Prenatal Visit

I just got home from accompanying my labor support (aka doula) client to her prenatal visit at Kaiser. She was seeing her doctor for a routine 38 week visit, which of course only lasted 10 minutes. When we left the doctor's office, my client turned to me and said something like, "She's the nicest doctor I've seen this pregnancy." I just nodded, but all I could think was, "That totally sucked!"

It took us a long time to get there because of afternoon traffic, then we had to wait 45 minutes to be taken back to an exam room, then we waited another 20 minutes for the doctor to actually walk into the room. What a frickin hassle! Once the doctor arrived, she was actually very nice, but she still barely made eye contact with the client. The doctor didn't tell the client what she was about to do, and just assumed the client would be okay with a vaginal exam. The doctor said she wanted to confirm the position of the baby, and without even trying to manually palpate, she brought in an ultrasound machine. WTH! Just use your hands already.

The grossest part was when the doctor went to measure the client's belly and grabbed a tape measure off the wall that apparently is used by every woman who gets an exam there. In order to get an accurate measurement, it needs to be all up in the pubic hair, and it's not even being cleaned in between visits. Nasty! She didn't even acknowledge the baby the entire visit. No mention of diet, exercise, complaints of pregnancy, relationship stuff, birth preparation, nothing. And yet I believe she truly was a "nice" doctor.

Still, I'm so disgusted. That was NOT quality prenatal care. If I had been the client, I would have marched myself up to the reception desk and asked for my money back.

Ugh, midwifery care is so much better. Yes, I realize I'm biased, but I know I do a much better job of providing care to healthy women with normal pregnancies. At the very least, I know to ask permission before touching them, I know how to use my hands to avoid unnecessary use of (expensive) technology, and I use a clean tape measure every time!

Imagine how much money in health care costs we could save if midwives in the US provided all normal prenatal care and left OBs to handle what their specialty really is - high-risk pregnancies.

My client told me today that I've been her main source of information about all things pregnancy and birth related and that she's so grateful she hired me. She's a little frustrated that at her last prenatal visit, her doctor admitted she had never even witnessed an unmedicated birth.

So, coupled with the fact that I'm now catching babies, that I know what I'm worth, and that I have a lot more to offer than Kaiser's prenatal care, I came home and gave myself a raise. I don't need to be getting all burned out and resentful from the beginning. I'm still only a fraction of the cost of medical care, but I feel much better about being compensated for the value of service I provide.