Changing OB at 17 Weeks

I changed from my OB at about the same time. I was extremely unhappy with him. I left his office in tears at least two times. I switched to a mid-wife that friends of mine had used. It was the best decision that I could have made. She helped make the rest of my pregnancy a dream come true. I only wish that I had made the switch sooner!

It is definitely worth changing -- if you don't like your doctor, pregnancy is really long and sometimes the body doesn't feel "safe" to go into labor.

Ask your friends who they use, if they like them, and WHY they like them (or don't like them). Sometimes you find out that what they don't like is what you want or vice versa.

Then, it is worth the cost (if there is one) to interview doctors. Ask about things that are important to you and how they respond. And changing now is easier than later.

Lisa K is right. A midwife is sometimes the perfect solution for a lot of women. Their care is as good, if not better than you get from a doctor, and they are appropriate for low risk women.

Be strong enough to find the right fit for you. You'll be glad you did.

A.

As far as I am concerned, an OB is an extremely important fixture in one's life, so it is highly critical you feel confident about him or her. Several years ago, I had an ectopic pregnancy. The doctor I was seeing at the time failed to diagnose me properly even after *I* suggested I thought I might have an ectopic pregnancy. This went on for weeks! I was NOT comfortable with my doctor and all of my friends and family members were encouraging me to seek guidance from another doctor. I chose not to. My feeling at the time was that I simply did not want to make a big change like that when I was in the middle of an ordeal. Long story short, my fallopian tube ruptured and I almost bled to death... literally. I was rushed to the emergency room and the OB on call that day saved my life. It is truly by the grace of God I was blessed that day with the most competent OB a person could ask for. If I could do it all over again, I would RUN, not walk, to another OB. You are putting your life and your precious baby's life in this person's hands. He or she needs to be someone you have the utmost confidence in.

Hi B.!
I changed OBs at 30 weeks due to a change in insurance. I had trouble finding anyone to accept me so far along so when I did I made an appt. I have to say I did not feel any warm fuzzy feelings towards this new OB but I was lucky enough to have her deliver me and she worked out great. For me the biggest impact on my delivery was the nurse. She was with me the most and was the one encouraging and supporting me.
Hope everything works out.

I would say interview some docs. You will know in your heart where you should be. Don't ditch the current one until you know. If you don't have strong confidence in your doc, that's a scary unsure feeling. There are too many docs out there to feel that way.

If you are not happy for any reason at all you should for sure find a different care provider. My suggestion to you is to find a midwife. You will get much better care and you will be much more supported during your labor and birth. We have mom's who switch from OB's to us at 37 weeks of pregnancy. Also, research has shown that birth with a midwife is safer than birth with an OB for healthy mom's.

Lisa

I changed my OB at 32 weeks! Crazy I know. I had been seeing my OB/GYN for 8 years and loved him. Then when we decide to have a baby I learned a few things. First off, every appointment I had to wait at least 1 hour- he just got too busy! Secondly, I learned that if I did go into labor, there was no guarantee that he would deliver my baby because he works with 3 other doctors so it would be whomever is on call. Thirdly, after I was admitted to the hospital in my 7th month because of heavy contractions, I discovered that I absolutely hated the maternity ward and its staff. My husband & I decided to take a child birthing class closer to my home (in Sugar Land) and this is where I learned about my current OB/GYN. All of the nurses in the hospital see him not to mention that I absolutely loved the maternity ward at this other hospital where he delivers. He doesn't accept all patients and this is why he isn't overwhelmingly busy. My longest wait time has been 15-20 minutes, he delivers all of his babies (unless out of town-which is rare) even gives you his cell phone number. These are all questions you should consider asking any new OB. I am happy to say that we are now 17 weeks pregnant and am thrilled to go thru this process again with my new doctor. Congratulations to you and best of luck!

I had to switch doctors at 3mths, because we moved back home. We were only there temporary and had to come home. I had my doctor before hand and that is the only reason that she took me so far in the pregnancy (their words not mine). So, I would make sure that you ask that question to any new doctors that you might find. I had the other doctors make a copy of my enitre file to take with me for an easier transition. The only issue we had were the ultrasound where they take all the measurements were not included, so I had to have those taken all over again. Did hear me complain about that! I did like my other doctor very much, but didn't have a choice when we moved home. I would at least check into a few things if you aren't happy, you still have a long way to go to not like your doctor!

