If you're not happy with your current doctor, or if you need to find a specialist and are not sure where to look, try the following tips to find someone to handle your care before you are pregnant again after a pregnancy loss.
Here's How:
Determine what type of doctor you wish to see. If you do not have any major risk factors for having another miscarriage or stillbirth, your choices are usually an OB/GYN, a midwife, or a family practice physician.
Check with your insurance company. Depending on the type of coverage you have, you may not be able to choose just any physician -- you may have to use an in-network provider. If the latter is true, your insurance company should be able to direct you to a list of available options. You can also verify that your insurance company will cover the procedures of interest, such as testing for recurrent miscarriage causes.
Ask your friends and family for recommendations. If someone you know has had a good or bad experience with a particular physician, that information may be helpful for you in your quest for the right doctor.
Research healthcare practitioners online. Read ratings on physician review websites and visit individual physicians' websites to get a feel for their practice policies.
Check your phone book ads. Although print phone books might be things of the past in the not too distant future, for now they can still be handy. Some doctors may have informative phone book ads that give you information about their practice specialties and policies, such as whether or not weekend or evening appointments are available.
Interview physicians on your short list. Even if you are not able to speak directly with the doctor before setting up an actual appointment, the phone receptionist is usually able to give you the basic information about the practice and get answers to your questions. Calling the main number with questions can be a good way to find out how the phone support will be later on when you are pregnant and have questions for your doctor between appointments.
Have a final briefing with your current physician. This gives you the opportunity to get a summary of your medical circumstances and collect your medical records.
Tips:
If you have had multiple miscarriages, you may wish to see a specialist to test for recurrent miscarriage causes.
Research prospective physicians on UCompareHealthcare, where you can get free reports about physicians in your area.
Having good communication skills will help you work with any physician.
What You Need
- Details on your insurance coverage
- Copies of your past medical records
