US...every two weeks

[Scout]

In the US, when does your doctor start seeing you every two weeks?

I'm high risk due to age (over 40) and three losses, no living children, so my OB saw me once a week until I was 13 weeks. He then wanted to see me every 2 weeks, but I told him no that I didn't want to come that often and I'd rather do every 4-6 weeks, he agreed. Last week after my appt. he told me he'd see me in 2 weeks. I told him I didn't want to come back in just 2 weeks, but he said this is the point he starts seeing all his patients every 2 weeks. So just wondering if this is when other doctors do this too??

I see a high risk OB as well, and I'm seeing him every 4 weeks right now. Then when I get to 36 weeks, he wants me to see both my regular OB and him once a week...that's 2 OB appts. a week! I don't think this is all necessary, but if it is then I'll go along with it. I am thinking of canceling my regular OB appt for next week and rescheduling for 2 more weeks out, but, like I said, if there is a reason I need to be going every 2 weeks at this point I will...so what is normal in the US??

My copay for regular OB is $100 and for high risk is $170...so all these appts are costing me a small fortune and frankly I don't want to be paying for appts that aren't necessary. thanks

 

[MomPepperdine]

I'm 28 weeks saterday my next app is 3 weeks then every 2 weeks from. There

 

[JillMc]

I was every 2 weeks from 30 weeks and every week from 36 weeks. I am not high risk or anything but ob says that that is the normal schedule. I probably would have questioned it too if I had a high copay like yours, but I am luck enough to be on a PPO so I had the one copay in the begining and then I dont have to pay another until baby is born. I just find it a pain in the ass to go there so much when I am 45 mintues away and have a toddler for them just to tell me that I am still pregnant and fat

 

[CatherineK]

I've been seen every two weeks from 30 weeks on with all my pregnancies. If you'd rather bee seen less often, that's up to you!

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

My OB said my pregnancy is going perfectly, so he doesn't want to see me every two weeks until I'm 36 weeks, unless I want to come in more often (which, like you, I don't).

It's your option to refuse the appointments, just tell them you prefer the monthly appointments until you're a little closer to your due date.

 

[CatherineK]

You should not have to see both docs still, though. I'd just stick with one. As for your copy...ouch! I've never heard of one that high for each apt! I pay one 20 copay (one time only) and that covers all my OB apts.

 

[Julesillini8]

My doc starts every two weeks at the third tri, so 28 wks. Then every week at 36 wks. Then it was almost every other day when I went past my due date ( kept doing ultrasounds to make sure fluid levels were still ok, placenta still ok for baby etc) this time around I wish I could skip ALL of these appointments and just call him when I go into labor lol. I'm sure it's important to keep track of growth, babies HR, my weight, check urine etc, talk to me to make sure there are no problems... However maybe just because its my second Pregnancy i just dnt have any questions and I just feel like its pointless since I'm literally in and out in 3 minutes ( after having to wait to see home for 40 min!). Again I know it's not pointless, I just feel this way. I agree that maybe you could just see one of your docs regularly now, instead of both! How costly!

 

[Jcliff]

What Jules said. I started every two weeks at 28 weeks. Then it will be every week at 35 weeks.

 

[amjon]

I think it's usually every 2 weeks starting at 28. I don't really care if/ when I see my regular OB. I only really need them for delivery. I have seen my MFM every 2 weeks from the beginning though and every week since 22.

 

[amjon]

In the US, when does your doctor start seeing you every two weeks?

I'm high risk due to age (over 40) and three losses, no living children, so my OB saw me once a week until I was 13 weeks. He then wanted to see me every 2 weeks, but I told him no that I didn't want to come that often and I'd rather do every 4-6 weeks, he agreed. Last week after my appt. he told me he'd see me in 2 weeks. I told him I didn't want to come back in just 2 weeks, but he said this is the point he starts seeing all his patients every 2 weeks. So just wondering if this is when other doctors do this too??

I see a high risk OB as well, and I'm seeing him every 4 weeks right now. Then when I get to 36 weeks, he wants me to see both my regular OB and him once a week...that's 2 OB appts. a week! I don't think this is all necessary, but if it is then I'll go along with it. I am thinking of canceling my regular OB appt for next week and rescheduling for 2 more weeks out, but, like I said, if there is a reason I need to be going every 2 weeks at this point I will...so what is normal in the US??

My copay for regular OB is $100 and for high risk is $170...so all these appts are costing me a small fortune and frankly I don't want to be paying for appts that aren't necessary. thanks

Maternity is usually charged a set fee for the pregnancy (except the high risk or specialists outside the OB). Does yours not do that for maternity care? I have to pay my $40 copay for each MFM, but nothing at the OB as it will be billed a lump sum at the end (and it doesn't matter how many appointments I went to).

