Crisis Averted

This week, one of the items on my to-do list was to call my OB/GYN and schedule my first appointment with them. I explained my situation to the receptionist, told them they would be receiving all my medical records from MRC this week and that I'd like to see Dr. Hal Younglove, the OB/GYN I've been seeing for 10 years. It was all good - until she told me Dr. Younglove has recently stopped delivering babies - but they had other doctors in the practice with openings.

What?!!

First of all, doesn't she know you're not supposed to surprise a pregnant woman? Second of all, I didn't want to choose the person that delivers my child based soley on appointment availability! I quickly rambled something about wanting to ask some friends for a referral and hung up the phone.

I immediately checked my insurance provider and found a list of about 10 OB/GYNs in Lawrence. I quickly eliminated most of them because I do not want to deliver at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Nothing against LMH, I have many friends who have had wonderful experiences there. However, Overland Park Regional is practically as close to our house as LMH and Overland Park Regional has the best NICU in the Kansas City area. I want to deliver there.

The practice I've been going to for 10 years is actually based out of Overland Park. They operate a Lawrence office and each of the doctors take 1 day a week to come to Lawrence (my old doctor was here on Wednesdays). In addition, they all deliver at OPR and they are all covered under my insurance. They are also located right across the street from my office - hello, convenient! I knew this was the right practice for me, now I just had to choose a doctor. I read all of their bios, looked at their photos, did some research and narrowed it down to 2 doctors. Then I got an idea that I should have thought of in the first place. I called my specialist. I explained to the nurses that my doctor had abandoned me (just kidding) and asked if they had any recommendations for Lawrence OB/GYNs. As it turns out, not only did they have a recommendation, but the doctor they suggested was one of the 2 I had narrowed it down to! What are the chances of that?!! It felt like a good omen. Plus, for the first time in my life, I will be seeing a woman OB/GYN. Not that it really matters to me, but for some reason I'm liking the idea that the person delivering my child has actually experienced it from my point of view before. (And I think Drew is a bit more comfortable with the idea of a woman doctor as well.)

The next day I called the Lawrence branch of the Women's Healthcare Group and my first appointment with Dr. Margaret Estrin is on Tuesday, June 10, 2008.

Whew...crisis averted.