Seeing the RE after BFP?

[belovedbride07]

Cart before horse here, but I'm curious. It sounds like I'm supposed to keep seeing the RE until I "graduate" to the Ob at 8-9 weeks. However, they've said that insurance doesn't cover it. We're looking at the price list and we're talking $300 for an office visit, $275 for an ultrasound, etc.

In your experience, what does paying a shit-ton of money to be under the RE's care get me that I can't get from the Ob?

[pamela]

extra ultrasounds from my experience, but if you have an OB who is on board, they can do the same.

[changedname]

Ditto Pamela on the extra ultrasounds. My RE happens to also be an OB so I stayed with him until 14 weeks. The only reason I didn't stay with him until the end was he doesn't have privileges in the hospital near me.

[statlerwaldorf]

I had extra testing done. Two beta draws, estrogen, progesterone, a 6 week u/s and a 7 weeks u/s. My insurance covered some of the blood work, but did not cover the two office visits. I had my first visit with the NP at the ob/gyn at 8 weeks and first visit with the ob/gyn at 10 weeks.

With this pregnancy, I have gone straight to my ob/gyn since I wasn't going through treatments with the RE. I had two betas and progesterone checked, but only because of bleeding and my history of m/c. I don't have an u/s until 8 weeks. With my old ob/gyn, I wouldn't have had an u/s until 20 weeks.

[belovedbride07]

What is the benefit to extra ultrasounds, other than peace of mind?

Does IVF automatically put me in a higher risk category?

I really hope this is something I need to worry about and I'll be following up with my doctors next week.

[lo]

At my RE you get weekly ultrasounds and bloodwork until you graduate at 8 weeks. I don't think a regular OB would do any of that stuff that early.

I'm not really sure why besides peace of mind the extra ultrasounds are for. Maybe because of a higher chance of multiples in some cases. I had an early US today and couldn't see much, but relieved to see it wasn't ectopic.

[ecinereb]

More betas, bloodwork and u/s.

I don't think being with the RE make you higher risk but I think they like to know the viability of the pregnancy early on and monitor in case of any problems. After coming so far the extra u/s were a relief to me.

[degal99]

I agree, it probably is the peace of mind. I stayed with my RE until 12 weeks, and the did an ultrasound a week. If you're insurance doesn't cover it, I would talk to the RE about their expectations and seeing about decreasing the follow up visits with them.