Choosing the Right OB/GYN for Your Pregnancy

10 important Factors to consider when looking for an Obstetrician /Gynecologist

1. Get personal references. You can read reviews until you are blue in the face but a personal reference from someone you trust is the best.
2.  Does your insurance provide coverage for all the doctors in the practice? Before you make that appointment call your insurance provider to verify all the doctors are covered in case you end up seeing a different doctor in the practice.
3. Do their office hours work for you? If you are working, an office with evening and weekend hours can make all the difference. These can be sometimes hard to find, but worth the look.
4. Is the location right for you? Maybe you would prefer to have your doctor close to work or other family members rather than your home.
5. What hospitals are the doctors willing to travel to? Finding the right hospital for your birth is important so check to see which hospitals your OB/GYN travels to.
6. Are you comfortable with a Male and or Female doctor? You may see a female doctor but if you are going to an office with several doctors you may end up with a different doctor at the time of your birth depending who is on-call.
7. Meet the other doctors in the practice. Like I mentioned above, you may occasionally see a different doctor. Once you are comfortable with your primary OB/GYN try out other doctors in the practice as well so it won’t be your first time meeting them at the birth.
8.  Do they have labs inside the office or do you have to go elsewhere? This was a big time saver for me having the lab work and ultrasounds done in the office rather than having to go to an outside lab. Maybe this is not important to you, but something to consider.
9. Are they readily available 24/7 to answer questions? Is there an on-call nurse or doctor you can call at any time? Are appointments easy to get or are they a long wait? These factors can make all the difference in having a positive experience with your care during pregnancy.
10. Finally, THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR...Is your OB/GYN supportive of your birth wishes? Do they take the time to explain things to you? Make a birth plan or a list of questions that are important to you i.e.) what is the doctors cesarean rates? Are they supportive of natural birth? Ask these questions right away or as they come up. Don’t be timid; they are there for you, not the other way around. You want to feel and be supported as much as possible. If you have doubts, explore other options, you can change doctors anytime during your pregnancy but you want to ask your questions sooner than later so you are getting the care you deserve from the beginning.