How do I choose an OB provider?
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- Опубліковано 19 лип 2018
- As soon as you get that first positive pregnancy test result, a lot of emotions are going to be going through your head and heart, but one thing that you should think about is that you need to pick and choose an OB provider and make your first prenatal appointment. And that process is intimidating for some women, because they just simply don't know how to go about choosing an OB provider. First of all, you need to make sure you pick someone who's covered by your insurance, and you can contact your insurance company and they can give you a list of providers in your area. That's the second thing you want to think about - you want to think about how close their office is to your home. And also find out what hospital the provider you're thinking about delivers at, because not all providers deliver at all hospitals.
You should also think about the dynamics of the provider's practice. For example, most OB providers practice in groups, because it's hard to cover for yourself 24/7 and also cover your clinic, and so most rotate and have other partners that cover for them occasionally on the weekends, or on holidays, and they may rotate call. And so it's good to know that, because say you met a certain provider, you just love them, and you really hope they're there for delivery, but they practice with 4 other providers. That means that you have a 1 in 5 chance of having them for delivery if they have a rotating schedule. So in that case, it would be good to get to know the other providers so that you know them all in the event that the one that you've been seeing the most during your pregnancy isn't the one there for delivery.
It's also good to talk with friends and family and, by word of mouth, hear about who people have loved. And then after you've gotten a short list and you've found the ones that are covered by your insurance, you can actually go visit a few offices and talk with the staff. And if you actually want to talk with the provider, it's probably going to involve an appointment, because it's taking time out of their schedule for the day, but you can talk with the office staff without an appointment, and get a feel for what it's all about there, and ask any questions that you might have.
There are 3 different types of providers that you can choose from. One is a family practice physician, the 2nd is a certified nurse midwife, and the 3rd is an OB/GYN, and there are differences between the 3. Family practice physicians can see anyone across the life span. So basically, they take care of babies all the way through the elderly, and so it's like one-stop shopping where you and your children can be seen by the same doctor, and that's a huge benefit. And some of them have gone on to receive additional training that allows them to take care of pregnant women and also deliver babies, and so this is an option. It's important to understand, though, that they take care of low-risk pregnancies.
Because they're normally responsible for a person's general well-being, they know a little about a lot, and they don't specialize in pregnancy, labor and delivery, but obstetricians do. They received extensive training in labor, delivery, and the postpartum period, and in high-risk pregnancy labor and delivery. And so basically, you should think about your history and that will help you determine what type of provider to see. If you don't have very many medical complications and you've had low-risk pregnancies in the past, you didn't have issues with recurrent miscarriages or anything, then a family practice physician or a certified nurse midwife is a great option for you, but again, if you're high risk, you should see an obstetrician.
As for certified nurse midwives, most of them were registered nurses on Labor and Delivery before and went on to receive additional training that allowed them to take care of women during the pregnancy and then to deliver the baby. And they are not lay midwives. They do have specific training that allows them to deliver in a hospital setting, and they have obstetricians that support them and back them up in the event that their low-risk patients become high-risk patients during labor and delivery, which sometimes happens too. Family practice physicians also affiliate themselves with OBs in the event that their low-risk patients become high-risk.
And so basically, it's a team effort if you choose a family practice physician or a certified nurse midwife. And again, they may practice in a group as well, so it's good to talk with the one that you've chosen, know the dynamics of their practice, and know what you can expect on the day that you deliver when it comes to who may be there. Hopefully this helps you choose an OB provider, and if you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at / intermountainmoms , and recommend us to your friends and family too.
Hey Nurse Dani. Big fan of the channel (though I’m a dad, not a mom!). Got a question.
Baby teeth. I can hear my 8 month old son grinding his incoming teeth. Is this normal? Should I try to stop this? If so, how?
Thanks!
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Nurse Dani i do have a question my girlfriend did have her las period on june 12 today is july 24 and not period yet we did already a two pregnancy tests one on july 8 and second july 20th and both result not pregnat what you recommend us to do to find out if she is really pregnant or not please.
Hey nurse Dani!
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