ob office question

so i go to my ob.gyn because its a female and im more comfortable with a female. So i come to find out at my last apt. that i can NOT have just her as my doctor. Once you become pregnant you MUST see all of the docs in the practice. now i have heard nothing but good things about all of the doctors but im slightly uncomfrotable known that the doctor i WAnted to deliver my baby will most likely not be it!

is this normally for offices to insist that you must see all the drs. in practice?

Re: ob office question

there are lots of offices where you're not guaranteed that the OB you see throughout your pregnancy will be the on who actually delivers you. They work on a rotating on-call basis for delivery. In that case, I think it's great that they give you the opportunity to meet all the OBs so you can put names with faces and so that whoever delivers you won't be a stranger. My 2 closest friend's practices are like this, they never know who they're going to see for each appt but at least they know them all really well by the time delivery comes along.

My practice you see one OB throughout, but they suggest that you have at least one appt with the other 2 since they might be the ones who deliver your baby in the end. I like this way actually and am happy that I get a a chance to meet with the other drs in an appt setting so I get to experience their bedside manner.

But, some practices you see your doctor every single time and they are the ones who deliver you as well. There's no better or worse way, it's just whatever you are comfortable with.

Re: ob office question

I go to a fairly large practice with about 10 docs who do Obstetrics and yes, they recommend you see all the docs(or as many as you can) throughout your pregnancy because you dont have a choice who will be on call and deliver your baby. It is my understanding that most of the larger practices are like this.

Re: ob office question

Re: ob office question

There are 3 Dr's in the practice I go to and they have it set up the same way. I have to see all of them over the course of my PG (although it has primarily been my main Dr) because there is no way of knowing who will be on call when I go into labor.

Re: ob office question

Yup! I adore my OB and was very disappointed to learn that any of the Drs. in the practice may deliver my baby. It depends on who is on call when I go into labor. I've had to meet all the Drs. in the practice.

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theres only 4 docs in the office its relatively small

Re: ob office question

Message edited 12/10/2008 5:14:38 PM.

Re: ob office question

Yes, all practices with more than one doctor are like this. They want you to get to know all the doctors because who ever is on call the day you go into labor will be the one to deliver you. (unless you schedule a c-sec or an induction)

Re: ob office question

The practice I see you stay with one OB but you might get the OB on call if yours is not available. This is unusual. Most groups you have to rotate as you don't know who will be on when you go into labor.

The same can be said of a solo practice. Just because you have one doctor doesn't mean that they won't have more than one patient in labor at the same time, or will have a death in the family, or be on vacation or sick etc. So you could very well have a doctor that they use for cover that you have never met.

The best you can do is find a group that you are comfortable with and see them all at least once and hope that you will go when your OB is on call.

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I felt this way at first, but after I saw all the MDs in the practice, I felt comfortable with all of them. And as the due date approached, the MDs that were on call during the week told me, and so I had an idea of who would most likely deliver my DS (my second child was a scheduled C-section, so my MD was guaranteed).

Re: ob office question

It's pretty common that OBs see patients on a rotating basis 'cus you really don't know who's gonna be on call when you go into labor.

My practice has 4 OBs and all patients see them equally. I didn't realize this b4 signing up with them but really don't mind since they all have good bedside manners.

If you prefer to see just the one doctor you can probably put in a request that most of your appointments be with her.

Message edited 12/10/2008 5:48:45 PM.

Re: ob office question

oops, sorry wrong post.

Message edited 12/10/2008 6:13:29 PM.

Re: ob office question

my office has two drs i go ot the lady dr and there is a man there. they asked me hat my dr is on vaca if i want to meet the other dr or just wait for her to come back i said id meet him, from my last pap she said that if she aint on call then the other dr will deliver. there are 2 others on call n i dont like one of them n she told me if im not comfortable let them know n they will switch it. so ask them

this one lady i know has two kids n both times her gyno did not deliver either kid

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thats why i picked a dr where he was the only one in the practice... the last place was a lady dr but i use to wait an hour just to see the nurse.. my current place you only see the dr for OB.

eta- your question reminds me of the movie "knocked up" where her dr goes away the day she goes into labor.

Message edited 12/10/2008 9:46:44 PM.