Congratulations!
You’re pregnant! How do you find the a care provider that is right for you?
Google search
I just did a Google search for OB/GYNs in Ruston and Monroe, Louisiana. There are four pages of listings, many of which are not even OBs. Others are group practices. A doctors you choose within a group practice will only be delivering your baby if they happen to be on call while you go to the hospital during labor. Otherwise, you will have whichever doctor on call within the group be your attending OB. Now add that because I know some of these doctors, there are listings that are outdated. Others limit their practice to gynecology and don’t deliver babies.
The reviews!
Going through the reviews did not help much. If there were reviews, they were mixed. Common complaints are long wait times (some as long as six hours), rude staff, short visit time with doctor (some as little as five minutes) and feeling like they were not listened to. As a childbirth educator and doula, most of my clients are interested in a birth experience that is “as natural as possible.” I saw a review that stated the doctor was not interested in their birth plan and another that felt they were coerced into having medications they did not want. One reviewer said they were unable to get an appointment to be seen postpartum. There were multiple reviews where they felt the doctor was over booked.
What about the hospitals?
None of the listings gave me information as to which facility they deliver at. I think it is safe to say that the Ruston doctors deliver at NLMC. However, the Monroe doctors may have hospital privileges at Oschner LSU, St. Francis, Glenwood or any combination of the three. A bit about the Monroe hospitals:
- Oschner LSU is a teaching hospital. You will receive state of the art care, but some are uncomfortable with the fact that students take an active role in that care.
- St. Francis boast of the state of the art NICU Dept. These types of NICU specialize in preterm babies. Low risk, term pregnancies that deliver here will have to sacrifice sending their baby to the nursery for the newborn exam for a feature they will not use.
- Glenwood is known for it’s intimate setting and “rooming in” (baby stays with parent at all times). They also have a higher c-section rate.
A solutution?
I may have a solution. Let’s think differently about how we choose prenatal care. For women who are low risk, meaning their pregnancy has no complications and they have no history of prior birth complications, it may be possible to bypass the OB/GYN altogether. Prenatal care, labor and delivery care and postpartum care can all be performed by a midwife.
I did the same Google search, only for a midwife. For transparency, I feel I should mention that a listing for midwife Nicki Solomito Pugh of Jena is further down the page as she serves this area.
A midwife will follow the same prenatal visit schedule as an obstetrician. A midwife offers the same standard tests and ultra sounds. Some differences you can expect from the negative reviews above would be:
- No wait times during appointments as all appointments are in your home.
- No rude staff. The midwife is the staff.
- No rushed appointments. Midwifery appointments typically last an hour, which leads to the next point.
- You are listened to, the key component to providing individualized care.
- Your care provider during pregnancy is your care provider during labor, delivery and immediate postpartum.
- No choosing between facilities. The birth will take place in your home.
- You will be seen by your midwife 5 to 6 time during your postpartum recovery.
- Midwives limit their case load in order provide provide quality care.
Midwifery? Really?
Granted, midwifery care is not for everyone. Some women have conditions that require the oversite of an expert in high risk conditions. Others have no interest at all in “going natural” as pain medications will not be available for an out of hospital birth. An obstetrician is absolutely the best choice for these women. However, if you are healthy and would like to consider something different, give me a call. (318) 599-0579.