What if my OB isn’t available when I go into labor or if I have an emergency and can’t reach my doctor?
Pregnancy is an exciting and emotional time. And when you’re expecting, the relationship you have with your OB/GYN takes on new meaning. Your OB is the person you are trusting with the health of both you and your baby. They are the first doctor you call with a question and the first person you want to see if there is ever an issue or emergency.
Throughout your pregnancy, your OB will monitor your health and your babies’ health, and can recognize and treat health conditions that could cause problems during your pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, infections and genetic disorders. Ideally, your personal OB will see you through your entire pregnancy, labor, and postnatal recovery.
But even the best OBs are not available 24/7. They might be caring for another patient, or just unreachable at the very moment you need their help or advice. That’s why HCA Midwest Health hospitals, like Research Medical Center, offer a 24-Hour In-Hospital Obstetrics Hospitalist Program.
A hospitalist is a doctor who works for the hospital. They don’t have an outside office or private patients. Their “practice” is within the hospital walls, serving the patients that are currently admitted (or in the ER) and providing a continuity of care when the patient’s personal doctors aren’t present. Hospitalists can be general practitioners or specialists, and OB Hospitalists are board-certified obstetrician.
Any veteran mom will tell you that things come up during pregnancy that you don’t expect—and to top it all off, the changes your body goes through may cause you to feel things differently than you did before. It can be hard to know when medical attention is needed. In those cases, it’s better to be safe and seek medical attention, even if you aren’t able to reach your doctor quickly. That’s when it’s important to know you and your baby have an OB expert ready to help you.
While most babies are born without complications, emergencies can occur. Research Medical Center OB Hospitalists are board certified obstetrics specialists who have additional training in neonatal emergency care, seeing cases such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and tubo-ovarian abscesses. They can also provide emergency surgery if needed. OB Hospitalists can help with issues throughout the pregnancy too, and even step in during part or all of childbirth. With so much an expecting mom can worry about, knowing there’s an expert available and ready, 24/7, provides peace-of-mind.
For more information about the Obstetrics Hospitalists and Obstetrics ER programs at Research Medical Center, call (816) 276-3206. Haven’t yet chosen the OB you’d like to partner with? We can help you find a doctor near you.
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