How to choose an OB

[Anonymous]

How did you choose an OB for your pregnancy? I’m high risk (39 at birth and high blood pressure) but have no idea where to start looking.

What’s the best website to look for OB and their reviews?
Did you find it helpful to have them closer to home? How close to home should they be?
What are some things you think are important for an OB?
Any recommendations for Montgomery and Howard county?

[Anonymous]

Choose a hospital based on what is closest/easiest for you to get to (consider middle of the night, rush hour, etc), then see what OBs deliver there and read reviews/ask in here for experiences.

I delivered at GW and had a great experience with GEMFA but sadly they’ve lost of most of there staff of administrative horrors in the last year so I can’t recommend them with a good conscience any more.

[Anonymous]

Choose your hospital first, and then think generally about what type of birth you are hoping to have. You are going to ask very different questions if you’re hoping for a low-intervention or natural birth vs. if you want an epidural and a 39 week induction. Next, consider if you want a practice that rotates you around doctors so that you have met whoever might be on call to deliver you, or if you want an OB who sees you all the way through your pregnancy (but might still not be the one for delivery).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choose your hospital first, and then think generally about what type of birth you are hoping to have. You are going to ask very different questions if you’re hoping for a low-intervention or natural birth vs. if you want an epidural and a 39 week induction. Next, consider if you want a practice that rotates you around doctors so that you have met whoever might be on call to deliver you, or if you want an OB who sees you all the way through your pregnancy (but might still not be the one for delivery).

What are the pros and cons you consider with both OB practice models and the hospitals you consider?

[Anonymous]

For the hospital I think the most important factor is what level of NICU they have, because you just never know. Some hospitals only have a level II, which is also known as a "special care nursery". The next level up (Level III), is what is colloquially referred to as "the NICU", and are able to provide care for small preemies. Level IV is a Regional NICU and the highest level of care and many types of providers and sub-specialists.

For my first I delivered at MedStar Montgomery in Olney. My baby did need their Level II special care nursery and I wish we had been somewhere with a level III. I DO NOT recommend MedStar Montgomery! The other drawback to delivering there is that you can only see the MedStar Olney OBGYNs. It's not like other hospitals where there are multiple practices whose physicians have admitting privileges there, and you can choose among them.

For my second and third babies I delivered at Shady Grove Adventist, and I could not have been happier. I did not need the NICUs for those births, but if I had, they do have a Level III NICU. I also thought the levee of care I received (and this was during covid) was far superior to what I received at MedStar Montgomery.

Since you're also asking for OB recommendations, I delivered my second and third babies with Advantia Shady Grove. Dr. Hussain is amazing. Dr. Huang and Dr. Bryce are also good. I did not have a good experience with Dr. Bellamy, who messed up the interpretation of some of my labs, and then wanted to treat it incorrectly.

[Anonymous]

Yes go hospital first, then I went midwife practice. I was also AMA and went with P&M. They always had easily scheduled appointments, I saw midwife’s or OBs as needed then was referred to MFM for high risk monitoring which will happen with you. Many High Risk OBs aka MFM doctors don’t deliver but work in tandem with your OB “baby catcher” on day off.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all for your response!

I was actually trying to decide between Olney and Shady Grove! I’m 10 minutes away from Olney and 25 from Shady Grove. Do you think 25 minutes is too far away for it to be worth it? Does Shady Grove require Advantia only OBs (in that if I choose that hospital, I’ll need all my OB appointments there)? Also, are there any other hospitals between I should consider?

What is AMA and P&M?

[Anonymous]

Advanced maternal age - over 35
P and m - physicians and midwives (a group practice)

[Anonymous]

What does your MFM say about your likely delivery? Mine said, for me, the possibility of a scheduled c was VERY high. That only got confirmed as the pregnancy progressed (please, no discussion of this, it’s what MFM said was safest for me and I’m not getting into it here). So I went with the hospital that was closest to his office/my nearby OB who delivered there. MFM wanted me there so I could just go sit there and be monitored/ deliver if needed.

[Anonymous]

Proximity is the main thing.

I used the OBs at WHC. I liked having a big practice, and I don’t care that I had never met the doctor who actually delivered my baby. I really liked how the MFM and fetal monitoring were in the same building with easy records transfer and such. I basically feel they don’t remember you between appointments much anyway and all that matters is whats on the chart.

Other people feel really strongly about having a relationship with one or two doctors, which I respect. So it just depends on what’s important to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your response!

I was actually trying to decide between Olney and Shady Grove! I’m 10 minutes away from Olney and 25 from Shady Grove. Do you think 25 minutes is too far away for it to be worth it? Does Shady Grove require Advantia only OBs (in that if I choose that hospital, I’ll need all my OB appointments there)? Also, are there any other hospitals between I should consider?

What is AMA and P&M?

I’m the PP who had her first at Medstar Montgomery, and the second and third at Shady Grove. I live 5 minutes from Medstar Montgomery, and about 20-25 from Shady Grove. I didn’t think 25 minutes was too far, even considering that subsequent births tend to happen faster. If you deliver at Shady Grove, you do not have to choose the Advantia Shady Grove practice. There are a few Capitol Womens Care branches that deliver there as well, and also other Advantia groups. There may be others too. You have far more choice in OBs if you choose Shady Grove as your hospital. With Medstar, you are stuck with Medstar physicians. Including, and this may be the most important thing - if you or your baby need a level of care they can’t provide at Medstar Montgomery, you will get transferred to Medstar Georgetown. Yes, all the way in DC. It doesn’t matter that Shady Grove is closer. They will do everything they can to keep you in the Medstar network. I nearly faced this with my first, who needed to be in the special care nursery. At one point they were talking about transferring him to the NICU at Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

PP, when you went to Advantia Shady Grove, did you end up with 1 primary doctor that you saw for most of your appointments or do they rotate you between doctors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, when you went to Advantia Shady Grove, did you end up with 1 primary doctor that you saw for most of your appointments or do they rotate you between doctors?

They like you to see each physician at least once. Once I had seen each one, I made most of my appointments with Dr. Hussain, just out of personal preference. They also have a nurse practitioner who sees patients, but I preferred to be seen by the actual physicians. Most practices will want you to rotate between physicians so you have at least met the person who may deliver your baby (it all depends on who is on call that day).

Also, since you mentioned you are 39 with a complicating condition, you'll need to see a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist. The Advantia Shady grove practice likes to work with Dr. Wayne Kramer. I saw him along with the Advantia physicians for my second two pregnancies. He is amazing.