How to Find a Great Obstetrician

Having a baby is about more than just carrying the child in your womb for 40 weeks. An obstetrician is needed to care for both mother and baby during the gestational process and ensure that all are healthy and developing as they should. Finding a great obstetrician can make the process of having a new baby all the more beautiful.

Instructions

1. Make a list. Searching online for a list of the obstetricians in the area is a great way to begin your search for the best obstetrician. This list should include all obstetricians in a given mile radius.

2. Narrow the list. The first cut in the obstetrician list will come with the location of the nearest or choice hospital. The obstetrician you choose should have patient privileges at the hospital in which you want to give birth. Those that do not have privileges at this hospital will need to be removed from the list.

3. Making the second cut. The second cut is an easy one. If the baby and mother care will be paid for by an insurance company, the doctor will need to accept that insurance. The obstetricians on the list that do not take your insurance will obviously be cut from the list. If care is being paid for out of pocket, move on to the next step.

4. Preparing the questions. Every mother knows just how they want to care for their newborn child. Even a first-time mother will have certain expectations in regards to their newborn and newborn care. The parents may want the male child to be circumcised before being discharged, for instance. Some doctors do not perform circumcisions in the hospital. This is a very important factor to know before giving birth. Other questions could include the doctors feelings on breast feeding versus bottle feeding, natural versus medicated childbirth and the doctors methods for assisted deliveries.

5. Interview the doctor. Once the list is complete, the mother to be should call the office to set up an interview with the doctor. Most often these interviews are free for the new patient and will give the mother a chance to ask all of the questions and get a feel for the doctor's mannerisms and actions.

6. Ask other patients. There is nothing wrong with asking fellow patients in the office about the doctor in general. The staff will also be able to shed some light on the doctor and how they feel his care for patients ranks against other doctors they have worked with or used in a more personal setting. Make sure to ask all female employees if the doctor is their obstetrician or gynecologist.

7. Make the choice. After the weeding down process and the interview process, it will be time to decide which doctor you will entrust with the care of your unborn child. This choice is a very important one and should not be rushed, but prenatal care that begins early is often the best care for baby and mom.

Tips & Warnings

• If you definitely want a male or female obstetrician, this can be the first cut on the list.

• Look for FACOG. The letters F.A.C.O.G. after the doctor's name means fellows doctors in the same field are willing to vouch for this doctor's level of care.