Things You Should Know Before You Choose Your Physician

December 12, 2011 by  
Filed under Pregnancy

Any expectant mother will find the task of choosing the perfect doctor to help deliver her baby daunting. The best way to go about doing this is therefore to sit down and make two lists of questions, one encompassing the various issues that the pregnant mother needs to know about her doctor, and the other involving all the actual aspects of the childbirth.

First thing to consider is the practicality of your choice. Is the physician you are mulling over on the list of your insurance firm? Do they have a good connection with the hospital you have in mind for your childbirth? Does this hospital accept insurance coverage from your insurance firm? What about the other issues involving billing and payments? All these questions need to be answered to your satisfaction before you opt for your physician.

Also, any pregnant woman will not feel comfortable knowing that her physician may not be there at the end moment. You’ll want one who will be in town, and available for you during the delivery, even if it happens before or after the due date. Also, will he or she be available to see you at a moment’s notice if complications arise? If not, who stands in for them? You must meet the back-up physician in any case, and ascertain your confidence in them!

When you meet with the physician you’re considering, ask the questions that matter to you. How long have they been practicing? What do they think about the use of anesthesia? How do they administer pain control medication? What is their Caesarian section percentage? Many physicians own up to a range of fifteen to twenty percent, which enable you to ascertain their standings on potential risks.

The best way to truly know a physician is to talk to nurses who have worked with them. Get their opinions. Nurses will tell you a lot about a physician, what he’s like, how he works, how he is under stress, and so on. This will really help you make an informed decision.

The doctor who has been with you throughout your pregnancy is the ideal one to use for your delivery. This way, your physician will know your entire medical history beforehand, which may help in the choosing of medication for inducing labor or pain control. Also, this physician will be with you during the entire childbirth process, which is comforting for the pregnant mother.

Of course, being the warmest physician with the best manner isn’t all you’re looking for. Always go for a physician with whom you can question and talk about your fears with ease and without fear of them being condescending towards you. This will help assure you of their medical and childbirth experience.

Go for a physician that you can always trust to tell you the truth, without being brash about it. Obviously, any expectant woman will ask for the best in the medical field. That’s fundamental. But then, being the best in the field does not necessarily translate to being the best for you. It is more important that you choose a physician who is in tune with what you need and works hard to put you at ease, rather than one who treats your pregnancy as an experiment that they need to complete!

Knowing a bit about what your physician thinks pertaining to certain issues can help with your decision. Obviously, you don’t have to have factors like religion or political opinions in common! But knowing that this is the person you want through your pregnancy can smoothen your path, right from your first ultrasound to the delivery of your baby!