FTM, how to find a good OB-GYN

[Anonymous]

Hello! I just found out I am pregnant, I’m about 4 weeks, and a FTM.

I tried to make an appoint at Georgetown (my normal gyno) and I can’t be seen until 12 weeks.

I would love to find another hospital/doc sooner. 12 weeks seems to long if it’s recommended to go in at 8.

I live in NW DC and I am hoping for an easy, medicated birth.

Thanks in advance!!

[Anonymous]

I think you are right to want to get in earlier than 12 weeks! That’s pretty crazy.

I would start by choosing the hospital you want to deliver in and that will narrow down your ObGyn options.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend “interviewing” OBs because you absolutely need one you trust, unlike most specialities you’re putting your life in their hands. However, way too late for that - you’re not going to get in to do a consult with even 1 in the next four weeks over the holidays so you’ll have to ask around. Note that a lot of the good OBs don’t take new patients though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I highly recommend “interviewing” OBs because you absolutely need one you trust, unlike most specialities you’re putting your life in their hands. However, way too late for that - you’re not going to get in to do a consult with even 1 in the next four weeks over the holidays so you’ll have to ask around. Note that a lot of the good OBs don’t take new patients though.

Least useful advice ever.

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any recommendations?

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised you can’t get in until 12 weeks. I go to Georgetown and they got me in around 8 weeks. Did they offer to put you on a waitlist? They initially had me for a later appointment and put me in earlier. Make sure you are open to any provider, you’ll want to rotate anyways because there is no guarantee who will be on call when in labor.

[Anonymous]

Okay I have a different perspective on this I think than many people and I’m not saying everyone should think this way.

I don’t care at all about my individual relationship with the OB. I trust them to read the chart and assess me. I want a big team with a convenient location and easy access/coordination with an MFM, a lab, and fetal monitoring. WHC fit the bill for me.

As far as personal connection and labor I think the labor nurses are arguably more important than the OB and people don’t interview them.

The midwives seem like a popular option and they are reputed to be better at connection etc so that might be a good option.

Re scheduling I would call back and say yoy need an earlier appointment for a NIPT and maybe they will send you straight to the MFM anyway. Or see if you can do another MedStar location maybe and then transfer later.

Anyway I never met the OB who delivered my kid and haven’t since and she was great and I didn’t care, and that’s okay if that’s not you but it’s also okay if it is you.

[Anonymous]

I just delivered at GW and was happy with my experience. Scheduling can be tough though.

[Anonymous]

You can check all the ones that are often mentioned on this site for appointment availability: Bloom, CWC, Reiter Hill, GW, Medstar/Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Start by looking at what hospital you want to deliver at, then go off their website to see who has privileges there. Cross reference that with your insurance. But truly there aren’t that many OBs in DC so once you decide on a hospital, search the threads and it’s usually the same providers.

One problem maybe be Foxhall, which seems to have a lot of patients, abruptly stopped OB service effective in January so the nearby practices presumably all took on a ton of new patients recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have a different perspective on this I think than many people and I’m not saying everyone should think this way.

I don’t care at all about my individual relationship with the OB. I trust them to read the chart and assess me. I want a big team with a convenient location and easy access/coordination with an MFM, a lab, and fetal monitoring. WHC fit the bill for me.

As far as personal connection and labor I think the labor nurses are arguably more important than the OB and people don’t interview them.

The midwives seem like a popular option and they are reputed to be better at connection etc so that might be a good option.

Re scheduling I would call back and say yoy need an earlier appointment for a NIPT and maybe they will send you straight to the MFM anyway. Or see if you can do another MedStar location maybe and then transfer later.

Anyway I never met the OB who delivered my kid and haven’t since and she was great and I didn’t care, and that’s okay if that’s not you but it’s also okay if it is you.

It sounds like you had a very straightforward and easy pregnancy. Your advice is terrible for those who don’t share your exact experience, which it atleast sounds like you recognize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have a different perspective on this I think than many people and I’m not saying everyone should think this way.

I don’t care at all about my individual relationship with the OB. I trust them to read the chart and assess me. I want a big team with a convenient location and easy access/coordination with an MFM, a lab, and fetal monitoring. WHC fit the bill for me.

As far as personal connection and labor I think the labor nurses are arguably more important than the OB and people don’t interview them.

The midwives seem like a popular option and they are reputed to be better at connection etc so that might be a good option.

Re scheduling I would call back and say yoy need an earlier appointment for a NIPT and maybe they will send you straight to the MFM anyway. Or see if you can do another MedStar location maybe and then transfer later.

Anyway I never met the OB who delivered my kid and haven’t since and she was great and I didn’t care, and that’s okay if that’s not you but it’s also okay if it is you.

It sounds like you had a very straightforward and easy pregnancy. Your advice is terrible for those who don’t share your exact experience, which it atleast sounds like you recognize.

