interviewing new doc help

[mamaflutter]

Hi everyone I really need some advice from u lovely ladies. First a little background info... I had a csec with my son 9 years ago he had a big noggin and I tried for 8 hrs to push that boy out the doc finally said we could keep trying or do the second so exhusted I gave in. In the or I recive more epi meds and 3 spinal blocks and could still feel everything and I do mean everything! So I had to go under worst experiance of my life. So in 06 when I was preg with dd ifound a great midwife at naugatuck valley obgyn in ct.with her I had wanted a water birth but had no time for that! She wanted out fast and I had a beautiful natural compleatly drug free vbac. She had some probs at birth due to muconum asperation. My midwife and the others in the practice were there for us the entier time even got us a room to stay ib for free wile my dd was in the nicu so we could establish breastfeeding. So that leads me to now I moved to ky and need a new doc. I wanted a midwife but there are only homebirth and after what happened with dd I feel safest in a hosp. So 2marrow I am meating a new doc. I should know all the right things to ask but I'm afraid I will forget something important. Please advise me! What is the most important ?s to ask? I would apriciate any imput. Thanks ib advance I know you all will have great advice.
Candi 26 mom 2 mj 9 juje 3 and #3 still cookin

[kltroy]

Well, here are the questions that I asked when I was looking for providers (I interviewed CNMs and family practice doctors):
1. What is your general philosophy of labor/birth? Do you tend to be more of a hands-off or a hands-on person?
2. How is labor generally managed for your patients? Do you require continuous fetal monitoring for VBACs or can I get away with intermittant? IV vs. just having a heplock? Do many of your patients have drug-free births? Does the nursing staff support this and make it easy to do?
3. If I go post-dates, at what point do you become antsy? 41 weeks? 42 weeks? (hopefully this won't be an issue, but it is a concern of mine). I would like to avoid an induction unless absolutely medically necessary - I'd much rather take a non-stress test to give everyone peace of mind. If you induce VBACs what methods do you prefer?
4. What do you do routinely to encourage labor as the due date approaches? (sweep membranes? rupture membranes? at what point do you normally start this?)
5. Back-up: if things aren't going smoothly do you have specific OBs that you routinely work with, or do you get whoever is on call? Can they override your opinion ever (ie order a c-section even if you don't think a patient needs one)?
6. What is your practice's VBAC success rate?
7. How many do you do per year?
8. Do you require a physician/OB to attend the birth?
9. What is the general climate towards VBAC both within your practice (if you are not in when I go into labor) and at the hospital in general?

ETA: If you're near the edge of the state (like in Louisville), you might consider crossing into Indiana or wherever is nearby to get a MW. Otherwise, I would suggest looking for a family practice doctor, since they are not surgeons and philosophically will be more "hands off" than an OB is likely to be.

[AustinMom]

1)What is your philosophy of birth? This will open the conversation and give you an idea of other questions to ask

2)What is your CS rate (should be less than 15%), episiotomy rate (should occur on rare occasions with mainly only 1st time moms), VBAC rate (should be 70% or more) induction rate (15% or less), augmentation rate (15% or less).

3)Are you comfortable with a Doula, birth plan, and/or other birth team members?

4)How often do you see an unmedicated birth?

5)Do you suggest routine U/S prenatally, IV and cEFM during labor, eating and drinking in labor?

6)What positions are your comfortable with me pushing in? A lot of the time a baby becomes distressed and or won't descend because a mom is pushing on her back, which narrows the pelvic opening, pushing on hands and knees or squatting, opens the pelvis more than usual so it's easier for mom and baby.

7)do you have hydrotherapy?

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth has a great list of questions for any CP you interview.