Hey girls,
I'm wondering why my doctor doesn't tell me some of the things that your doctors tell you. My last few appts, (my last one being at 32+5) she never mentioned - or even checked for that matter - if the baby dropped, or if she was engaged or anything like that. She never tells me my exact measurements, just that I'm measuring right for my dates. I've complained at my last two appts about the strong pelvic pressure I've been getting, and it keeps getting worse to the point where I cant even breathe during the worst of it. And she doesn't check anything. I also asked if she could give me an estimate of how big the baby is right now, and she said no. She wouldn't until I was full term, as she "Doesn't deliver many 33 weekers". My appts consist of peeing in a cup, taking my weight and blood pressure, measuring the fundal height, and listening to the heartbeat.

I've been kinda worried lately, since my bump seems to have dropped a bit, and gotten smaller. I'm having more and more sharp pains, and I'm sore down there all the time! I kinda wish she would have been a little more thorough just to put my mind at rest. Do you girls think if she does the same at my next appt, should I ask her? Or what should I do?

Also are some of you girls having the same thing? Thanks!

Sounds like my practice. I really wanted to switch around my 30th week because i never seem to see the same doctor twice but i was "too far along" for another doctor to accept me. What i ended up doing was starting to ask a lot of questions. Even when they get annoyed and look like i'm taking too much of their time i keep asking until i get the answers that i feel i need.
I definitely think it is a "states" issue with prenatal care. They seem to take a "don't ask, don't tell" type of attitude.
At this point i know my fundal height is 38.5 (which is big) and that the baby is engaged though they have yet to check if i've started to dilate. I'm going to question them about that when i go in this friday.

They also seem to like to scare the crap out of me for no apparant reason. They keep finding reasons that i should have US after US and this test and that test but low and behold everything is fine (just like i told them it was).

My doctor is the same way. I find her to be terrible at times. My doctors appointments consist of peeing in a cup, asking the same questions (ie: if i had contractions) and taking my blood pressure.

My doctor has only measured me twice. I had NO idea what anyone meant by measuring until a few weeks ago. She measured me the last time I was there, but I figure it was only because she had a student with her and even then she told me nothing.

When she had the student with her she told her everything about my pregnancy, and I didn't even know half of it. Most of the time she was talking about things to do with my pregnancy I kept saying "really?" because I didn't know any of these things happened or affect me.

I'm very unimpressed with my doctor. I know next to nothing about my pregnancy. Thank god for the internet because I wouldn't even know what to do when I'm pregnant.

Honestly hon, if I didn't ask everything my doctor was doing I probably wouldn't know. I always have to ask what my belly measurement was,the babies heartbeat,if the baby was engaged or not etc. I'm pretty sure if I didn't ask I wouldn't know. They really don't volunteer information for me it seems. Although, your doctor should be more worried about the pressure! I told my doctor about the severe pressure I had and she had me on the table with my pants down in 30seconds flat . At your next visit tell her that you would like to know more about whats going on etc and she should tell you.

My Dr. is really open with me and he takes the time to answer all mine and DH questions (DH is better at asking the questions than I am). I HIGHLY recommend my Dr., but I'm not crazy about where I have to deliver my baby.

If you are concerned make sure you tell her and that she takes the time to answer the questions. YOU ARE THE CLIENT YOU ARE PAYING THEM! It's my worst pet peeve about Drs. They seem to forget this little fact!

I think the doctors here might care a bit less about things like that because we're not paying them. Health care is free here. I honestly wouldn't put it past them to do the bare minimum for that fact alone.

Oh but we do pay for that healthcare ultimately with our precious tax dollars. That should be no excuse for shitty service. Doctors earn too much.

Thanks girls. Thats a good idea Jenny, about making it a bigger issue about the pressure. I have no idea whats normal, since this is my first, and it seems like my concerns get brushed aside sometimes. The only time they seemed concerned was when I didn't feel the baby for 2 days...

I guess its normal for them not to volunteer information (even tho that seems terrible, as its us and our children they are caring for). It's just that my old doctors office seemed to include me more in what was going on. They always told me what her heart rate was, and what was going on. They never measured me tho, which might have been normal since I wasn't as far along yet... And its frustrating cause I really like my doctor, she's nice, personable, and I feel comfortable with her. I just feel kinda out of the loop, and the pressure not seeming like a concern bothered me a bit. I'll just make sure I'm more forward next time. I have a tendency to plan on saying things, and then get nervous and quiet LOL. I have braces, and I was supposed to get them off 8 months ago. They kept putting it off, saying they were just fine tuning and would come off any day now. My last appointment, I was planning on going in there, telling them to take them off. Luckily my orthodontist said immediately when looking at my teeth that I get to get them off next visit, or I may have actually blown up on them LOL. Anyway, thanks again girls!

Didn't see the posts from HollDoll's on sorry! HollDoll is your doctor in the Fremont area? Not that I really have time to switch now...

And you girls deserve good treatment even if you dont have to pay. I WISH we didn't have to pay!! Healthcare is really expensive here, and we still dont get great treatment!!!!

Absolutely right! Our healthcare is WAY too expensive and the service sucks a lot!

Yeah, he's in Fremont. He's at Palo Alto Medical. He just transferred there, which I'm very sad about, but getting used to the idea. His wife is going to be our doula, she's a midwife, so he's more open to natural births than most of the drs. around here. I'm delivering at Washington Hospital which is NOT very open about natural births, that's the part I don't like about them.