Your Obgyn Should Be Perfect

Whether you're preparing to have a baby or are already pregnant, or if you just want to find the right person for long-term personal care, finding the right obgyn is as much about finding the best doctor as it is about finding someone you trust. 

Choosing an obstetrician can be one of the most important decisions of a woman's life, and it should not be taken lightly. Regardless of whether the decision is based on who can provide the best personal care, on finding the person you want to trust with the birth of a child, or both, identifying the right obgyn is often an involved, extensive process.

While any doctor-patient relationship should also serve as a harmonious personal relationship, ensuring that there is personal compatibility and trust between an obgyn and a patient can be as important as the doctor's professional qualities.

That's not saying that professional qualities and medical background shouldn't play a role in determining whether an obstetrician is right for you. Much to the contrary, it's extremely important to determine whether any potential doctor has experience in working with and caring for your individual medical needs.

When it comes to a particular obstetrician's medical history, it's important to note whether he or she has worked with patients with conditions and medical histories similar to yours in the past. 

While each person is unique and circumstances often vary, it is always helpful - especially with pregnancy - for an obstetrician to have experience with what may be able to be expected in a given scenario. At the same time, specific details such as whether a certain doctor is covered under your insurance or is able to work in a hospital of your choosing should be addressed immediately.

Beyond this, the right obgyn is often the one whose views, approaches and personality match up best with his or her patient, especially when pregnancy is involved. Ask doctors how they approach various circumstances such as the administration of drugs during birth or whether or not natural childbirth is something that is possible. These and any other parts of the process you feel strongly about should be discussed ahead of time to make sure that you choose someone who is on the same page as you.

Similarly, how does a particular obstetrician make you feel? Are you comfortable asking questions and do you like the answers you're receiving? Do you trust what he or she says and do you feel as if there is a personal investment in you? Do you feel as if you know that this person is doing everything possible to answer every question and concern, make you feel most comfortable and help you have the best possible experience? 

These questions may seem somewhat trivial, or even too much to ask from an obgyn in some respects, but these are all integral parts of the relationship these types of doctors are supposed to have with their patients. Until you have found someone who demonstrates all of these qualities, you may not have found the right one.