Obstetrical Caregivers
What is an "obstetrical caregiver"?
An obstetrical caregiver is an individual who cares for pregnant women. So, an obstetrical caregiver can be a nurse midwife, it can be a nurse practitioner, it can be a nurse, it can be a doctor, a doula; all of these people can care for a pregnant person.
What is an obstetrician compared to a perinatologist?
An obstetrician and a perinatologist have similar training in that they both went to medical school, they both did a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. An obstetrician stops there and then practices obstetrics. A perinatologist, or maternal fetal medicine doctor, typically then does additional training called a fellowship in which they are trained with high risk pregnancies. They have more advanced ultrasonography skills, they deal with higher risk pregnancy issues such as preterm labor, diabetes, preeclampsia, and a host of other things that are... Complications met in pregnancy that a perinatologist can deal with. They often work in close conjunction with one another, because oftentimes a general obstetrician will take care of a patient throughout the pregnancy, and the perinatologist will be consulted should problems arise.
What is an obstetrician compared to a gynecologist?
An obstetrician and gynaecologist is trained as obstetricians and gynaecologists. But they can then go out into the real world -- the non-training world -- and practice each speciality individually, or together. So a gynaecologist is a women's care provider, and will do anything from general exams, to any complications a woman might have with their health. An obstetrician specifically deals with the ins and outs of pregnancy. So you can practice both simultaneously, and oftentimes people practice both for a number of years and then decrease the amount of obstetrics and just continue with the gynaecologic practice.
What is a "midwife"?
Midwives are people that were trained to deliver babies. They do not have an M.D., and so they cannot do things like prescribe medications, but they can assist in a delivery. For insurance and liability reasons, midwives often have to be supervised or "backed up" by an M.D.; but there are many centers throughout the world, Los Angeles in particular, that they have these birthing centers where midwives will host birthing centers where women can get their obstetrical care throughout the nine months of pregnancy by these midwives, who may have one or two consultations with an obstetrician, but then the patient can labor and deliver with the assistance of a midwife.
How do I choose the best obstetrical caregiver for my needs?
The way to choose the best caregiver for you is to ask a friend who's had a good experience. I know that sometimes you can check your insurance website for a local provider, or you can call the local hospital, or you can look on a list that your work provides you, but I think the best way to actually get to a doctor that you'll feel comfortable with is to ask a friend what their experience was like. Anybody obstetrical caregiver that has been spoken highly of is worth meeting. Sometimes it takes meeting two or three doctors before you find somebody that gels with your personality, with your desires, with your level of concerns. Some doctors are very nonchalant about things and patients love that and some are very obsessive and conservative about things and some patients love that. So, asking a friend seems to be the best way, in my opinion, to find a good obstetrician.
Why are hospital privileges important when considering an obstetrical caregiver?
