Kerns, St. Joseph, MO, soon-to-be-mother of two girls, says, “One doctor could be great for one person and not for the other.”
- Do your research. Once you have referrals, do your research! Thanks to the internet, it’s super simple to find out tons of information about different care providers in your area. You can read doctor biographies, examine their education and specialties, see how many years of experience they have and check their reviews. Soon, you will be able to narrow it down to a few that could be right for you.
- Ask about their on call/delivery procedures. It’s important to find out whether your doctor will be the one delivering your child. Ask whether she has any planned vacations scheduled near your due date. Some doctors make it a point to do their best to be available for your delivery, while others let the doctor on call that day deliver. Make sure you are up-front with your doctor about your delivery expectations from the very beginning, so you aren’t surprised when another doctor delivers your child. Kerns says her doctor made it a point to deliver her child. “With my first child, it was my doctor’s day off. She came in a few hours later to check me and went back home to watch my vitals from home. Then she came back to deliver my daughter.” You will also want to ask whether you will be seeing different doctors at your appointments solely your sole care provider. Lonna McCourt, an Oregon, MO, soon-to-be mother of two daughters and twin boys, says she would prefer to see only one doctor at appointments. “My current doctor works for a revolving clinic, and you have to see three to five doctors throughout visits. I would like to stay with the same doctor at every visit,” she says. “But usually during your labor, you may request your favorite two doctors, and they try to place you with one of them.”
- What is the communication style? Communication is key when it comes to choosing your OB/GYN. You will want to find a doctor with whom you can communicate easily. Perhaps you need a doctor who will be brutally honest with you, or maybe you need someone who shows empathy and support through the process. Kerns says her OB/GYN helped her friend through a tough time. “My friend had been through a very long process of losing a baby. She said the doctor literally held her hand through the process and gave her personal cell phone number to contact her with any questions.” Also, observe the communication style of the support staff. You will be spending the next nine months of appointments with them, so make sure they are accommodating and friendly. You might even try leaving a message at the office to see how timely their response is. Abby Baker, a mother of two, says having a nurse with quick responses was especially important to her. “I want a nurse that will call me back the same day with answers to my questions,” she says. “My previous OB/GYN’s nurse would take days before I could get a hold of her to answer my questions or give me my lab results.”
- Research the hospital. So you’ve done your research, narrowed it down and think you’ve almost decided on your OB/GYN? That’s great! But don’t forget to make sure the hospital he or she works at is also a great fit. You will want the hospital to be close to your home and work, so you can easily get to it easily. You will also want to check out the hospital first-hand. Set an appointment to take a tour of the facility. Take close notice of what kind of care the nurses and support staff give. While researching the hospital, make sure both it and the provider you have chosen are in your insurance network. You don’t want to end up with an unmanageable bill after birth because you didn’t do all of your research.
- Listen to your motherly instinct. Yes, those instincts have already kicked in! The doctor that makes you feel comfortable, respects your wishes and takes time to listen to your questions and address your concerns will be your Dr. Right. When in doubt, just listen to your gut!
Which Kind of Dr. Right Is Right for You?
- OB/GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist): A physician who both delivers babies and treats diseases of the female reproductive organs.
- Perinatologist (maternal-fetal medicine specialist): An OB/GYN who specializes in high-risk pregnancy. You will most likely be referred by your regular OB/GYN to a perinatologist if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
- Certified Nurse Midwife: An advanced-practice registered nurse who specializes in women’s reproductive health and childbirth.
- Doula: A nonmedical person who provides physical, emotional and informative support before, during or after childbirth.
Regan Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in St. Joseph, MO, with her husband and 4-year-old daughter.
As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.