returning to your OB/GYN for routine stuff

[kmb1419]

Hi all!

It's time for me to go for an annual check-up, but I have very mixed feelings about going back to the midwives I saw for my pregnancy. Let me say that I loved the group, and I felt very comfortable with them for all routine women care. However, I'm upset how my HELLP situation was handled. I don't think they advised me in the best way. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, right?

So my question to you all is this: After your experience with HELLP, esp. if you weren't happy how things went, did you return to the same group/practice for routine pap smears ect. or did you go somewhere else???

Thanks!

[cmccaffrey]

I didn't have HELLP Syndrome, but I am dealing with this right now after having preeclampsia and losing my son. I am going to try and go back to my ob/gyn for my regular care, but I am worried that I am going to second guess her every move just because of how everything happened. I have been thinking about maybe switching to the lead practitioner, but if I don't feel comfortable even with her, then I am definitely going somewhere else.

I know that doctors are people too and that there are some things that cannot be controlled, but when there are obvious signs of trouble and the doctor is still not clued in, it's time to switch to someone who is paying attention...there is just too much at stake.

[jenmatt1]

I moved to another state right after the birth of my daughter. The ones who delivered her were excellent and they caught the HELLP. But the doctors I have had since I have not liked and did not seem to take the HELLP seriously. I now am at a practice where most of the docs are helpful- there are 2 I do not particularly care for, but it better than I have found elsewhere. I have also learned to be my best own health advocate- I talk to every doctor I have seen about HELLP- even outside of OB so someone has at least heard of it. In fact the reason I like my endocrinologist so much is that he was fully aware of what it is and how serious it could be and he took it very seriously when I got pregnant this time to make sure he watched my thryoid levels and the lump on my thyroid that I have.

I think you need to feel comfortable and trust who you are seeing- especially if you plan on having another child in the futue.

[mom29]

I did return to the OB because I felt like he "redeemed" the situation by finally readmitting me when I developed post-partum pre-eclampsia.

With the next pregnancy, the care was not as good as it had been in previous pregnancies. Mainly because his staff was terrible and did not accurately update my chart. I went almost a month with no treatment for gestational diabetes because they failed to put the results on my chart. When I was again discharged postpartum with very high blood pressure and no increase in my labetalol I knew I was never going back to that doctor. One of the post-partum nurses told me to call the MFM as soon as I got out of the hospital. When I called him he tripled my meds. I would never recommend that OB to anyone again. In fact, one of my friends (who is a nurse) discouraged her sil from going to him by telling her what happened to me.

[caryn]

I scare OBs. I don't mean to, but I do. So I have seen two for routine stuff in the past eight years. Probably this is a bad idea, but my internists are less frazzled by my pap smears than my OBs are.

MFMs seem less worried by us but also less likely to do routine stuff.

[rosalinda]

After my severe PE in 2007 I switched OB's as soon as I could. The last time I saw her was at my 6 week PP check.
I felt she could have handled telling me my daughter was going to die in a nicer way.