 

[Scout]

My insurance is probably one of the worst when it comes to copays, and the high risk OB charges so freaking much each visit it's ridiculous. And no, my OB charges by visit and it all depends on what they do. I pay less if he doesn't do an ultrasound and more if they add on bloodwork to the usual things they do. I think I will call and cancel my regular OB appt and reschedule for a few weeks out. The two OB's, I'm not sure what to do about that. The high risk OB won't deliver me, he is more of a consultant so to see him I have to have a regular OB as well, but I like the high risk OB better than regular OB just bc they have seen and cared for many many women my age and older so I feel they are better informed about what could happen, but maybe I'm wrong. I love my regular OB too but he just doesn't seem as detailed in evrything like the high risk OB. But maybe he doesn't have to be?? Idk.

thanks ladies. At least I know it's farily common at this point, tho I still don't see the point of it all.

 

[Moti]

3rd trimester was when the every 2 week appointments started. I was high-risk as well so I just went to everything I had scheduled....but I didn't have the co-pays you have. Towards the end of my pregnancy I had 3-4 appointments a week for various things.

Maybe talk to him...see if he would agree to appointments spaced further out since you see the high-risk specialist as well.

 

[xdxxtx]

My doc starts every two weeks at the third tri, so 28 wks. Then every week at 36 wks

This is what my doctor does as well.

That is definitely a fortune to have to pay for those appointments!!! I feel for you.

 

[nevernormal]

I started every 2 weeks at 28 weeks, then will start every week at 36 weeks. And honestly, no, I don't think it's necessary. I don't have to pay and since I'm currently unemployed it helps give me some structure and makes it feel like the time is passing, so I don't mind going in the end, but really I spend more time in the waiting room than I do with the doctor. It's usually just a weight check, bp check, check for the heartbeat and measuring the fundal height and then I'm sent on my way. If I had to pay that much I'd definitely want to stretch out the time between appointments. I would even mention the money factor to your OB, honestly. Mine was understanding in the past when I was going to him for fertility treatment, I had to postpone some things because I was also getting a lot of dental work done and couldn't cope financially to do both.

 

[tag74]

I am soon to be 39, and this is my second baby (13 years a part). I had a high risk pregnancy the first time around, and oddly, a non-high risk pregnancy for this pregnancy.

Can I ask at what week your other losses were? If they weren't third trimester losses, I think seeing one of your doctors is enough and at 34 weeks, I would go every week for a couple of reasons.

1. To monitor your blood pressure to ensure preeclampsia and toxemia aren't issues
2. Monitor heart rate
3. Monitor amniotic fluid levels
4. Monitor baby size and growth
5. Check cervix and progress

At the end, these factors are critical to a healthy baby and delivery. More times than not its okay, but i think while expensive- you'll be happy you made the investment.

That being said, much like the other posters, I am seeing my doctor every two weeks from week 28 to week 35, and then weekly after.

You're on the home stretch mama! With all the advice, honestly, go with your instincts too and if you scale back your appts keep a journal and track baby movement and any changes to how you feel physically.

 

[YellowGrey]

Those are really high prices! It seems to me that those are practically not using insurance prices. Without insurance, I think that my OB & hospital charge a little under $4000 out of pocket. That would include all visits, blood work, ultrasounds, hospital stay, possible C-section, etc. With insurance, I only have to pay $20 for the whole thing. If I ever have to see a specialist, I have to pay them an extra $30 (for each visit).

I will start to see my OB every two weeks (once per month previously) starting at our 28 wk appoint. It goes to once per week at 36 wks.

 

[amjon]

My insurance is probably one of the worst when it comes to copays, and the high risk OB charges so freaking much each visit it's ridiculous. And no, my OB charges by visit and it all depends on what they do. I pay less if he doesn't do an ultrasound and more if they add on bloodwork to the usual things they do. I think I will call and cancel my regular OB appt and reschedule for a few weeks out. The two OB's, I'm not sure what to do about that. The high risk OB won't deliver me, he is more of a consultant so to see him I have to have a regular OB as well, but I like the high risk OB better than regular OB just bc they have seen and cared for many many women my age and older so I feel they are better informed about what could happen, but maybe I'm wrong. I love my regular OB too but he just doesn't seem as detailed in evrything like the high risk OB. But maybe he doesn't have to be?? Idk.

thanks ladies. At least I know it's farily common at this point, tho I still don't see the point of it all.

We have to see both too and don't really see the point of our regular OB. The MFM pretty much takes care of everything up to delivery (other than the regular OB will start doing NSTs at our next appointment, so guess we'll be going there weekly from then on). The MFM is very expensive (ours gets about $600 per visit from insurance), but luckily we've only had a $40 copay, but now I have a second insurance, so they said I wouldn't pay anything. It would be nice if the MFMs would deliver, but malpractice for deliveries is so expensive here I think they prefer to just stay out of that aspect of it (plus it cuts down on their out of office hours work).

 

[Jcliff]

I sympathize for everyone with bad health insurance coverage. My husband actually turned down a great job offer because its health benefits were terrible!! We have FANTASTIC insurance with my husbands current job. No copays and small deductible. Insurance covers mostly everything. I had many Ultrasounds my first trimester and everything was covered.

 

[Bethi22]

2 weeks starting at 30 and once a week at 36.

 

[JJsmom]

I just had an appt and they said I start every 2 weeks from here on!