Seriously irresponsible of the Dr!

[Nevaie]

I suppose this is mostly just me ranting/venting. I have a history of pregnancy losses and a family history of the same (which to my knowledge is considered the main 'risk' this time around) and have been having some problems with bleeding - mostly dark brown -and an SCH. But every ultrasound shows baby in great shape, heart rate around 165-168 BPM, great movement, perfect development ect. I also made it to 13 weeks today which where I'm from is considered the start of the 2nd trimester - though I know the date varies area to area and this site uses 14 weeks.

I found myself with a bit of a problem this time around as I no longer have insurance and the only option available to me turned out to be waaaay too expensive (his new job only offers insurance at $336 a WEEK and that's before co-pays/deductibles. Seriously.) So anyways, luckily the State was willing to help us out with prenatal only coverage but so far no plan or anything like that. Just guarantee of payment to anyone willing to accept that sort of coverage. Which is almost no one. I found a local clinic willing to take me but am seen by a regular family doctor, not an OB and certainly not a high risk specialist. This is where I started having problems... They tell me almost nothing and seem to be in way over their heads. I was sent in for a quantitative hCG test to check for 'viability of the pregnancy' at just over 11 weeks - and this was AFTER I'd had an ultrasound showing a perfectly healthy baby and no issues other than the SCH. 2nd drawn was at about 12 weeks. Then they left a frantic (and stressful) message on my phone asking about if everything was still OK, was I having an symptoms and call back asap to have another draw done. They still wouldn't tell me ANYTHING. I went in for the 3rd draw yesterday - at 12 weeks 6 days.

Lucky for me after the upsetting message left on my phone I'd looked up info on hCG levels to see what range mine should be in. I found out that they peak at 8-11 weeks and then begin dropping and leveling off. So when the office called today to tell me that the numbers were dropping (though they didn't give me the actual numbers) I was already prepared for it. I asked about how they're supposed to drop at this point anyways and was told nope, never supposed to drop. I have another ultrasound tomorrow anyways and expect to see baby looking as perfect as ever. But I find myself extremely ANGRY. What if I didn't already know the numbers were supposed to drop and just took them at their word? I'd be right back to thinking I was losing my baby (which they've had me convinced of a few times already due to not knowing what they're doing or what was happening), stressing out, rushing to the ER, missing my little boy's concert tonight and would surely be upset enough to potentially be harmed by all the stress and anxiety.

It just doesn't seem right that a medical doctor would order a test she obviously doesn't know much about and give out false and upsetting information. At this point I'm about at the end of my rope and would love to switch doctors but find myself unable to unless I can get on a plan or find a way to pay for all of it myself. Unfortunately I just don't have the money to pay out of pocket for a technically high risk and extra expensive pregnancy. I'm stuck and angry and worried and it's just really not okay.

 

[chasingbfp]

 

[Nevaie]

I used to have a great doctor but the office won't see me anymore unless I either get on certain plans or can pay cash. And they didn't even sound very fond of the cash option. Luckily the clinic I go to doesn't do their own ultrasounds. It's subbed out by an office that DOES have high risk specialists and I'm usually able to talk to one of their doctors briefly after the ultrasound. Hopefully I'll be able to this time as well and they'll be able to answer a couple questions for me.

And yup, I have a doppler at home as well and it certainly is tricky at first to find baby's heartbeat when your own keeps popping up. That's another thing that's helped me through all this stress as well. It's so nice to just be able to hear it when I'm all stressed.

 

[chasingbfp]

Well, atleast you are able to talk with a high risk doctor occasionally. Personally, I would refuse anymore hcg blood draws. I always thought hcg was no longer reliable after week 6 or 7? Ultrasound gives all the answers. Even though I KNOW hcg goes down further in pregnancy it would scare the hell out of me to hear my numbers dropped even if I could still hear baby's hb! I had a loss in July and the last thing you want to hear about is anything being wrong.

 

[Dollybird]

It's times like this I'm glad I live in the Uk. God bless the NHS!! Lol. People moan about it but I think they'd feel different about it if faced with your situation. I've had three scans so far and specialist care due to a previous ectopic. All free on NHS. I feel terrible for you that you are unable to get the care you need and deserve. I wish u all the best with your pregnancy and hope it works out for you xxx

 

[Nevaie]

I am able to get lots of tests and ultrasounds. They don't seem to have any problems ordering any and all they can think of. The problem is that they seem to be having alot of trouble understanding and interpreting the results or knowing which tests are most appropriate for what complications/stages of pregnancy. Plus the issue of never telling me anything. I think the Dr may genuinely be trying her best but this isn't her area of expertise and she's obviously not used to communicating regularly with her normal patients. It's just frustrating and upsetting when they keep most things secret, don't want to give me results and when they do they tend to give me what turns out to be bad information. For once, I'm rather glad that I've already been through this so many times, know quite a bit and know how and where to get more information when needed. I really don't know what I'd do if I had only their word to go off. It's terrifying and I worry that someone else with less experience with this sort of thing may have to go through this same issue with them.

