I HATE MY OB/GYN!!!

At my last routine visit, my OB had casually mentioned that I had a low-lying placenta said a few things and that was it… spent all but 15 minutes on me and ran out to see her next patient. So needless to say I was confused, scared and worried. I was at the doctors by myself and felt so vulnerable! So I spoke with my mother-in-law since she is a nurse and asked her if she knew anything about this condition. She asked what the doctor had said and for the life of my I couldn’t! So she was going to call the doctor to discuss what was happening… they wouldn’t release any information until I gave consent… so I called to see what I needed to do. They specifically said verbal consent is sufficient… so I do (this was last week) I get a message from my OB yesterday informing me of the laws regarding consent and how there were no questions regarding my visit. She is NOT calling my mother-in-law back and that she wants to speak with me. And lastly to bring a friend or family member with me in case I get confuse the next time… I WAS LIVID!!!!

I only wanted my mother-in-law to speak with the doctor since I was heading out to Massachusetts for my grandfather’s wake… and I just wanted a little security. But no, this OB is ridiculous! So now I’m not going to speak with my OB until next Monday, since she’s only in on Mondays and Wednesdays! God… I hate this!

Hm..Jennifer, you have a way to go with this doctor. Is there any chance of another doctor in the practice? Or is there possibly a doctor you can change to that also delivers in your hospital of choice?

I would hate to think the next 15-18 weeks have to be like this for you....

It sounds like it might be time to start shopping for a new MD. Only Mon and Wed? How do you get an appointment at all?

I'm sorry I don't have any insight on what a low lying placenta might mean.

I'm sorry. I think you should find a new dr.

I was thinking that I should find a new doctor too… but I don’t know what to do! I’m so confused! I feel like I’m so far along… this is just horrible!

you are never too far along to change your doctor if you are unhappy. God forbid anything should be wrong over the course of the next three months - you want somebody you can count on to take you and your concerns seriously.

I am SURE between all the ladies on this board there are tons of great doctors in your area that they have grown to trust. Your doctor should be a safe haven where you can ask anything - and be concerned, and be over-worried and ask the same thing over and over. Somebody who will see you on a whim just because 'something doesn't feel right' . You deserve proper care! Please let us know how it turns out. Mine is AMAZING, but I am in Jersey..so not too much help -

Put it this way to want this nasty woman to be there & share in what will be the most amazing day of your life??? I wouldn't!!

If you want a great doctor I can give you my guys info! I LOVE him! He's office is in Great Neck & he is affiliated w/ LIJ.

Jenn I agree change Dr.'s now. My Dr's are in Bethpage and are wonderful a couple of girls on the boards use them.

As for the low-lying placenta, what this means is part of your placenta is covering your cervix. This happens to a lot of women in the beginning of pregnancy(me, JennRennee, Bearsbabe all had it). Most of the time it will move on it's own, as it did with all of us. If it doesn't you would have to have a c-section, because you can not deliver your placenta before the baby. I hope that helped

Here is some information on Placenta Previa (low lying placenta)

The placenta is an organ that forms on the inner uterine wall shortly after conception. Nutrients and oxygen pass from the mother to her fetus through the placenta, which also carries waste products away from the fetus.

Normally, the placenta is attached to the top portion of the uterus. However, in less than 1% of all births the placenta has formed low in the uterus, and is partially to completely covering the cervix.1 This blocking of the cervix is called placenta previa.

See an illustration of placenta previa.

If your health professional has identified a placenta previa or low-lying placenta before your 20th week of pregnancy, chances are good that it will resolve on its own. About 90% of placenta previa cases diagnosed before the 20th week resolve on their own by the end of the pregnancy.2 As the uterus grows, the position of the placenta can change in relation to the cervix. By the end of the pregnancy, the placenta no longer blocks the cervix.

