Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

What do you do if there is one doctor who you really really don't like and simply don't trust? I've had a bad experience with one of the doctors in my group's practice. I have very little confidence in her and am concerned that if she is on call when I go in to labor, she will be delivering me. Anyone else experience this? Do you switch practices bc of one doctor you don't like?

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

I have multiple drs. and they allow me to request who I want for every appt. I try to get a different one each time to get to know them but ultimately I might only see them once or twice each. I haven't disliked any yet, but I would say do ask for them for any visits and when it comes to delivery put in a request for any of the others.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

There is one Dr in the practice I go to that I really don't like. I didn't switch because I really like the other Dr's. I'm just hoping she is not the one on call when I go into labor.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

I go to a solo but if I were in your shoes, I would stay with the practice since there are other doctors you like there. If, on the day you are in labor the doc you don't like is on call, I would probably not notify the practice and just have whatever doc is attending at the hospital deliver me. Or you could go to another hospital all together. Of course, the problem with this is the fact that you may labor into or out of her on-call time period. There really isn't any easy solution if you wanna stay with your practice.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

With my first pregnancy, there was one doctor I did not like in my practice. I had one appointment with her, and it was my 20 week and I had previa, so she was giving me all sorts of restrictions, and I just felt she was cold, was rushing me and not sympathetic that I was scared about it. I avoided making appointments with her the rest of the pregnancy and just hoped that I didn't go into labor when she was on call. (You can ask what days the doctors are on call--she didn't seem to be on call very often.) She wasn't on call when I ended up going into labor, and the dr that was I had only had 1 appointment with, but liked him. However, my interaction with the delivery doc was really very little. I had a very smooth and quick delivery. Even if I didn't really like the delivery doctor, it would not have been a big deal. He did about 2 internals before I was ready to deliver, and I only pushed for 10 minutes. This time I'm not stressing about who will deliver me. But, I also have to say that I have since had an appointment with the doctor I didn't like, and I actually really liked her the second time.

Message edited 8/25/2009 8:55:01 AM.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

Unfortunately while you can avoid seeing that particular OB when you are pregnant - it really depends on who is on call when you go into labor. If the OB that you don't like is on call you are stuck with them.

The downside to using a solo practice is that if your OB is delivering another baby when you are ready to deliver OR they are sick or on vacation, you will simply end up with their covering OB. The downside to that is that you might not know who they are - but the biggest is that you will not have met them before so you have no idea if you will like them or not. Either way it is a gamble.

Both my DDs my OB didn't deliver them. 1st time my OB was on vacation I went at 38 weeks. The second time - I delivered 12 days earlier than my scheduled csection date and another OB that I didn't really know was on that night. It is really a roll of the dice either way.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

There is one Dr in my practice, that i wasnt a fan of. She just completely rubbed me the wrong way when i talked to her for the 1st time. So i decided not to book any of my ob appts with her. But i also knew i had no control if she was on duty. But last month when i went to the ob, there was a sign that she was leaving the practice. So for us we didnt have to do anything. I didnt choose to change my ob office, bc i really really liked the other dr in that office.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

I went to a high-risk OB at my regular OB's request, bc of my own health issues (heart related). He talked a great game about this woman, BUT I never felt comfortable with her. EVERY time i walked into her office she couldnt find my chart, even though it was right infront of her! She always came off as very frazzled and out of it, like she never had it together. At 20 weeks I had a talk with my reg OB and he said it would be OK to only see at again at 32ish weeks, for the growth sono and to check progress.


I knew this woman could NOT deliver me. I had a vision of her running around like a chicken w/o a head

If youre not comfortable with a doctor you HAVE to let them know, you dont want to be stressed out over that during delivery.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

With my 1st pregnancy I was in a practice with 3 Dr's. One I did not care for, but it was b/c of his bedside manner/attitude. I did not question is ability. I knew I ran the risk of having him deliver my DC, but I loved my Dr so much that I was not going to leave the practice.

Find out if you can request the hospital OB to deliver your baby when you go into labor (if this Dr is on call).

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

I would stick it out.

How many are in practice?

I had 8 in mine...hated the female dr of the practice.

Stuck it out, never saw her again.

I think there is always going to be a dr you don't really like.

In a private one...you sort of take the chance of vacation, emergency...then getting one you don't know at all.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

I have a practice with multiple docs and just switched doctors bc in the process of meeting everyone, I ended up liking one of the female doctors better then the one I was primarly seeing but...the reality is, when i go into labor it could be one of the 4 docotors that delivers. I'm not switching my practice bc there is noone that I don't trust, but I am becoming my own advocate, writing a birth plan and going over it with my doctor so I know what I want that day. Maybe you should talk to your primary doctor, express your feelings and come up with a birth plan with her so if she/he is not there you will feel more comfortable.

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

Do you not trust this doctor or just dislike her? If you don't trust her, I would not take the chance. I just switched doctors because I had an extremely bad experience with one of the 6 doctors in practice and I am not willing to take the chance in the future to be delivered by this doctor if he is on call when I go into labor with my next child.
If you just don't care for this doctor but still trust her to deliver you then make your appts with the other drs and cross your fingers she's not on call when you go into labor!
Good luck!

Re: Girls in practices w/ multiple doctors

Yes I have experienced this and I did end up switching practices for this pregnancy (2nd one) not because of this reason alone but this was one of many reasons. I know how you feel - it totally stinks - i was lucky to have favorite dr. at the old practice deliver my first DS