I chose my initial OB care as I had been getting my routine gynecological care through them for years. I was very disappointed when I learned they had lost Dr C. and Dr N. was on maternity leave, thus not knowing the other providers I was very wary.
My first visit was as expected, confirmation of pregnancy, lab work etc. It was when I got the results of the lab work and got called back in for an ultrasound that made me start to worry if I made the right decision to come to this practice. The ultrasound tech while performing the ultrasound kept making faces, and comments and it was over in a matter of minutes, and she left the room. I was alone, had no idea what was going on. The midwife came in and told me there was a sac but no fetal pol, meaning no baby had formed and that I had more than likely miscarried and they wanted to do labs to confirm, so we did and the lab work confirmed that the HCG was not rising like it should and the provider told me to be prepared. There was no sympathy, the provider was cold, stand-offish, and sent me on my way with a list of things to watch for.
Fast forward a few weeks after having what seemed like a miscarriage, I went for an ultrasound and labs again and there was a baby, with a strong heartbeat and I was shocked and scared and happy and all the emotions one could feel. The provider at that point still told me to not get my hopes up for a viable pregnancy. The next 12 weeks (making me 23 weeks when I went back) I worried, I stressed, I bought a at home Doppler to hear the heartbeat daily because I was convinced the baby wasn’t going to make it.
They did the anatomy scan, and it was a boy! We made it to the 2nd trimester but was told I wasn’t out of the woods yet. Again, I was crushed and worried. I didn’t go back to the doctor until 32 weeks for glucose test. In between these weeks I called multiple times about excessive swelling in my hands and feet and face, feeling dizzy, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, random bruising.
I was told time and time again it was a normal part of pregnancy. I went for my 33-week visit, and I got there at 2:45 for my 3:00 appointment. Checked in, updated information, and sat down. I was the only one in the waiting room, so I kept waiting and kept seeing patients leave, well it’s getting close to 5 and I had to be called back.
I see staff start to leave, they turned the tv off, locked the door, and turned the lights off while I was sitting in the waiting room STILL HAD NOT BEEN SEEN!!! I called my sister who works for another hospital, and I switched the next day, and where I received the best care possible! They ended up doing NST‘s daily until I had the baby, they monitored me, did more scans, more blood work, listened to me and realized I had pre eclampsia! I was induced at 38 weeks, my son was out of room, his pinky toe was broke when born because it was stuck between two of my ribs, he had breathing problems, body temperature problems, but he was alive and is almost a year old.
I owe it all to my doctor for listening to me and taking me on as a patient at 34 weeks pregnant.