Hello everyone... Im 24 weeks pregnant with my first child... I am only 20 years old and havent really been around a lot of people who were in the process of having a child.... anyway I have a few questions about doctors... When I found out I was pregnant I lived over 50 miles from where I am currently living so at 4 months I changed doctors I had only seen my previous doctor 3 times I liked him okay but his staff was excellent... When I changed doctors I chose one who I knew little about but had not heard any horror stories about him (my options were limitied becasue I have a medical card) anyway he is doctor type if you know what i mean that stand offish kinda weird not too friendly type which i expected but i assumed his staff would be friendly... well his staff is not friendly actually they can be down right rude... so how important is it to feel comfortable with your doctor and his staff? when i leave his office i feel unfufilled... like he gives me general answers to specific questions... is it normal for a doctor to make you feel stupid? How late in the pregnancy can you change doctors? if i change how do i find one i am comfortable with? please help me....
If you aren't comfortable with your doctor, you should find a new one. I personally think its very important to be comfortable with the person who will be delivering your child, be it a midwife or a doctor or whomever. You have to be able to relax during the delivery as much as possiable, and if you don't trust the person in charge of everyone's health, how can you relax? As to how to find a new doc, I can't help you there... no limits on choosing a doc where I live. Good luck though! My husband, who is American, says you should be able to go your Insurance company's website to find a list of the approved doctors in your area.... they should have more than one listed.
I would definitely never stay with a Dr and practice I was uncomfortable with. There should definitely have more options even if you are in a small area. With a medical card you can always call around, or maybe call your case worker to see if there is a list of physicians you can use--is there a phone number for like customer service on your card?? I know here you get an HMO, and can choose anyone that is listed for the HMO. So that gives LOTS of options! I don't know how late in a pregnancy you can change, but being as you recently moved there (if I understand correctly) switching Dr's shouldn't be an issue, but I would do it sooner than anything. Good luck!!!
A lot of midwives also will work with you on payments, many are very understanding of finacial troubles, and even if you paid out of pocket it's sooooooooo much less than a hospital birth... I dont' know of any midwives who charge over 2,000. And that's birth, prenatals.. .everything. Some are open to bartering.. etc. I do know in Kentucky though you are going to have to check under the radar to find them.
Central KY....are you near Lexington? I know they have a birthing center there....atleast they did when I first did my search. Though, I think they don't accept medical cards....which is why I didn't go for them. If you aren't comfortable with your doctor, definitely switch. I'm seeing a couple different doctors for my appointment....since they all deliver....but I'm refusing to let one of them deliver my baby because she won't deliver without using the IM....and she's a rude person anyway. If the staff is rude, let them know you don't need to be treated that way. If you talk to your doctor about it, he may change his attitude. He may just think all moms just want to get in and get out and skip the friendly chatter.
Since there's plenty of time left, I'd find a doctor you are comfortable with, BUT- the office staff wont be there when you deliver. heck, the doctor won't be in your room much at all until the baby is crowning. And even then, it might be a doctor who is rotating on call with the doctor you've been seeing. It's really important that you feel comfortable with the md or midwife and staff while you are getting prenatal care though.
Go for a midwife. Most use a sliding scale or will accept all kinds of trade as payment. They generally spend 1-2 hours on prenatal care. But i am biased. That is not to say there aren't many wonderful docs out there to help you.I agree that you should have some kind of confidence in your doctor but more important you need confidence in yourself. I would look into getting a doula to support you in labor. Many people will douls for free as they are learning and they can be invaluable as support. This way if you are unable to find a doctor who is on the same level as you are, you will at least have someone to help you make informed decisions. This is YOUR body, baby and birth, and if you are not happy with the help you are getting keep looking!
You can have what you want for your birth, medical card or not. YOu have to be firm, and look for options where people might not tell you they exist. But it is possible to have a midwife-attended homebirth or birth center birth. And you need to get a new doctor. Anything that makes you umcomfortable bodes badly for your labour and delivery!
