When you think about keeping yourself healthy, what usually comes to mind? For many mamas, it may have to do with things like getting exercise, eating properly, and keeping away from sickness. While this is true, this isn’t the only thing mamas have to do to maintain their health. Aside from all the usual health-related practices, mamas also need to ensure that they’re healthy obstretrically and gynecologically.
Whether you’re pregnant (or planning on getting pregnant) or just ensuring you’re healthy in all aspects, taking a trip to the OBGyn will always be necessary. By doing so, you ensure that you have all bases covered when it comes to all the aspects of your health as a woman. You can never be too sure, after all. So, when it comes to the obstetric and gynecological aspects of your health, it’s best to go that extra mile to give you all the peace of mind you need.
With that in mind, how does one ensure their health in these aspects? One of the simplest, yet best answers to this question would be to see the right doctor for it. More specifically, seeing an Obstetrician and Gynecologist—an OBGyne for short. These are the people who specialize in all health matters pertaining to pregnancy—and the circumstances around it—and the female reproductive system.
However, for you mamas out there who still need to find the right doctor to consult, just what do you need to consider? How does one find the best OBGyne for you? In this article, we’ll go over the things you should keep in mind. That way, you can make the best informed decision you can when it comes to finding the perfect OBGyn for you!
The Job of an OBGyn
An OBGyn meaning obstetrician and gynecologist, is a doctor that specializes in the medical needs of women. In many instances, there are doctors that are both obstetricians and gynecologists. However, there are also doctors who are exclusively obstetricians and exclusively gynecologists. Whatever the case may be, each field has their respective field of expertise.
Obstetricians
Obstetricians—also knowns as OBs—focus solely on pregnancies and the health of would-be and expecting mothers. These doctors help ensure that you’re healthy enough to be able to handle a pregnancy. They also do what they can to help you through that pregnancy. From making sure that the baby you’re carrying is healthy to helping you avoid getting sick during that pregnancy, an OB is the right person to work with if you’re pregnant or planning on getting pregnant.
Of course, some people may also make the mistake of thinking that an OB is synonymous with a midwife. While it’s true that both can help manage pregnancies and the process of birthing, there are still some skills that a midwife may lack that an OB has. For example, an obstetrician can deal with pregnancies that are high risk, which is very important if you want to ensure the safety of your child and yourself. Aside from that, these doctors can also cover a vast spectrum of things that a midwife may lack the knowledge and expertise to do so. So, in the conversation of OBGyn vs midwife, while both are important in the pregnancy and birthing process, there are some things that an OB can do that a midwife can not.
Gynecologists
On the other hand, Gynecologists are doctors that focus more on all the medical matters pertaining to your reproductive tract. What’s more, they ensure that your reproductive and sexual health is preserved. So, they take care of things like your ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and breasts, among many other things. With that in mind, when it comes to matters involving diseases of the female reproductive system to your hormones and menstrual cycle, the Gynecologist is the person you should seek consultation with.
Factors and Qualities to Consider for an OBGyn
You might think that picking an OBGyn is a pretty straightforward process. Sometimes, it could be. However, most of the time, there’s a lot that goes into choosing the right doctor for you. Much like how you would choose the right school for your child to go to, there are several factors that a mama has to consider to ensure that they have the right OBGyn.
As maintaining your health is a collaborative effort between patient and doctor, it makes sense that you have a doctor that you’re willing to work with. So, by choosing the right OBGyn, you’re doing what you can to have a doctor that you’re comfortable dealing with and willing to listen to. Otherwise, any treatment plans or regimens recommended by a doctor you aren’t comfortable with might not work as much because you might not like what they’re telling you.
With that in mind, here are some factors you mamas can take into consideration when looking for an Obstetrician, Gynecologist, or OBGyn to help you look after your health.
