OK, so I was happily living in Connecticut when DH gets his dream job, necessitating a move to Atlanta. This, in itself, is not a bad thing. OK, we lost a bomb on our house and have absolutely no savings left for a downpayment on a new home, but renting for a few years isn't so bad - we've done it before. I actually have the luxury of not having to carry the health insurance anymore, and can take as long as I want off with the babies, whereas if we had stayed in CT I would have had to have been back at work within 3 months. The climate down here is wonderful. My new neighbours are fantastic. Our home is so close to my DH's work that he can occasionally come home for lunch. And, last but by no means least, we are about 14 hours drive away from my in-laws. (believe me, this is a BIG plus!!!)

OK, so whay am I whinging, exactly?

I am 21 weeks pregnant with twins, after IVF, at 36 years old. This puts me into a high risk category. Do you think I can get my new OB to figure that one out? I saw her 1 week ago. I told her that I was on baby asprin for anticardiolipin antibodies, and had been for well over a year before I conceived. OK, she says, we should stop your asprin. OK, I said - why? She didn't know, but the idea of being on any type of asprin sounded bad to her. So she suggested that we recheck my levels and refer me to a perinatologist. I have absolutely no problem with this, so for the next few days I wait for the phonecall that they assure me will come from the perinatologist's office. Monday the OB's office calls. "Your bloodwork was fine, so we're just going to wait and see what the perinatologist says about the aspirin." OK, says I, but I don't have an appointment with them yet. Then the nurse turns around and tells me "well, you should have". Listen lady, I know what I should have. Get your finger out of your a** and get the referral sent down there, and then I will have an appointment!!!

The other thing that really freaked me out, was that my new OB walked into the office and congratulated me on my twins - then said "one of each, how lovely for you". Stunned, I said that I was having 2 girls. Not, she reported, according to my chart. At this stage, she didn't have a copy of the 18 week u/s, but she said that through some of my bloodwork they were able to detect one fetus with XX and one with XY chromosomes. Which sounded totally odd to me, as I have not had CVS or amnio done. I called my old OB back in CT and he went through my chart, the same one that he had copied and sent to my new Dr. We concluded that the only thing she could have been looking at was mine and my DH's genetic test results prior to out attempting IVF, as these were the only pages in the chart with XX and XY written on them anywhere.

So now I am a little worried that she cannot read, but what the heck, she had just skimmed the chart, it was the first time she met me...I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Needless to say, I have since called 3 times in the past week, and the perinatal group still denies ever having received a referral from my OB. And my OB's office insists they have sent one. Oh, the humanity!! Now my OB is refusing to refer me for the fetal echocardiogram recommended by both my RE and my OB in Connecticut, because she doesn't see any reason why I should need one. Listen lady, 2 other doctors with whom I have considerably more history and significantly more faith have both recommended a fetal echocardiogram. So just write the stupid referral.

Today, I have had 2 conversations with my OB's office, have refaxed them my medical records including the 18 week u/s and my OB and RE's recommendation for a fetal echo for the second time, and I am still waiting for a referral for high risk screening.

HELP!!!! Unfortunately, this is one of the few "high risk" groups around, and I have to use them. But I think I might be seeing another doc in the practice, if they ever get around to scheduling me an appointment, that is!!!

Sorry about the essay. But I do feel quite a bit better!!!!

Hope everyone else is having a happy, frustration-free day!

AinsR

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I had a nightmare with my OB's office too and it's so stressful. I ended up switching doctors in the same practice and being very happy. Definitely do something because she sounds like she is not paying attention at all.

As for the aspirin. I had pre-eclampsia with DS#1 and my OB actually told me to take baby aspirin for DS#2 so I don't think there's anything wrong with taking baby aspirin. I know they tell you not to take regular aspirin but that also matters more at the end.

Good luck... how frustrating!

You are NOT being given the attention & treatment you deserve!!! I would call all day long until I had an appt w/ another dr in the practice!!

That sounds like a nightmare! I would definitely switch doctors ... maybe even practices as I'm sure Atlanta has plenty of other doctors to choose from.

May I ask why you have to see a "high-risk" doctor? As you can tell from my signature, I also have twin girls (you'll love it!!). I saw my regular OB/Gyn throughout my pregnancy but she referred me out to a Maternal Fetal Specialist for the big things (20 week and 28 week ultrasounds).

Hope everything gets resovled quickly and congrats on your babies!!

Anne2571
ME: 37 ... High FSH, history of irregular cycles last 20 years
DH: 40 ... No MF problems
06/06 - FSH 12.4
08/06 - IUI #1 BFN
12/06 - IUI #2 BFN
03/07 - IVF #1 BFP (twin girls born in 11/07)

Hi Anne, I think the only reason they are putting me in the high risk category is advanced maternal age and IVF twin pregnancy, although the anticardiolipen antibodies might have something to do with it. I am taking everyone's advice and trying to get to another Dr in the same practice to start - I really want to deliver at the University hospital downtown because they have the best neonatal unit, just in case! Most of the other groups work out of hospitals in the suburbs, and we live in the city so that would be quite a haul for us, especially given Atlanta traffic.

BTW, do your doctors consider a fetal echocardiogram as a standard test? The Dr's back at Yale were adamant that a fetal echo should be done at 22 weeks, and this MD says she sees no reason for it. I know there has been some research that IVF conceptions have a 1 to 1.5% higher chance of having a cardiac anomoly, that is why Yale does the extra screening. Just wondering if anyone else gets this scan routinely.

Thanks! Boy, is this stressful!!

AinsR

I ended up going to a university hospital. Better specialists and better well learned doctors. I would run ASAP.. She sounds quite inexperienced..

I have, indeed, switched OB's. I'm still within the same practice, because believe it or not it is the University Hospital's practice, but I have changed to a different MD. The new MD is the head of the practice and seems much more experienced in multiple pregnancies. I actually ended up calling the university's RE group down here and asking which OB they recommended. The only thing I am a little scared of is that on the day of my delivery, this younger MD will be the doc on call! If so, I think I'll cross my legs and walk out of the delivery room!!! (Chances are I'll be a scheduled c-section though, in which case I won't have to worry)

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my rant, and for all of the advice. I feel much happier. I have my next u/s scheduled for wednesday the 30th, and then I meet the new OB on August 8th.

Thanks again for giving me the push I needed.
AinsR

I would try to look for another practice. I can't believe a high risk doc would not know about the baby aspirin! Plus she NEVER should have commented about the gender. What if you did not want to know? Plus it sounds like it was incorrect info in the first place.

I am a long-time Atlantan and would be happy to talk to you about the ins and outs of all the OB practices here- I also work in this industry-

you are welcome to email me-
piper_atl
@
yahoo
dot
com

Emory? they are great with high risk and multiples, we have several friends who've been with them and all were happy. Or if it's just her and the practice in general is ok, talk to the practice mgr about not seeing her any more. One last thing - when I had my dd the dr. I did NOT like in the office ended up being awesome in the delivery room.