OB-GYNs are doctors who have completed 4 years of training in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. These doctors are trained to provide a wide range of female reproductive healthcare services, including routine to complicated obstetrics. Their main focus is on pregnancy and female health concerns. OB-GYNs can provide specialized care that may not be available from non-obstetric specialists. These specialist doctors are equipped to deal with the entire range of pregnancies, from uncomplicated, low-risk deliveries to many kinds of high-risk deliveries.
If your doctor determines your pregnancy is high risk, find a board certified OB-GYN to handle your pregnancy. Maternal-fetal medicine is a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology. Maternal-fetal medicine doctors are sometimes called perinatologists. In addition to completing traditional medical school, maternal-fetal medicine doctors have completed a 4-year standard training program in obstetrics and gynecology. They also have completed an extra 2 to 3 years of specialized training in dealing with problem or high-risk pregnancies.
In the United States, they will be board certified in both specialties. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists offer specialized care for pregnant people and their fetuses. Special cases can include:.
They can start treatment even before your baby is born if they find a problem during your pregnancy. Because of the extensive training required, the number of maternal-fetal medicine specialists in the United States is limited. For the most part, they practice in either academic centers affiliated with medical schools or other large tertiary care facilities. They generally partner with multiple healthcare professionals to consult, co-manage, or directly care for you and your baby before, during, and after pregnancy.
They perform specialized procedures in addition to ultrasound and amniocentesis. They also generally provide consultation to community obstetricians and family practitioners for pregnancies with complex issues. OB-GYNs can provide all sorts of care including well visits also called annual exams , sexually transmitted infection STI screenings, breast exams, heavy periods, birth control and any type of gynecologic concern. Obstetrics is the specialty branch of medicine focused on helping women with guided treatments throughout their pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period.
Obstetricians only care for women during pregnancy and just after the baby is born. But an OB-GYN is trained in both obstetrics and gynecology, though some doctors choose to practice exclusively in one area. Both OB-GYNs and certified nurse-midwives are highly trained, licensed and experienced in pregnancy care and delivering babies. But there are a few things that set these two specialists apart. One of the main differences between OB-GYNs and midwives are their birthing specialties: OB-GYNs can care for women with high-risk pregnancies while midwives are well suited to care for low-risk pregnancies and women who want no-to-low intervention deliveries.
And the policies change often. We are always thinking of another scenario where a potential PUI—person under investigation—can be on the floor and we missed a way to protect ourselves.
For example, after a postpartum patient tested positive, everyone she came into contact with during her hospital stay became a person under investigation—the whole nursing shift, food staff, every doctor that rounded on her, and everyone that came into her room. And now her baby has to be apart from her for 14 days. I was in the office three days a week, from a. At the office, we were doing annual exams, seeing obstetric patients anywhere from eight weeks pregnant until they delivered, scheduling surgeries such as hysterectomies, managing irregular bleeding, treating STDs, doing preconception counseling, doing infertility workups, and seeing people postpartum.
Now we are only seeing obstetric patients and emergency cases, so if someone has an ectopic pregnancy , for example. We just started doing telemedicine visits, so if people have questions or concerns and are not able to determine if it is an emergency, we try to manage it virtually.
We used to have several doctors in the office at one time all seeing patients. Now we have split up into two teams and each team comes in every other day.
If someone on my team is exposed, it assumes that we are all exposed, and that takes us out, and then there is a whole other team that can see patients and keep everything running as opposed to shutting down the office. Also, our practice is applying for the Paycheck Protection Program loan because we are a small business.
The loan helps you make payroll so you can pay your employees and remain employed. As for the hospital, as things have gotten busier, we have gotten the opportunity to volunteer in other areas. At the beginning of this, did you ever think the practice would be applying for a loan? No, not at all, but things have changed. Has that been your experience? When it comes to training and education, OB-GYNs complete four years of medical school, a four-year residency program and a three-year fellowship.
Board-certification is optional but a mark of distinction, implying that a doctor has gone above and beyond the minimum standard of education in their field.
The path to certification requires passing a qualifying exam, preparing an extensive case list demonstrating expertise in multiple categories, and then passing a certification exam. They work closely with the rest of your health care team e. OB-GYN or family doctor to meet your needs during your pregnancy.
Many women continue to use their midwives for care after their delivery, too. There are three levels of midwifery credentials :. In the United States, the vast majority of midwives have completed graduate degrees. And depending on your preferences, you may be looking for someone who has specific experience. Here are a few examples:. OB-GYNs almost always deliver babies inside a hospital-based birth center.
But midwives can deliver babies in a few different ways:. Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical, emotional and informational support throughout the pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Doulas do not deliver babies, rather they provide support through the process. Midwives and OB-GYNs deliver babies and are responsible for the health and well-being of their patients. At HealthPartners, we can help connect expectant mothers with doulas and welcome them in our hospitals.
Family medicine doctors can provide care during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. But not all family doctors practice pregnancy care. And for those that do, not all have trained to perform C-sections. So, if you already have a family doctor and think you may want to continue to see them, check with them to see if they can provide you the right care. Think a family doctor may be right for you pregnancy?
Find a family doctor and schedule an appointment. Your goals, preferences, and health and safety should all be top of mind.
0コメント