Far Along in Pregnancy

Since when are doctors obligated to take you?

Here's the thing: Specialists can choose to take patients or not for any reason they like. The reason many OBGyn's don't like to take patients who are very far along in their pregnancy is that your choosing not to have regular prenatal care beginning early in your pregnancy shows a level of irresponsibility. Taking you as a patient is a risk for them, and there's an increased likelihood that you will not be compliant with their medical advice.

Thankfully, most pregnancies progress just fine without prenatal care, and you'll be admitted into L&D just the same as the woman who had prenatal care from day one.

Good luck.

ETA: Not getting prenatal care will not get CPS called on you. That's utter BS. If you were doing drugs while pregnant, THAT would get CPS called, but prenatal care is not required. People still have babies at home, without doctors.

An OB isn't obligated to take on new patients at any point, so they can always turn you down.

When you're well into a pregnancy it is a lot easier to get a new doctor to agree to see you if you've getting care all along and are simply switching providers.

Generally speaking, the farther along you are in pregnancy with no medical care at all, the higher risk it is for a doctor to take you on. Even though it might have been the patent's choice to delay getting care (purposely or circumstantial) it isn't unusual for the doctor to be blamed for problems that could have been managed if found earlier.

If you're hypothetically considering delaying care, don't do if you have any options. If you're already well into your pregnancy and can't find someone to take you on then you might want to contact your local county services.

Like everyone else has said, the doctor can turn you down and most of them will if you are far along and haven't had any prenatal care. They are not obligated to take anyone on as a patient.

You should also be aware that if you don't get prenatal care, CPS will probably be called when you deliver.

yes, plus any other reason they can think up.

Sometimes doctors have so many patients already that they are not seeing any new patients.
You need to find an office who IS seeing new patients, and then they can get your records from your previous doctor and work with you from there.

Probably.
Malpractice insurance considerations.
It's a litigious society.
The doc has no idea the care a pg woman has had to that point.

Depends on why you are changing practices. Moving? New insurance? Didn't know you were pregnant? Doctor would probably take you if he/she was accepting new clients. Had a disagreement with prior doctor? Didn't agree with prior doctor's recommendations? Probably would send up a red flag.

It depends. Have you received any care so far? You can have your records transferred. At least a new doctor would have some background pregnancy history.

Do you have a primary care provider? That person should be able to give a referral and transfer/copy records as well.

If not, and you are just now getting care, call Planned Parenthood - they have an extensive referral network and are committed to helping women find medical care. Start with your local clinic if you have one. Otherwise you can try the national organization and see where they refer you.

Sounds like my kids pediatrician. He will only take new patients from birth (ie hospital visit). He will not take new patients who have already come home from hospital or who are older. I'm not sure why that is his policy, but it is his decision. He can only manage so many patients...

If you have been seeing another doctor and just moved to the area or something like that then I can't imagine a doc turning you down. If there is some issue that is complicating things then I imagine a doc can say no to anyone they want.

If the doc you want won't take you as a patient go to the ER doc and find out if everything is okay. If it's fine then take care of yourself.