Introduction

[Shelly]

Hi all,

I've been lurking on-and -off for the past six months or so, and think it is
finally time to introduce myself. My name is Shelly, I'm 30, married to DH
for 7 years, and am just about 3 weeks pregnant with our first child (17
days po today). Despite the fact that we've been trying for a while, it is
taking a bit to sink in!

I feel fairly well prepared, thanks to all the great info I've been reading
on this newsgroup (and probably wouldn't be posting if it weren't for all of
the folks who have recommended Taking Charge of Your Fertility on this
newsgroup...great book!), except for one thing... I don't have a clue about
how to go about finding a good doctor.

I recently switched insurance, so no longer have a regular physician, much
less an OB. Very few of my friends have children, so I really haven't gotten
any good recommendations out of them. I suppose I could just go and randomly
pick someone out of the phone book, but that is a bit scary. So how about
it? How did you find your doctor, and how would you go about it differently
if you had it to do over again? Would it be silly of me to just pick a
regular family doctor at this point, go in to him or her for the first
checkup, and then switch to an OB?

Thanks for any insight!
Michelle
edd 3/14/04

[Vicki S]

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see
the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]]

Shelly > wrote:
> I feel fairly well prepared, thanks to all the great info I've been reading
> on this newsgroup ... I don't have a clue about how to go about finding
> a good doctor.
> ... Would it be silly of me to just pick a
> regular family doctor at this point, go in to him or her for the first
> checkup, and then switch to an OB?
>
> Thanks for any insight!
> Michelle
> edd 3/14/04

Well, if you've been lurking here a while, maybe you have an idea of
the sort of birth you want to have? Low intervention, midwifery, have
every test in the book, hire a doula, get an epidural ASAP.... If you
know what you want, you could try the labor and delivery nurses at the
hospital you expect to give birth in. They should know all about the
local doctors.

Also, you can see a family physician for your pregnancy. Many of them
still do obstetrics.

You could also tell us where you live. Maybe someone here lives near
you and would have a recommendation.

I hope this helps!

---
--- Vicki in Indiana

Married my dear husband Joshua on May 21, 1995.
Ima shel ds, born 11/16/99 and breastfed for 22 months;
and Ima shel dd, still nursing. Born at home, 05/19/02.
http://www.geocities.com/vyxter/
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb
Baby names I like: Theodore, Corinne, Lionel, Adele, Timothy, Amelia,
Chloe, Orlando.

[cobalt]

>How did you find your doctor, and how would you go about it differently
>if you had it to do over again

Welcome Michelle and congrats!!! :D

I didnt have a doctor, (or insurance) so I went online and searched. I looked
up their grad year from med school, and gender (I wanted a woman doctor who
graduated within the past 5 years). I choose 3 to try, the first place didnt
want new patients, but I hit the jackpot with the second. She is my dream
doctor. My first appointment was long before pregnancy was even a
consideration, it was for anxiety attacks. I worried about finding an OB once
it was time, but turns out she does that too. (full family practice) :D

But anyways, maybe you can figure out a few general things you want in an OB,
and start your search from there.

Good luck with everything! :)

Sarah
edd 3/4/04

[Astromum]

Shelly wrote:
> I've been lurking on-and -off for the past six months or so, and think it is
> finally time to introduce myself. My name is Shelly, I'm 30, married to DH
> for 7 years, and am just about 3 weeks pregnant with our first child (17
> days po today). Despite the fact that we've been trying for a while, it is
> taking a bit to sink in!

Welcome Shelly, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

You just totally confused me, first another Shelly posted
'pictures of my boy' and then I read in your post you are
pregnant with your first. My thought: boy, she's fast with
those pictures... But you are two different people... ;)

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

[zeldabee]

"Shelly" > wrote:
> How did you find your doctor, and how would
> you go about it differently if you had it to do over again? Would it be
> silly of me to just pick a regular family doctor at this point, go in to
> him or her for the first checkup, and then switch to an OB?