Complications of placenta previa

Placenta previa can cause complications for both mother and fetus, including:

Severe maternal bleeding (hemorrhage) before or during delivery, which can be life-threatening for both a mother and her fetus.
Premature, or preterm, delivery (before the 37th week of pregnancy), which typically poses the greatest risk to the fetus. See the topic Premature Infant for more information.
Birth defects. Birth defects occur 2.5 times more often in pregnancies affected by placenta previa than in unaffected pregnancies; the cause is currently unknown.1
Placenta previa may be a cause of restricted fetal growth. While some studies have found a higher rate of fetal growth problems in placenta previa pregnancies, other studies have found no difference between these infants and those from healthy pregnancies.1, 3

Risk factors for placenta previa

The specific cause of placenta previa is not known. However, there are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing placenta previa, including:

Previous cesarean delivery (C-section).4 Of women who have had a cesarean delivery in the past, as many as 4 in 100 develop placenta previa. This risk increases after four or more C-sections (among these women, 1 in 10 develops placenta previa).2
History of medical procedures that affect the uterine lining, such as dilation and curettage (D&C) or medical abortion.4 Some experts disagree that a history of such medical procedures poses a risk.
History of several previous pregnancies. Placenta previa occurs in 1 in 1,500 first-time pregnancies. However, in women who have had 5 or more pregnancies, the risk increases to about 1 in 20.5
Advancing maternal age. Among women younger than 19 years old, only 1 in 1,500 develops placenta previa. One in 100 women over age 35 develops placenta previa.1
Pregnancy with multiple fetuses (such as twins or triplets).5
Cigarette smoking, which decreases the amount of oxygen transferred to the fetus, thereby stimulating the growth of a larger placenta. A large placenta has been associated with the development of placenta previa.2
Cocaine or crack cocaine use.6
History of a previous placenta previa.

Thanks, ladies, for your support. I was able to do a lot of research on this condition, and found it to be a 'normal' occurance. I went for my third ultrasound on Tuesday, so I wanted to know the results, but with all these things happening right now, I just wanted someone that I could turn to for help and my mother-in-law is the person that's great at this.

I am sure that things will turn out okay, but initially I was freaked out... I have been able to calm myself down, but after I heard that message this morning from my OB/GYN... It infuriated me! I am searching for a new doctor... I live in the Bronx, but I am not comfortable with the treatment that I've been receiving there... so i'll looking elsewhere!

You ABSOLUTELY need to either have a strong discussion with this doctor, or get another doctor. If it were me, I'd get another doctor. But I'm extremely fussy when it comes to doctors.

Placenta Previa is NOT something to fool around with. Most low-lying placentas will move and won't be an issue. But in cases where it doesn't move, it can be life-threatening to the mother and the baby. If the placenta is 'born' first, is can cause major hemorrhaging for mom, and cut off oxygen to the fetus.

Your doctor should have taken plenty of time to explain this to you and to reassure you that most of the time the placenta moves on its own. He/She should have stayed with you until your questions were answered, and you fully understood everything.

Run from this doctor. Although there are A LOT of new laws under HIPAA (healthcare information protection acts) the doctor could have just as easily called you and asked you what the questions were and tried to help you thru this scary time.

You can easily find a new doctor at ANY stage of a pregnancy.

my friend's placenta was low and she was told NO EXERCIE...not even a little...like be careful walking up stairs...


so I am a little upset that your doctor didn't say much to you...


not every 2 people will click...it doesn't mean it s anyones fault...but I think you need to find someone you do click with...

I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I have my RN license and patient education was highly stressed. What the doctor did was inexcuseable.... You deserve their time and it is their job to explain things to you fully. I hope you find a doctor that you feel comfortable with!

Get a new dr NOW!!! HIPPA has made communications more difficult in the attempt to protect our privacy. My mother was a nurse and works for a dr insurance co so I often use her for medical things (i.e. my sinus surgery) YOU CAN give the dr permission to speak with your MIL but it does have to be in writing I think (most offices will accept either a mailed or faxes letter).

You should find a dr now that you are comfortable with and will make you feel secure and relaxed in your medical decisions.

Good luck - I can ask my mother if she has any LI dr recs - otherwise I have a great obgyn in the city who went to yale and is affliated with cornell weil hospital