Criteria for selecting Prenatal care

The aim of this blog is to educate first time mother and specially some of my fellow Indians the importance of selecting good prenatal care.

I am an educated girl having worked at leading corporations in India and USA yet when it came to choosing doctors I never used my prudent judgement and chose one based on origin and sex. Coming from India I wanted a female Indian doctor and I chose the only one available in spite of hearing two negative reviews from my friends

1. Don't select the first prenatal provider you can get appointment for. I understand that we get nervous about going to doctors and annual pelvic exams are not routinely done in India. For many of us, we get our first pap smear on our first doctor visit. Don't let this be a deciding factor. When I conceived all doctors had a two week wait but for Vimi Bajaj and my abdominal scar is a constant reminder of how I get tripped into unnecessary interventions.

2. Your doctor does not have to belong to the same caste and country as you do. The doctor should be selected based on facilities and credentials and not color or creed

3. Inquire what the doctors take is on inductions and the doctors c section rate. Yes sometimes inductions are successful but they specify how intervention friendly the doctor is.

4. Ask about doctors take on epidurals, AROM, Use of IV and pitocin, eating and drinking during labor etc.

5. If possible, group practices are generally better. This is because if one person misses something other might be able to notice.

6. Ensure that the office staff is friendly and sufficient. Also make a note of all the services they offer and the facilities and equipment they have, At Vimi Bajaj one person takes urine samples, checks weigth gain, takes blood pressure,, makes appointment and even sweeps and cleans the room. Ensure that they have well equipped and knowledgeable nurses and friendly receptionist. As I have been to three four ob\gyn after my ordeal, I have found that most of them have in house ultrasound facilities available. This was not the case at Dr Bajaj

6. Question, When in hospital don't let doctors make you feel obligated or force them into something you don't want. When unhappy don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion. I had an attitude of having "complete faith" on my doctor. Turns out Vimi Bajaj was not worthy of this trust and faith.