Can 1st OB Visit Be Skipped? - Page 2

[ivymae]

If you are otherwise healthy, intelligent, educated about diet/vitamins/taking care of yourself and baby, then there is nothing an OB is going to tell you in the first few weeks that You can't figure out on your own. I found those visits a waste of time, since I always just met with the NP, she told me to take vitamins, calculated my due date, weighed me, and told me to call if anything else came up.

[WaitingForKiddos]

I might be the exception here but I really like the first appointments with my MW. It gave me time to really understand her philosophies and know that she and I were wanting the same thing.

There's some firsts that I really felt let me bond more with baby too, hearing the heartbeat, knowing that things were good according to scans and bloodwork, and just the act of going to a prenant appointment was really cool.

There's also the sad fact that sometimes things do go wrong. It's important to have heathcare providers you can trust if you have concerns or if complications develop.

[Drummer's Wife]

^^ I agree, hearing the heartbeat is reasurring. But the fact is, that most HCP's won't be able to detect it with a doppler until the end of the first trimester - so unless they happen to have an ultrasound machine, it's not going to happen until closer to 12ish weeks.

that all said, and I know I responded yesterday - but I do think you should find a MW, and at the very least schedule that first appt - whether it's at 7 weeks, or at 14 weeks. In my case, b/c my MW was my mom - I knew she wasnt' going to be too booked up and she was available any time to answer any questions... that and since I was her client/patient for all of my 4 pregnancies, she had the basic history in my chart already.

There's no right or wrong way to go about it - really depends on your comfort level and/or the midwives policy along with any concerns you may have.

Some women, particularly first time mothers-to-be really need that confirmation from a doctors office - even if it's not a blood draw, but the same kind of pregnancy test they already took at home. It makes it more official that way, and they don't have to calculate their EDD on their own.

[Plummeting]

You can usually schedule (free) interviews with midwives before you schedule your first "real" prenatal. That way you can find one you like and have all those discussions about payment and philosophies and not waste your first prenatal on that stuff. Once you've done that, they'll usually put you in their books as soon as you schedule the first prenatal and pay whatever deposit they require.

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

Just curious.....What is the reason that one would want to delay seeing a health care provider in early pregnancy? I just seems like a good thing.

Unless there's something wrong, it's generally a waste of time, energy, missed work, gas, etc. You posted that you liked hearing the heartbeat at 8 weeks, but a lot women aren't going to hear a heartbeat at 8 weeks. We didn't hear one until 14 weeks. Unless you get an early ultrasound, you can't expect to hear a heartbeat before maybe 14 to 16 weeks. You might, but it's not something you can expect. A lot of insurance plans won't pay for ultrasounds for no reason or just for dating purposes and a lot of women don't want to get ultrasounds at 8 weeks just to make sure there's a baby in there, when they know they're pregnant. Also, as stated, it's common practice for OB's or midwives not to want to see you until 12 weeks or so. The earliest my OB/CNM practice would see healthy patients when I was pregnant with DD was 11 weeks. They'd put you in their books as a patient if you'd called and scheduled and appt, but they didn't feel it was worth it to see you just to tell you you're pregnant, which is all they can really do in early pregnancy. If it makes you feel like you're somehow safer, then that's great and that makes it a "good thing" for you personally, but there's no actual physical benefit for most women.

[Mulvah]

Congrats!

I would probably schedule the appointment for 12 weeks out, specifically if you already know who you want as your care provider.

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

Just curious.....What is the reason that one would want to delay seeing a health care provider in early pregnancy? I just seems like a good thing.

Although I went earlier than 12 weeks in this pregnancy, I wouldn't do it again. I don't see a point to it, honestly. This is coming from someone who staggered all appointments, even now at the end.

[craft_media_hero]

Yep, I'm with the other ladies.

I'm holding out for the second trimester this time around, too. First time was pretty conventional, and I got a pretty high fever at the beginning, so the midwife I had contacted had me come in to check the heartbeat at aroun 8wks?

[Suzannah]

I wouldn't skip it, but I think that might be just me. I feel like birth is an intimate act, and I'd like to meet the perosn who is going to be participating in it. This time around I may just go to every other month (I am still just at week 7), but around here decent midwives are booked up way early and work weird hours (like only two days a week, and then only one other alternating wednesday half day. Silly), so I went ahead and put myself on their radar.