Proximity
For many people, one of the first considerations would be to look for OBGyn clinics near me. While it sounds one of the silliest factors to consider when deciding on an OBGyn, it’s actually one of the most practical ways to do so. Of course, it’s not supposed to be the only basis for your decision, but it’s an important factor to keep in mind.
You see, by having a doctor that’s easy for you to visit, it’s going to be easier for you to get your OBGyn check up. In the case of an expecting mother, having an OB that’s within reach makes it easier for you to keep getting your prenatal checkups done. As these are important to help monitor the progress of your pregnancy and the health of the little human you’re carrying, it’s important you don’t miss these checkups. So, by having a doctor that’s close to you or easy to visit, you’re at least ensuring that you’re getting the healthcare you need when you need it!
Availability
Aside from the proximity, another important factor to take into consideration would be availability. While having an OBGyn that’s near you is a plus, it won’t be of much use if their schedule doesn’t fit in with yours. So, if you happen to be busy on weekdays, it would be great to have an OBGyn open on Saturday for consultation.
Apart from that, it would also be good to have a doctor that’s willing to do online OBGyn consultations and checkups. This is another great way to check-in with your doctor as needed, especially if your schedule isn’t that flexible throughout the week. It’s one other way to work around a busy schedule to still ensure that you get to have those scheduled appointments in.
Feedback
Another factor you can take into consideration when choosing your OBGyn would be the feedback other people have regarding them. One of the best ways to learn about the different doctors you can choose from would be to talk to your fellow mamas and friends. If these people have a doctor, you can at least ask them about how they are. Maybe they can help you with your search for an OBGyn by recommending their doctor or a doctor they know.
By hearing feedback from a certain doctor’s patients, you can at least have some sort of picture of what kind of person they are. If a certain doctor gets praise from their patients, this might give you even more options to consider. It might even lead you to pick them! Having someone else’s first-hand experience can do so much and also help you have an idea as to what you might expect from them should you become their patient.
Their Communication Style
Another thing to consider when choosing your OBGyn would be to figure out how you like being communicated with. While it is a doctor’s job to tell you what you need to know about your condition or concern, there are still a vast number of ways that this can be communicated to you.
Some doctors are straightforward and explain things in a way that requires a little bit of medical knowledge to understand. While this isn’t necessarily wrong, sometimes it doesn’t work for some patients. On the other hand, there are doctors who go the extra mile and find a way to make you understand what it is you’re dealing with. Then there are also doctors who like keeping things as casual as possible, talking to you like they were talking to another friend.
As medicine is an art, there are many ways that doctors can practice this art. By finding one that you feel like you can communicate with properly and vice versa, it makes things even easier for you to understand when it comes to whatever you’re dealing with and how you’re supposed to manage and treat it with them. It might not seem much, but proper communication can go a very long way in the medical process.
Specializations and Credentials
One of the more important things to take into account when choosing an OBGyn would be their credentials and what they specialize in. It’s true that all obstetricians and gynecologists are doctors that focus on treating mama’s planning on getting pregnant, pregnant mamas, and general female reproductive health. However, there are some cases where you might need an OBGyn with a specific set of skills and knowledge.
For example, if you may be dealing with a form of cervical cancer, it’s true that you’ll need a gynecologist. However, you may also need the help of a gynecologic oncologist, a doctor who specializes in cancers that involve the female reproductive system. On the other hand, if you’re a mama that wants to get pregnant but is struggling with it, you may want an obstetrician that specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. With their help, you could work around the difficulty you have when it comes to getting pregnant.
With all this in mind, finding yourself an OBGyn may be easier now because you can at least narrow down your options. You can help rule in certain doctors you have in mind if you know that they can help you with the issues you are dealing with. You can also rule out those that you don’t think you’ll be able to work well with based on things like how they communicate and from feedback from their other patients. Hopefully, this article can help you make more informed decisions when choosing your doctor as doing so will have a great impact on your health. After all, every mama wants to be as healthy as can be. So, it’s important to do what you can to make this so!
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