Did you know the Dr/MW who delivered your baby?

[Deleted]

Was it a big deal to you to know who would be delivering your baby? I had never met the midwives who delivered my LO, and while I do think the first MW that I had who induced my labor was a right bitch, I have no regrets about it and really didn't think it was a big deal.

 Was it important to you to know who would be delivering your baby? Why was it important? (emotional? or knowing the dr's stats? Trust?) Was it traumatic for you if you had a stranger deliver your LO?

[brooklyn]

It was important to me because I had other health conditions that made active labor potentially dangerous for me. I knew my OB had extensive conversations with my neurosurgeon on how to keep me and my baby safe during labor.

I ended up having a different ob from his practice there when I finally gave birth (5 days late and and 14 hours of labor) and it ended up fine since she was familiar with my chart and health history. And she had a better bedside manner than my actual OB! I'm considering switching to her for my gynecological care.

[imimahoney]

My practice has 5 obs plus other ob doctors from neighboring practices that could all serve those patients at the hospital. I ended up going to a "meet the docs" event at the hospital but it was more of a look at the nice faces of everyone! I ended up having an ob from my practice but not someone I saw ever.

[fbf2006]

The OB who delivered my son was the one doctor I hadn't met in the practice. I was scheduled to see him at 38 weeks but my son came at 37 and he was on call that night. It all worked out well.

[gretchenindisguise]

Yes. It was the midwife who I saw throughout my entire pregnancy save 2 visits with the ob. I was induced so I knew she'd be there. With my first it was the ob I had seen the whole time and again I was induced so I knew.

I was pleased to have both of them and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

I would have survived having a different doctor it was just nice having mine.

[Deleted]

Dec 3, 2014 5:31:17 GMT -5 tulips said:

It was important to me, but I knew another doc was a possibility depending on the time I delivered. I love my OB and she's been my doctor for ten years. I am very comfortable with her.

I never even thought of that possibility! I have moved so often over the past 10 years that I don't even  have a regular OB/gyn!

[sillygoosegirl]

Yes I did, and yes it was important to me. I don't think our standard model of care where patients hardly interact directly with their providers and are constantly shuffled around works very well.

[auntie]

I went to a huge practice where you rotated through all the docs. At the time, they always had someone in the hospital who would do the delivery- there was no call unless multiple deliveries were happening.

I ened up being induced by a doc who was new and that I'd only seen once. She was ok. The doc who was there for the delivery was my least favorite of the 10 or so I met. No stirrup-side manner at our prenatal visit, plus he'd delivered my DH's colleage's stillborn and she talked about that night everytime you got a second chardonnay into her. The night DS was born, he was like some other person- engaing, hung out in the room with us, funny and totally willing to take his time let things happen. He was awesome.

The model of care isn't ideal in terms of bonding, but the practice of having a physician in the hospital 24/7 means there's always someone there if you show up and that the person isn't rushing to get back to bed. This is usually the person returning after hours calls as well since they're up and working.

[Stingyshark]

There were 3 OBs in the practice I go to. I saw them all prior to delivering, but didn't care for one of them.
guess who delivered me..
I think, had it not been 3 days before Christmas, I could have requested one of the other 2 Physicians, but both of the other Drs were OOT so I had no option.

The OB was very aggressive, and I didn't like him at all.

I think i'm going to use a midwife group for the next go around.

[lulu21]

Yes. I chose a practice where one of the two doctors there would be delivering J. I ended up with a c/s and I really don't think I would have been comfortable with someone I didn't know cutting me open. A majority of my appointments were with my primary OB, but they have you see the other doctor a few times to get to know them.

Eta- their office was across the street from the hospital so it was very convenient .

[andthentherewere10]

No. I had never met her since I switched to MWs late in my pregnancy. I didn't care.

[jackie011]

My OB delivered DS. It was very important to me! From my very first ever appointment, pre-pregnancy, she said she delivers 95% of her patients' babies. She said she chooses to keep her practice a little smaller so that she can be there for everyone. She said she's disappointed when she isn't able to deliver because she's so bonded with the parents by that point.

With all of that in mind, it almost didn't happen! I was due on a Thursday. She had a family wedding the weekend prior to my due date and would be 6 hours away! She figured I'd go a little early, based on various factors. I was convinced DS was coming while she was away at that wedding. Thankfully, he hung in there and I went in to labor Monday night, after her wedding weekend.

[changedname]

I was induced at a time convenient to my ob so he was there. If my labour had lasted a long time, I guess he would have had to leave and someone else take over but in the end it only lasted 4 hours so I had him.

If I had gone into labour naturally, he said there was a 70% chance of having him at delivery.

It was important to me as I found him reassuring and calming.

Looking back, it was the L &d nurses who made the difference anyway. He only popped in for the glory at the last minute.

[thebreakfastclub]

I did end up with my regular OB by chance.

The nurse you get is much more important IMO because you spend so much more time with her.

[bluelikejazz]

Originally I didn't care. My OBGYN practice is one Dr and one NP, so I knew there was a chance I'd get the on call Dr at the hospital. I was ok with this.

