June 22nd, 2020

Having a baby is an extremely exciting time and it can also be a time full of many different emotions. You may be nervous, scared, excited, emotional, the list goes on and on. One thing that can definitely make you feel more at ease through the whole process is having a doctor your trust.

I started with my OBGYN over 10 years ago. She has done all my annual exams, talked with me about different birth control options, and knows my medical history. Every time I met with her, she always made me feel at ease. Shortly after my wedding, I made an appointment to have my IUD removed so my husband and I could start trying to have a baby. When my doctor removed it, she said to call her in a few months and let her know how things are going. Little did she know, I would be calling her a short three weeks later with a positive pregnancy test! I really felt that she shared in my excitement with me and was genuinely happy to be my doctor as I was going through such an exciting time in my life. She was extremely thorough at all of my appointments and let me know what to expect each time. She also briefed me on all the other doctors I would see during my visits. Most offices do this now, but for your prenatal appointments, be prepared to see each doctor in the practice. That way, whenever you go into labor, you will at least have already met all the doctors in the practice.

At my 36 week appointment, we went through all the normal procedures and questions of each prenatal visit. After we were done, she said something that surprised me. She looked over at me and said, "I was thinking about you the other day." This caught me extremely off guard considering she has so many patients she sees on a regular basis, what would make her think about me at any time other than when she is with me? She went on to say that my due date was the 18th, and she happened to me on call the 15th, and wanted to know if I would be willing to be induced on the 14th so she could deliver my baby. She said that after she had been with me so long and she is nearing retirement, and she wanted to be part of this with me. I was so happy and relieved to know that my doctor WANTED to be part of my labor and delivery and made sure she scheduled it so she could be. I left my appointment so excited and thankful that she was my doctor. 

My husband and I went in on the afternoon of July 14th and started the induction process. When I got to the hospital, I was not dilated at all. They started me on cytotec, which is to help soften your cervix and hopefully push you into labor without the use of pitocin. We did 4 rounds of cytotec and I finally made it to 2 centimeters. I was SO frustrated because I contracted constantly, I just never really made any progress. The morning of July 15, we started pitocin. My doctor had a very aggressive approach to pitocin and bumped it up often in hopes of getting me into a rhythm with contractions. Instead, the pitocin made my contractions more intense and constant. My doctor finally decided to give me an epidural so I could relax and after I got the epidural, she would break my water. I had the epidural and my water was broken by 1pm. Once your water is broken, they don't like to check you as often to prevent the risk of infection.

At 5:45, my nurse came back in to check me for dilation, and I had only made it to 3cm. My doctor came in to talk with me and said she just didn't think it was going to happen, but since baby was fine, she couldn't justify rushing me in for a c-section before she left for the night. She apologized over and over again that things didn't work out so she could deliver, but we would get through shift change and the next doctor would take me in for a c-section in a few hours. I immediately became overwhelmed with emotion. I was upset that my doctor and my nurse were leaving, and also started to get nervous about the fact that I knew I would have a baby in a few short hours. 

My husband went to the waiting room to let our family know that I would be going in for a c-section in a few hours, and while he was gone my doctor came back into the room. She looked at me and said, "you know what, we're just gonna plow through this." Confused, I looked at her and said, "what do you mean?" She said she was going to stay and do my c-section before leaving for the night so we would be going into the OR in a few minutes. 

Those "few minutes" were a complete whirlwind. I was signing papers, they were bumping up my epidural, nurses and doctors flooded my room giving directions and scrubbing my husband up for surgery. Next thing I knew, I was on my way to the OR with my nurse and my doctor for my c-section. 

As my doctor was closing me up, I thanked her for staying and delivering my baby. She looked over the curtain at me and said, "I wanted to." I was so overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness that my doctor stayed beyond the time she was to work just so she could deliver my baby. 

Whether you are looking for a new OBGYN or you have been with one for awhile now, it is important that your doctor makes you feel comfortable and that you trust them. Pregnancy along with labor and delivery is an extremely vulnerable time. i always joke with my friends, if you have any modesty left before you have a baby, it will be gone by the time you give birth. Having a doctor that you trust and feel comfortable with makes the process so much easier. I am currently in the market for a new doctor since mine is retiring, and I definitely have high expectations and qualities I'm looking for in my new doctor that my previous doctor had. 

Having a doctor that you can trust and feel comfortable with can go a LONG way. I hope you all feel the same way about your doctor for the same experience!

​xo-The Home Team Mama