It is important that you feel comfortable with your OB and his staff. If you are unhappy, definitely find someone you believe in.

In response to your deductible question, if you have insurance, the deductible is usually an amount you have to meet that is set by your insurance company. Once you have met your deductible then you are only responsible for co-insurance at whatever percentage is set by your insurance company. If this is the case meeting your deductible does not depend on meeting that amount with a particular provider. However, if the deductible is based on a fee you have worked out with your OB, this amount would not transfer to another medical provider.

i switched due to insurance reasons. call your insurance and find out about the deductible and what you have already paid. i did not set up interviews but did ask people about there gynos and if they liked them or not and the one i had picked out how they felt about her. in the end i did not like her, she was rough, every time she would examine me it hurt!?!? i had several different sub gynos in that time due to her being out of the office. non of which hurt when they examined me. she was very rough durring the labor. i had a vag problem which she couldnt figure out the answer too and told me it would only get worse that it was something i had to live with, three diff doctors later i find out it was only my ph levels being off balance that could be fixed with an otc meds! i was not pleased, the word of mouth did not work and others are shocked at my dissapointment with her...espically those that use her also. i now have a gyno that i am ok with not over the top about but at least he isnt hurting me :D

I changed OB's at 5 months due to my health insurance changed. If you are going to change due so soon, some OB's will not accept new patients after so many months.

Also you should be able to get your money back minus any copays that would apply to the normal office visits once you've made the switch.

I agree that if you are not happy with your OB then it's time to find a new one! I was extremely happy with the OB I ended up with!

Good luck!

Hey B.! I had 3 different doctors for my first two children, and I don't think its a big deal at all! The reason we did is because we moved around a short term internship (twice). I say if you aren't happy, go with your gut and make the change. It's an even longer haul if you dread seeing your doctor, for whatever reason.

In my opinion, OB's are for a safe place to go during pregnancy. In all likelyhood, your OB won't deliver you, but an on call doctor (unless you are induced or get lucky). Doctors just come in the end to catch the baby anyway.

Not sure about the money thing, but I would assume they would take their cut for the beginning and refund you the rest? Just call the office and inquire.

You can set up an interview, not a bad idea. You can ask friends (or on here) but it seems everyone has a different opinion about what they like. I love my OB, but recommended him to a friend and she got her feelings hurt when he suggested she had too much ice cream. Maybe not the best thing to say on his part, but I like his easy going personality.

Let me know if you need any other support!
K.

You have already gotten great advice from others...I can't answer anything about the money or insurance issues...
But here is my 2cents worth.
My first pregnancy I had a wonderful OB...I could not find one little thing to complain about. I had a high risk pregnancy with tons of complications...I really loved the fact I could TRUST her advice. [both my babies were preemies]
BUT..here's the kicker...when it came time for me to deliver..I had a very long complicated labor...and she had finally got me to where I can try to have a vaginal birth safely...at the very last second...she got called out to the hall and in came another OB..shook my hand between my outstretched legs..and said..DR.___ got called to do an emergency C-section, I am DR.____ and I will deliver for you. With my second baby..again..high risk, new OB change of insurance...trusted her greatly, and when it came time to go into labor...in walks a MAN DR. and he to said I am DR.___ , your DR.___ is out of town. I am a "rent-a-doc. from Houston Texas. (oh ya..this was on Whidbey Island, Washington, google map it)....and he was there through the entire long complicated labor, and delivered my son safely.
The moral to my story is...you can plan all you want...but God has his own intentions. I had two healthy babies, even after all the complications and preemie babies. I would never trade those experiences for anything.
Do your homework...and remember...if your OB can get you through the pregnancy safely it will all be worth it.
best of luck...God Bless you, your OB and your baby...

I switched at 7 months to a midwife and had a great experience but that was over 30 years ago. The insurance then had already paid some to the OB and didn't request it back, yet they would not pay anything to the midwife for me!