OB Near work or Home

[murrt]

Hi ladies,

I struggled with infertility so (probably) unlike most of you, I went to a reproductive endocrinologist, not an OBGYN. I'm still seeing my RE until she "releases me" to an OB...after a few ultrasounds.

So now, I need to do my research on finding a good OB affiliated with my practice. My question is, especially for those of you that've been pregnant before, do you choose an OB near work or near home?

I travel (driving) a lot for work so I'm not always near the office and it would be painful to drive into the city on a day I don't need to be here, but a mid-day appointment near my house wouldn't exactly be easy to get to from work.

Given all of this, would you choose an OB near work or near home? What other factors did you look into in selecting an OB? How often do you need to visit your OB?

It's crazy...I know so much about GETTING pregnant I could write a book, but when it comes to being pregnant, I'm so in the dark!

[booklover811]

I chose one near home. That way when I go into labor I am closer and I just really liked my OB when I met with her for a consult last year.

I think since you travel a lot, home would be your best bet.

[negirl824]

I am choosing the one near my home. The OB near my house is affiliated with the hospital near my house. I want to be close so DH can go home with DD and not have to travel far. If I go into labor at night I would want to be closer.

[RoLoMa]

I am choosing an OB (hopefully!) close to my work but the drive from home wouldn't be much worse if I wasn't at work on the day of the appointment. This particular office delivers at a hospital that is about 5 minutes from my house so that is really the deciding factor for us.

I am also being seen by an RE and won't be released to an OB until our 2nd successful OB scan at the RE's office at 9 weeks. I am so confused on what I am supposed to do. Should I call the OB office I want to use now and let them know my situation and perhaps arrange for an appointment after the 9 week scan at the RE or wait until I have been officially released? Then I wonder when the OB will want to see me since I will have already had two ultrasounds by that point. I am not good at this stuff, obviously.

[ldubhawksfan]

N15 lurker......

I'm still under care from my RE, but at my US this week (6) my RE told me to call and let my OB know I'm pregnant and to schedule my first appointment with him around 10 weeks. For my RE, he said there will be a week or two of overlap, but then again, he is also doing weekly US right now.

I would choose an OB close to home and just try to schedule my appointments on the way to or from work.

[cnf2013]

I had to choose a new OB since getting pregnant. My current one works for our local hospital but they lost their contract to deliver, so that was annoying, though I've never been a huge fan of them anyways.

We actually went with an OB about an hour from our house. It's affiliated with one of the best birthing hospitals in the state and is only like ten minutes from all of our friends and family. Not terribly convenient for us, but that's okay.

[RoLoMa]

Thanks ldubhawksfan! I think I will call the OB office I would like to use and just chat to see what they would like to do. Common sense would tell me to just ask but most of the time I find the ladies around here are more knowledgeable

[byjove]

There isn't anything close to where I work, nor really where I live. The OB I used last time was like a 20 min drive from home and about the same from work (different routes). I live in a major metro area though. I think it's all about what's comfortable for you. I think hospital/delivery location would be a big factor. And if you start out at one and you don't like it, you can always switch!

[leahks77]

I also vote for near home, but mostly because I was always able to get early am appts and that way if I needed to I could just go there before work... My bigger concern was a hospital to deliver at that was near me and wouldn't be impossible during rush hour. OB office commute I can handle, but didn't want to be rushing for the important stuff. Good thing too, because I got to the hospital at 9cm last time... The thought of driving into the city at rush hour in labor is AWFUL.

[LanE]

I commute 1 1/2 hours one way to work and my OB first time round was near my job. DH was working 3 hours South of our house so we rented a house near where I worked which was 1 1/2 hours closer to work for hiM and we would come home on weekends. I love my OB but now the we have DD I am looking for one closer to home. The hospital I delivered at was also 1 1/2 hours away from our house But my chub was a scheduled C-section because at my weekly AMA dr appt she was measuring large and they didn't want to chance any issues, so I knew the day,she was going to be born. DD was born weighing 10 lb 10 oz.

[manderslvt]

Apr 2, 2015 16:48:55 GMT -5 leahks77 said:

I also vote for near home, but mostly because I was always able to get early am appts and that way if I needed to I could just go there before work... My bigger concern was a hospital to deliver at that was near me and wouldn't be impossible during rush hour. OB office commute I can handle, but didn't want to be rushing for the important stuff. Good thing too, because I got to the hospital at 9cm last time... The thought of driving into the city at rush hour in labor is AWFUL.

This was my thinking exactly. My OB is close to work and home, but more importantly to me, affiliated with a good hospital that is easy to get to.

[meredithcarole]

My OB opened a practice near my home recently, but the first time around it was near neither my home or my work. Having it near home will be nice, I think.

[chuggingwater]

I haven't had time to read all of the replies yet, but I'll tell you what I did, and will do this time again.

I work four days out of town, and can travel up to two hours away from my hospital for work any given day. I chose an obgyn office close to my home, mainly because there wasn't one near my work office as well as a multitude of other reasons.

I did get out on travel restrictions at work at 38w4ds, but was emergency induced 38w5d so it didn't matter. I anticipate travel restrictions again, so will want someone close to home.

[chuggingwater]

Oh! Congrats!

[anonymouseliza]

I chose based on neither criteria - I had a laundry list of other issues that were more important. As it happens, it's much nearer work and that is far more convenient for me, because I have so many monitoring appointments. I always try for the first appointment of the day, but it doesn't always work out. The fifteen minute drive to the med center is bad enough without tacking on another 15 minutes one way to see someone near my home. But related - I don't deliver at the hospital near my home, I deliver in the med center and chose a practice with permission to deliver there. So those were bigger issues.

[littlebee26]

I chose my OB during my last pregnancy based on the delivery hospital. I don't want to deliver at the hospitals around home or work. Good luck!

[murrt]

Thanks everybody. I'm in Boston so most hospitals are pretty great. The three hospitals I'f consider all have great level II NICUs. Two are teaching hospitals (Beth Isreal and Brigham &Womens) and one is a regional Medical Center (South Shore Hospital).

South Shore would be closest to home for me. It's 5 minutes. The other two are 11 miles...and close to work....but they can take an hour and a half in traffic.

I think I'd be happy with any of the hospitals

[hungryhippo]

Apr 5, 2015 15:23:39 GMT -5 murrt said:

Thanks everybody. I'm in Boston so most hospitals are pretty great. The three hospitals I'f consider all have great level II NICUs. Two are teaching hospitals (Beth Isreal and Brigham &Womens) and one is a regional Medical Center (South Shore Hospital).

South Shore would be closest to home for me. It's 5 minutes. The other two are 11 miles...and close to work....but they can take an hour and a half in traffic.

I think I'd be happy with any of the hospitals

I might suggest the hospital close to home in that case, and go with an OB that has privileges there and is in network for your insurance provider, assuming the hospital is also in network. If you end up not liking your provider, you can always switch.

I delivered at a teaching hospital and got great care but my unplanned c-section was done by a first timer and my scar is crooked. There were also just SO many people in and out of my room during my induction.

I also happen to work at this hospital and will deliver there again, but I wish I hadn't been so tolerant of all the learners.