I agree on many parts of the above-- you won't know what OB that is going to deliver you anyway as if you're at most hospitals there's shifts and you'll see multiple of them through the course of your labor. I got lucky that the one for the final push was my long term ob (she arrived to shift as baby was ready to finally come out but i had seen at least 2 other MDs and a midwife in earlier shifts of my labor).

I went to GW first pregnancy and currently go there and highly recommend it but scheduling is a pain in the butt... for my first pregnancy they would only schedule at 12 weeks... they saw me at 10 as i was high risk. this pregnancy they were willing to see me at 8 (but i was under care of fertility dr until week 10 anyway). I've been seen by MFM throughout each pregnancy so primarily see the same one dr each visit. It is opposite of convenient for me as they closed the sonogram option in Bethesda so I drive from Bethesda to Foggy Bottom which is a zoo... but the care is top notch. I imagine Georgetown is similar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have a different perspective on this I think than many people and I’m not saying everyone should think this way.

I don’t care at all about my individual relationship with the OB. I trust them to read the chart and assess me. I want a big team with a convenient location and easy access/coordination with an MFM, a lab, and fetal monitoring. WHC fit the bill for me.

As far as personal connection and labor I think the labor nurses are arguably more important than the OB and people don’t interview them.

The midwives seem like a popular option and they are reputed to be better at connection etc so that might be a good option.

Re scheduling I would call back and say yoy need an earlier appointment for a NIPT and maybe they will send you straight to the MFM anyway. Or see if you can do another MedStar location maybe and then transfer later.

Anyway I never met the OB who delivered my kid and haven’t since and she was great and I didn’t care, and that’s okay if that’s not you but it’s also okay if it is you.

It sounds like you had a very straightforward and easy pregnancy. Your advice is terrible for those who don’t share your exact experience, which it atleast sounds like you recognize.

I had an extraordinarily complicated pregnancy (three actually) and totally agree with the PP. I went to Georgetown for similar calculus. And good thing as I did in fact end up needing an MFM and had an emergency c section and my baby went to the NICU. I had a lot of doctors. A couple stand out sure but the idea that I could have interviewed people in the beginning to made the right choice for the end? Ha. The MFMs don't see you until s hits the fan.

Honestly OP pick the place most convenient to your home because you will have a lot of appointments and if you do end up in a complicated pregnancy you will have A LOT of appointments. Pick a convenient safe hospital with access to a NICU and prepare yourself for pregnancy, a process that is at points magical, dehumanizing, demoralizing, disgusting, beautiful, terrifying and yet somehow also makes you feel like a literal superhuman. There will be ups and downs and you want to know that you're in good hands but there isn't really a situation where you will pick one OB and be sure they will be there on D day. So pick a practice you feel comfortable with and just enjoy the ride.

[Anonymous]

Can your family doctor order routine 1st trimester tests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have a different perspective on this I think than many people and I’m not saying everyone should think this way.

I don’t care at all about my individual relationship with the OB. I trust them to read the chart and assess me. I want a big team with a convenient location and easy access/coordination with an MFM, a lab, and fetal monitoring. WHC fit the bill for me.

As far as personal connection and labor I think the labor nurses are arguably more important than the OB and people don’t interview them.

The midwives seem like a popular option and they are reputed to be better at connection etc so that might be a good option.

Re scheduling I would call back and say yoy need an earlier appointment for a NIPT and maybe they will send you straight to the MFM anyway. Or see if you can do another MedStar location maybe and then transfer later.

Anyway I never met the OB who delivered my kid and haven’t since and she was great and I didn’t care, and that’s okay if that’s not you but it’s also okay if it is you.

It sounds like you had a very straightforward and easy pregnancy. Your advice is terrible for those who don’t share your exact experience, which it atleast sounds like you recognize.

I had an extraordinarily complicated pregnancy (three actually) and totally agree with the PP. I went to Georgetown for similar calculus. And good thing as I did in fact end up needing an MFM and had an emergency c section and my baby went to the NICU. I had a lot of doctors. A couple stand out sure but the idea that I could have interviewed people in the beginning to made the right choice for the end? Ha. The MFMs don't see you until s hits the fan.

Honestly OP pick the place most convenient to your home because you will have a lot of appointments and if you do end up in a complicated pregnancy you will have A LOT of appointments. Pick a convenient safe hospital with access to a NICU and prepare yourself for pregnancy, a process that is at points magical, dehumanizing, demoralizing, disgusting, beautiful, terrifying and yet somehow also makes you feel like a literal superhuman. There will be ups and downs and you want to know that you're in good hands but there isn't really a situation where you will pick one OB and be sure they will be there on D day. So pick a practice you feel comfortable with and just enjoy the ride.

Lol. No you didn’t, or you’d understand the very necessary and non-controversial first principle of finding a doctor you trust.