After delivery thought, I'm really glad I knew the Dr. Everything happened so fast at delivery, but the nurse who wheeled me into the recovery room said if she didn't come on that last push (I only pushed for 20 min, had an episiotomy and vacuum), we would have ended up in OR for a CS.

I didn't realize things were that bad, but it was good to be able to talk to the Dr I knew about what happened. (Turns out baby's heart rate was really low, and she was stressed, and he was trying to get her before she was distressed).

[pinotgrig]

I preferred to have at least met the ob And tried to cycle through all of them at my prenatal appts. I knew that the ob wouldn't be there the whole time though, so I wouldn't have been crushed if I hadn't met the delivering ob, I think. But maybe I would have since I ended up with a CS after 24 hours of labor. But after 24 hours and baby showing signs of distress, I'm not sure there were other options for me.

I did have 2 favorites who I hoped would help me deliver. I got lucky and my fave doc was on call when I went into labor. I know he did everything he could before going the cs route.

[sh10]

There are about 10 doctors in the practice I went to, split between two locations. I never met the doctor who delivered DS, but she was great and I heard good things about her. She was only there for 45 minutes total, 20ish minutes of pushing and then the rest stitching me up.

[jewel]

I didn't know her, and didn't care one bit. I couldn't even pick her out of a lineup now, if I wanted to. Medically, my delivery was non-eventful, so I felt like good nurses were much more important during that time. They knew my birth plan, and were great about being supportive, and passed along the info to providers who came into the room.

I go to Kasier, and had one OB and one NP that I saw for the duration of my pregnancy (and is my normal OB/gyn). They have a ton of MDs and MWs there, and they all rotate into L&D twice per month. The odds of getting my OB to deliver were slim. I knew that all along, and didn't mind.

[rupertpenny]

No, B wasn't delivered by "my" OB. The practice I went to has about 8 doctors and I met about half of them during pregnancy. I met the rest while I was in the hospital for my 3+ day induction, labor, and delivery. The doctor who actually caught her was one I had seen for two previous appointments.

I agree with thebreakfastclub that the nurse is more important. I saw a lot of them, and some sucked. The woman who coached me through pushing was awesome though. I got lucky.

[gibbinator]

I wanted to at least meet all the OB's who do rotations in labour and delivery. I knew it was only a 1/5 chance mine would be on call when I went in. But I wanted to put a face to the name and know who was coming in the room and making decisions. It's hard to trust a total stranger kwim?
As it was, I went through 2 shifts with ds1. The Dr who eventually delivered him happened to be working when ds2 was born as well (same nurse too!)

[rbp]

I love my OBs (two person practice), so I was hoping one of them would deliver M since we had great rapport. But since they're a small practice, they share call (I think only on weekends?)

I went into labor on a Sunday night, and I had never met the on-call OB. She seemed perfectly nice, but I was still relieved when my OB showed up to deliver M on Monday morning!

[cinco]

Yes, but it didn't really matter to me. I had quick labors and 2/3 were with epidurals. I had no cares!

[Saudade]

This never even crossed my mind before the nest/gbcn. There is only one provider here (a midwife) and that's who I saw and who delivered DS1 (well it was a c/s so she was first assist).

For my vbac I selected the OB that I wanted to see (at the hosp an hour away) and she was the one for delivery.

[Blue Moon]

I used a huge practice and tried to cycle through all the OBs. Because I had a scheduled csection, I picked the day my favorite OB was on call.

[badtzmaru22]

Both times I delivered, the OB was one I hadn't met. It was fine- they were both great. My OB will only let you go a week overdue, and if it had come to that, my OB would have been the one doing the induction.

[mlvmd]

Nope. I had never met her but I adored her. I knew I was going to get a stranger though. My doctor's appointments with DS1 were close to my work which, at the time, was very far away from my home. My hospital is less than a mile away and different doctors service it. This time my doctor's office is very close to my house (and new job) but I still will not have met the doctor performing my surgery. I have Kaiser insurance though and they have a slightly different model of care and a lot of flexibility.

[spk926]

Yes, it was my doctor. That was just pure luck though that out of 9 in the practice he was on call.

Sent from my SM-G900P using proboards

[dragonfly08]

My OB/GYN practice has one doc on call at all times, delivers at only one hospital, and does not cross-cover with other practices for this reason. Barring very unusual circumstances, you get delivered by the practice doc on call. So yes, I knew all of the OBs for both of my deliveries and I preferred it that way.

[halfpint]

Yes, it was my doctor. I went overdue, and se 11 days as the cut off date because she was on vacation after that. I wasn't worried about someone else delivering - I had met all the other OBs in the practice - but for some reason she was. Not sure if it had to do with an attachment to her patients, or getting paid

[SJ]

I did know the dr. who delivered her. Our practice has 4 OB's and 2 MW's and we met all of them at least once during the pregnancy, which was great.

However, theoretically it is not that important to me. The doctor was only with me for 90 minutes max and I think I would have been emotionally ok if she had been delivered by someone I didn't know.