Very unhappy with OB - Need a new one at 34 weeks

[totalfrog]

Brief history of this pregnancy.

- I have high blood pressure even when not pregnant so Labetalol from day one.
- I broke my leg in three places when I was 19 weeks
- I had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove screws so I could walk and had stitches taken out this morning.
- I am now 34 weeks pregnant and my BP has been 130/80 consistently without change (except for when it dropped after surgery) the entire pregnancy.
- I have had scans to measure baby's growth and the little one is growing just as it should.
- Bubs is very active
- There is NO protein in my urine. Absolutely none. Not a speck.

Saw OB this afternoon and he has decided I am to be induced at 37 weeks. He also decided it would be a good idea to tell me that it would be better to do things his way then to end up losing another child. (DD3 died last year at 3 days old from a congenital neuromuscular condition).

I don't think I need to be induced and even if I did I think it is WAY to early to decide now. I think my baby is at much greater risk if it is born unnecessarily early. Am I wrong?

Sorry for the long post but I am sure that I am right and he is wrong. What do you guys think?

[Traveller]

you have certainly had a terrible time of it, I hope things get better from here on in.

I could not possibly comment on whether or not your baby would be better born at 37 weeks. In general babies born earlier struggle more, but I do not known the ins and outs of your medical history and how this would affect your baby. However it is very important that if you are unhappy about the advice you have been given you seek a 2nd opinion, a 3rd if you need to. You need to be able to trust your care provider in order to feel confident you are making the right choices, and your doctor bringing up the sad loss of Ruby which was not related to your BP seems cruel and unnecessary. If only for that, I would be tempted to change doctors and start afresh with someone who does not resort to emotional blackmail to get his own way.

Trav
xx

[onthefly]

I would definitely get a second opinion. At this late stage you may find it difficult to find another private OB to take you on, but there's no harm in ringing around. Then there's always the public system - they don't tend to do anything unless it's cost-effective (so no unecessary early inductions).
I'm no medical expert, but I don't really follow his rationale for the early induction either. Good luck!

[totalfrog]

The worst part is I never wanted to see him in the first place. I was happy with my GP and she referred me to him when I needed surgery at 32 weeks because the surgeon wanted a letter from an OB. I am going to see my GP tomorrow and hopefully she can help me. My BP was actually higher in my first 2 pregnancies and she got me through those without me needing to be induced 3 weeks early.

I am just scared that she will say I can't see her now that I have seen him.

[allycat06]

Definitely get a second or even third opinion. An OB might not take you on so late in the pregnancy but it wouldn't hurt to ask. I switched OBs twice before deciding at 30 weeks that the public system was probably the best option for me.

[onthefly]

I hope your GP can take you back - I can't see why not, the surgery is all sorted now, right?

[LionsandBears]

If you're GP has good contacts, she should be able to ring around and see if you can get in with someone else. Otherwise, you may want to call a couple yourself and see if they'll take you.