 

[Scout]

ugg...that whole situation sounds so stressful to me. And certainly does sound like the doctor, however well meaning, has no clue about stuff like this. I'm glad you are able to get someone qualified in prenatal care to do your ultrasounds at least. But the not giving you all the info they have really bugs me. My OB and the high risk OB that I saw last week both tell me everything...the good and the bad. Being left in the dark is just another stress that nobody needs. Good luck, hun.

 

[ncmommy]

I'm sorry you are going through this, it sounds stressful. Could you call around to other offices and see if they could put you on some sort of payment plan. I hear a lot of people are able to negotiate for services that do not have insurance.

 

[TatorMom]

Both OB's and OB offices that I've been to, for DS2 and now this pregnancy, offer reduced rate payment plans for women who don't have prenatal insurance coverage. It's something you can ask about. I also got hundreds of thousands of dollars of free medical care from over 5 specialists at OSU Med Center during all my health issues after DS2 was born. We had a gap in insurance when DH left the Army and before his current insurance kicked in. I would never get insurance through my own work because it's horrible, so we just dealt with a couple month gap. I told my specialists that we had the money to pay, but didn't want to fork out the cash when insurance would kick in in a couple months. One of the specialists heading my care called that same day that I cancelled an appt and said I couldn't hold off 2 months and that everything would be free, and it was. I would ask and don't speak to the secretary. Every large OB's office should have someone who handles the financial matters. There are many doctor who've gone into medicine because they wanted to help and make a difference. Quite a few will offer reduced rate services or free services if they know someone situation. I work with 2 high risk OB's that have offered free serviced. Now they obviously can't do it for everyone or we'd go out of business, but they do it as much as they can. I'm sure they're not the only one's. I would offer free care if I felt the patient truly needed it and truly couldn't afford to pay. Just call some OB offices in your area and ask.

 

[Nevaie]

I do have prenatal coverage through the State. It's just very limited and not many Doctors accept this type since it doesn't come with a plan. Every office I called (except the one that accepted me obviously) either only took certain plans or needed a PCP (primary care physician - basically a regular family doctor in charge of your basic care) referral. I no longer have a PCP. My old family doctor left state and my current medical coverage doesn't cover any non-prenatal appointments or provide a PCP. I'm hoping I'll hear more soon and maybe get on a plan but who knows.

 

[Bumpblessing4]

You are correct. They shouldn't have ordered it in the first place, and also true is the peak around 9 to 10 weeks. The levels do go down after that. It's kind of scary that they didn't know that....

 

[Pers]

Can you get a PCP? My hospital has a residents clinic that accepts patients on a sliding pay scale based on income and they function as PCPs and can make referrals to specialists. Maybe something like that is available in your area? Or you can find a PCP who takes patients on sliding fee and get your referral that way? I would definitely try to get a PCP and referral over trying to find an OB on my own, definitely more difficult to find an OB and you need a PCP anyway. Can the clinic you are going to refer you to an OB?

 

[User1221]

Why get pregnant if you knew you were such high risk but had no
PCP, insurance, or OB/GYN. Why not abstain from pregnancy until these important people where set up and established?

 

[DobbyForever]

I hope you are able to sort out the insurance and find a doctor soon.

I do feel like you are being very unfairly hard on this doctor, who agreed to take you on in your time of desperation and ordered the tests to try and help you. You're getting mad at a primary care doctor/family doctor for not understanding obstetrics and gynecology details. It'd be like if a parent came in and yelled at me for "art" time being a lot of drawing and coloring. Sure, I have a multiple subject degree and read about 10 pages about p.e. and art but the district can't afford to pay an art teacher or train me to teach art or provide art supplies so we draw and color. My pcp won't even order hcg tests. My gyn went on vacation, and they hadn't assigned me a new one and she still said no/ talk to the gyn department because she is not a gyn.

If you want proper care for your baby, you need a gyn not a pcp. Keep looking, keep trying. Why can't this pcp refer you? Or how much is the out of pocket pcp visit to get a referral? Take extra shifts at work (I have a friend in here who is second tri and literally working 10+ hours a day and didn't get a day off for a month to save up month for L&D and her husband also took over time). Have a garage sale. Find coupons. Use groupon. Find a way to make it happen. You can do it.

 

[Scout]

This thread is almost 4 years old. Wondering why anyone would bring it up after this long just to ask the OP why she got pregnant knowing what she knows. It was 4 years ago!

 

[DobbyForever]

This thread is almost 4 years old. Wondering why anyone would bring it up after this long just to ask the OP why she got pregnant knowing what she knows. It was 4 years ago!

lol that's hilarious I didn't even check the date I hope she figured things out