Congrats on your pregnancy.

If I had to do it over again, I'd go with a midwife from the beginning,
only seeing an OB when necessary. I did have an amnio, but then I'm 40...I
still could have chosen to have it done had I been seeing a midwife.

--
z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/

[==Daye==]

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:52:12 GMT, "Shelly"
> wrote:

> How did you find your doctor, and how would you go about it differently
>if you had it to do over again? Would it be silly of me to just pick a
>regular family doctor at this point, go in to him or her for the first
>checkup, and then switch to an OB?

The system in the Australia is different than in the US. But if
I had the option of choosing, I would ask friends, family and
co-workers with children about who they would recommend and who
they would stay away from. Mothers talk to each other, so you
may hear about a fantastic OB that a friend of family member had.

It wouldn't be silly at all to go to a family doctor at this
point. You could even ask him for recommendations for an OB.

After you have several recs, call the offices and see if they are
taking new patients. If they are, go in and interview them.
Pick the one that matches your ideas of delivery and/or the one
you like best.

If you pick one and s/he turns out to be a crappy doctor, you can
always switch!

Hope that helps!

--
==Daye==
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au

[Shelly]

"cobalt" > wrote in message
...
> Welcome Michelle and congrats!!! :D
>
Thanks, Sarah, and glad everything turned out so well for you with the
doctor you selected

-Michelle

[Shelly]

"Astromum" > wrote in message
...
>
> Welcome Shelly, and congratulations on your pregnancy!
>
> You just totally confused me, first another Shelly posted
> 'pictures of my boy' and then I read in your post you are
> pregnant with your first. My thought: boy, she's fast with
> those pictures... But you are two different people... ;)
>
> --
> -- Ilse
> mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
> TTC #2
> "What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
> Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

Thanks, Ilse! You know, I noticed the other Shelly's post right after I sent
mine and was hoping that wouldn't confuse anyone! :)

[Shelly]

"zeldabee" > wrote in message
...

>
> Congrats on your pregnancy.
>
> If I had to do it over again, I'd go with a midwife from the beginning,
> only seeing an OB when necessary. I did have an amnio, but then I'm 40...I
> still could have chosen to have it done had I been seeing a midwife.
>
> --
> z e l d a b e e @ p a n i x . c o m http://NewsReader.Com/

Thanks! So, did you switch to seeing a midwife part way through? Does the
midwife do all of your check-ups, too? We are planning to check out the
maternity ward at our hospital, but we are also planning to check out a new
birthing center here in town, in which case we would be working with a
midwife. I love the idea, but am a little nervous, since the center just
opened recently, and I have heard of one or two problems they have had. The
issues didn't seem big at the time, but now that I am actually pregnant,
they might be enough to scare me off. I guess I should wait til I actually
check the place out to decide, though. :)

[Shelly]

"Em" > wrote in message
news:M%fPa.27806$H17.8510@sccrnsc02...

>
> Welcome to the group, Shelly! Congratulations on your pregnancy! My
> experience is that the reality of being *pregnant* takes quite a while to
> sink in. I remember feeling constantly conscious of being pregnant, but
yet
> not fully connected to the fact that I was actually PREGNANT!

Boy, do I ever understand you on that one! I can't get over how much my body
is changing already, and yet I really can't fathom that I am actually
pregnant.

Thanks for all the great ideas on seeking out a provider!

[==Daye==]

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 03:29:44 GMT, "Shelly"
> wrote:

>Thanks for the ideas though, and it does
>help to remember that I can switch if I don't like the doctor. For some
>reason this choice was seeming rather permanent, when really it isn't.
>Thanks for reminding me!

More than welcome. I don't get a choice of OB. Because I am
public patient in my hospital (socialized healthcare), I take
whoever is on duty at the time I give birth.

You can change up to 40 weeks pregnant. Just keep that in mind!

--
==Daye==
Momma to Jayan
#2 EDD 11 Jan 2004
E-mail: brendana AT labyrinth DOT net DOT au