"don_tspamme" wrote in message
ups.com...
...for the doctor who is delivering your baby to only show up when you
are at the pushing stage? I guess it doesn't really bother me, as my
doctor was in contact with the nurses at the hospital and everything,
and I did see him earlier in the day when I first went into labor - I
just was surprised that this was so. Now I am due with a second, and my
first doctor has retired, so I am wondering if this is normal procedure
or if basically the doula/midwives are the ones who spend time with you
during the labor process and the doctor only shows up at the end? I
have to find a new doctor, and I don't know if what I'm looking for
(more handholding I guess???) is more of a doula thing than a doctor
thing...

Very normal over here, and I'm in Alberta, Canada.
For all 3 of mine, the doctor was called towards the very end. For DS1, my
regular doctor was on holidays (of course, this happened over Xmas), and
that left the 2 other OBs in his office as the ones on call and covering for
my doc. Another doctor in original doc's office was the one called in for
my delivery, and she's the one that did my emergency section. After DS1 was
born, I requested to stick with this doctor that did the delivery, saw her
for my post-op and all that, and kept her as my doctor for DS2. Again, she
was called in towards the end and was not on holidays, was there for my VBAC
and I kept her for DD. She was actually on holidays when DD was born, so
the 3d doc in her office and the first doc I had originally were both on
call and covering for my doc while she was gone. The 3d doc in the office
did the VBAC for DD, and she was great, but I went back to my doc that
delivered DS2. I have her for #4, and I'm hoping she's not on holidays or
something come the end of this month!
DS1 was born early evening - 4:48pm on a Wednesday.
DS2 was born right afternoon - 12:14pm on a Wednesday.
DD was born mid afternoon - 2:46pm on a Thursday.
If my doc sat around waiting the whole day with me, basically from start to
finish, then there'd be no possible way she could have had any other women
for appointments or deliveries. I don't think it's possible for an OB or
doctor to basically hold each and every person's hand for labor and
delivery. Also, some could be on holidays, or unavailable for whatever
reason.