Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm ~5 weeks pregnant with my first and feeling overwhelmed by the the whole ~finding a doctor and essentially picking my birth hospital now as a result~ thing. I've called several offices that are in network (as far as I can tell at least) and none of them answer the phone or call back. Is that normal? Will they call back eventually? I imagined I'd have some choices about doctor, hospital, etc. but it feels like I'll just get whoever will take me. Maybe that's a relief because I have no clue how to pick which hospital I want anyway. I don't know what kind of "birth experience" I want. I just want to have the baby and have people on deck who are equipped to give needed care to me and to the baby if things go wonky. With so many appointments, I should pick an office I can get to easily, right? Is that more important in practical terms than absolutely loving the doctor?
I'm in DC and my insurance is Aetna. Any advice on how to manage this without going nuts is very much appreciated!
I’m in a similar boat, 9 weeks along and still haven’t been seen but around 7 weeks I got in touch with community of hope and they scheduled me for a virtual pregnancy confirmation appt with a midwife (??) for 3/6. After that appt they said it’ll be easier to book.
I did also call Bloom (I am waitlisted and waiting to hear back) and capital women’s care (only Dr Saffaran was available and I prefer female OBs). I’d suggest trying to call the office in the afternoon between 1-3, that’s when I’ve had the best luck.
This is my third baby so I’m more calm but try not to stress, you’ll get in somewhere!
Anonymous wrote:I'm ~5 weeks pregnant with my first and feeling overwhelmed by the the whole ~finding a doctor and essentially picking my birth hospital now as a result~ thing. I've called several offices that are in network (as far as I can tell at least) and none of them answer the phone or call back. Is that normal? Will they call back eventually? I imagined I'd have some choices about doctor, hospital, etc. but it feels like I'll just get whoever will take me. Maybe that's a relief because I have no clue how to pick which hospital I want anyway. I don't know what kind of "birth experience" I want. I just want to have the baby and have people on deck who are equipped to give needed care to me and to the baby if things go wonky. With so many appointments, I should pick an office I can get to easily, right? Is that more important in practical terms than absolutely loving the doctor?
I'm in DC and my insurance is Aetna. Any advice on how to manage this without going nuts is very much appreciated!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You are only 5 weeks. How long have you been pregnant that you have been waiting for a call back? You literally just peed on a stick. No doctor is going to hunt you down and want you to choose them. Leave a message, they will call back. I do not know why you want to choose a hospital. All doctors know how to deliver, so you get the one close to home. Were you planning this child that you have no clue what happens after you pee on a stick?
Wow. You're a peach! I've known I was pregnant for a week now and made phone calls the first day because I was very excited as this is my first pregnancy. I think that's pretty normal. What isn't normal, at least I didn't think it was, was to get no call backs in a week. I was planning to have this child but am also doing this for the first time so don't know everything. I don't have an informed opinion about the hospitals in the DMV but I do know there are differences between them. Isn't WHC a teaching hospital? Is that good or bad or have any impact for me (I have no idea). I know each OB is affiliated with a specific hospital, so picking one (an OB or a preferred hospital) seems to limit your options for the other. It feels like a lot of big decisions early on, but hearing from other posters that there is still flexibility and that I can change has been helpful.
Anonymous wrote:You are only 5 weeks. How long have you been pregnant that you have been waiting for a call back? You literally just peed on a stick. No doctor is going to hunt you down and want you to choose them. Leave a message, they will call back. I do not know why you want to choose a hospital. All doctors know how to deliver, so you get the one close to home. Were you planning this child that you have no clue what happens after you pee on a stick?