22. Shopping Around

well i had my long awaited doctor appointment yesterday!

the big thing i wanted to know about was the pain i've been having in my hip(s)/thigh. evidently it is not normal and so i begin physical therapy tomorrow morning! i can't tell you how excited i am about this - hopefully hopefully hopefully it helps!

i was also told the next time i feel any chest pain/heaviness like i did last week i should just go in to the emergency room to get checked out. she didn't think it was anything too serious but just wants to be on the safe side. fine by me!

i have to say that while i really like my doctor and think she is very nice i was a little disappointed with some things yesterday and it's got me thinking....

first off - we showed up to our one o'clock appointment early - but not too early. we got in fairly quickly. once i talked to the nurse and she left it was one o'clock. we sat in that room for 45 minutes! the doctor finally showed up and while she was very nice there was absolutely no mention of being sorry that she was running late. i know that things can get hectic there but a little apology would have been nice and probably smoothed everything over for me. but don't make me wait 45 minutes when the entire lobby was empty of patients and act like you showed up on time.

i had a list of questions to ask. it had been six weeks since i was last in there. i was expecting a little quality time - especially since she seems to have given her last patient all the time in the world. i'm pretty sure if i hadn't been forceful in bringing them up she would have taken a look at me and sent me on my way all in a span of two minutes!

one of my questions regarded birthing tubs - or at least tubs that i could labor in. she said they had showers. uh yeah - pretty sure those two have nothing in common. so that sucked.

like i said - my doctor is very nice but i just don't feel right somehow. i know doctors can't be super one on one and remember all their patients but it's my first baby and it's a big deal to me, ya know? my doctor has a couple of other doctors in her practice and any one of them might end up in the delivery room with me. that's fine and i understand - but shouldn't i at least get to meet these other doctors? perhaps have an appointment with each one of them? that way at least i'll know who they are even though they may not remember me.

and i must admit i'm a little disappointed about the lack of birthing amenities. granted i have no idea how my labor will go and laboring in water/water birth may not be in the cards. but i'd like the option. i called the other hospital in town - they have an actual birthing center. so they said i could just show up anytime and they'd give me a tour. chris and i are going to do that when he gets off work tonight. i'll ask a bunch of questions and then make up my mind about whether or not i want to make such a big switch.

i'm also going to start interviewing doula's. that way i know i'll have someone there who knows me and that will give some piece of mind.