Thursday, 10 July 2008

• Where's My Doctor?

  A lot of your probably saw the movie “Knocked Up” where Katherine Heigl’s character, Alison, is screaming for “her doctor” in between panting through the contractions.  Her boyfriend, Ben, goes to great lengths to try to reach her doctor who is out of town the evening she goes into labor and of course, all sorts of comical tragedies ensue trying to find someone who can deliver the baby in a pinch.  The movie was quite funny and probably those you heard laughing the loudest in the theater were someone who worked in labor and delivery (or perhaps someone recently knocked up).

   Before I worked in labor and delivery, I always thought I would want a private-practice doctor or midwife, in other words, “my doctor” to deliver my baby.  These were what I perceived to be the advantages. He or she would:

  ·         Know my medical and previous birth history more thoroughly

  ·         Have heard my Birth Wishes

  ·         Have a comfort level with me and my family from prenatal visits

   

  These things seem to be an obvious advantage, right?  What I did not know were the disadvantages to having “my doctor” (or midwife) versus some of the benefits of delivering at a facility that uses staff, or “in-house” providers. These doctors or midwives deliver whoever comes in, regardless of who they saw in their prenatal visits.  How could this possibly be better, you ask?  The first time I had a “personal doctor” tell me “I have a dentist appointment, try to keep her from pushing,” I realized that I would want an in-house provider.  Let me tell you:

   

  ·         A provider who is at the hospital regardless of having “their patients” in labor has no agenda

  ·         You are less likely to “rushed” or “pushed” (no pun intended) into things you do not want

  ·         There is no “golf-game” to get to; they are there for a set amount of time whether you deliver or not

  ·         I believe you are more likely get the delivery you desire under these conditions than with a doctor who is missing office appointments to come deliver your baby

   

  I know it is disturbing that these should have to be considerations at all when deciding on a facility or provider, but the reality is that these things do affect the management of your labor and your delivery experience.

   

  Does anyone feel their doctor or midwife’s agenda affected their delivery?

   

   

  • 8:26 PM
  • 30 Views
  • 0 eProps
  • 0 Comments