Puester wrote:
don_tspamme wrote:
...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...



In my experience it's not uncommon. Otherwise the Dr. would never be
able to schedule office hours because s/he'd be sitting in the hospital
most days and nights waiting it out with whoever was in labor.

gloria p

I agree that it's not uncommon (I used an OB for my first birth --
never again!) but it can't simply be because of office hour concerns.
Many midwives run practices that are identical to OBs, but are
nonetheless able to "wait it out" with the woman in labor, often by
having group practices where one midwife is "on call" for office
visits, while the others attend laboring women. OBs, in my experience,
just have a different standard of care. If you want someone to be with
you during labor, use a midwife.

Bryna