With my first pregnancy, I hated my doctor. With my second, I loved my doctor. I had female OBGYNs both times. First, let me tell you what I loved about my doctor during my second pregnancy.
She was calming. She did not overreact about things. This was exactly what I needed. I am a worrier, so having a doctor that was not was very helpful.
It was easy to schedule appointments and I never waited more than 10 minutes.
She listened to me ramble. Never once did I feel like she was going to rush out of the room, or was trying to hurry me along. When I had concerns, she addressed them.
She did not criticize. Never once did she make me feel bad about weight gain, or that I was doing something wrong. I retain a lot of water during pregnancy. Usually when I have the baby, the first 15 pounds come off within days. I have extreme swelling. Sure, maybe I ate too much ice cream, but she never criticized.
She had a clean office, and exam rooms. You definitely don’t want to feel like a place is unclean when you are getting so many exams. And, especially pregnancy exams!!
So, my first experience was different. I should have fired my doc a few times, but when it is your first pregnancy, you aren’t exactly sure if you can switch doctors in the middle of a pregnancy. Let me assure you, you can!
The first red flag should have been the time I waited an hour and a half in the waiting room. Extra long wait times are unacceptable. Especially for a pregnant lady working full-time. I frequently waited an hour just to get into the exam room. 30 minutes is understandable, an hour or more, is not!
I hated some of her staff. OK, hate is a strong word, but the medical assistants were not friendly. They never knew me by name, and they rushed me through everything without even making eye contact. I always felt uncomfortable.
The Nurse Practitioner only talked about herself. One thing I did not like about this office was how rarely I saw the doctor. I frequently saw her NP. And, she was not a good NP at that! She talked mostly about herself and her own pregnancy when we were in the exam room.
They lost my glucose test results. I had to do it over.
The saving grace for me, was the midwife. I never thought I would go the midwife route, but in this office, I loved her midwife. She was so kind, caring, patient, and took her time with me. About half way through, I started scheduling all my appointments with her. And, she was the one that delivered my baby in the hospital. The doctor popped in once during labor, but didn’t “do” anything.
When trying to decide whether or not to fire your doctor, think of my experience. Are some of these things your experience too? If you haven’t chosen a doctor, then take time to interview them, and ask questions. Having a doctor that you don’t mesh with can be frustrating. Especially during one of the most amazing experiences of your life. The birth of your baby.
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