I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel strongly about sharing my experience, especially for other women choosing an OB/GYN for their first pregnancy. If I could give no stars, I would.
My first appointment after finding out I was pregnant was the last appointment of the day on a Friday, and unfortunately, that was very apparent in the way I was treated. What should have been an exciting and special appointment as a first-time mom felt like everyone was simply trying to get me out the door.
The doctor did not introduce herself and immediately got straight to the exam. I brought up a concern I was having, but she gave me virtually no information about what it could mean, good or bad. After examining me, she began walking out of the room without discussing anything further. I had to stop her and ask if there was anything I should be concerned about or anything I should or shouldn't be doing. She simply handed me a book and said, "Here, we give this to all new moms."
The assistant then told me I had "6 minutes" if I wanted to get my blood work done. As we walked over, my husband politely asked how her day was going and received no response or even eye contact. At that point, it was very clear that the priority was getting us out because the office was closing.
After leaving, I realized in the parking lot that no one had given me my sonogram picture. I went back inside less than two minutes later, and somehow no one knew where it was. The receptionist offered little help, so I ended up finding the doctor myself. After searching through files and going back and forth with reception, they eventually found it and made me a copy. Something so meaningful from our first pregnancy appointment felt like a complete afterthought.
Once I got home, I realized how many unanswered questions I still had. I called the after-hours line that evening and left a message asking for the doctor to call me back. By the following Tuesday, I still had not heard from anyone.
Unfortunately, I then learned that I had miscarried.
Two days later, someone from the office called me excitedly to tell me that my blood work had come back looking good. I had to tell her that I had miscarried. She had no idea. After everything that had happened, that call was incredibly painful and highlighted what felt like a complete lack of communication and continuity of care.
A miscarriage is traumatic enough even with the most compassionate medical team supporting you. Having this experience on top of it made an already devastating situation even harder.
I later spoke with the person in charge because I genuinely did not want another patient to have the same experience. I was told, "Well, I can't control everything in each different office." Rather than feeling like my concerns were taken seriously, that response only reinforced my concern that these issues would continue.
I understand that medical offices are busy and Fridays are long, but patients should never be made to feel like their care is an inconvenience because it is the end of the day. No one should be rushed through their questions, have to track down their own sonogram, have a request for a callback go unanswered, and then have to inform their doctor's office themselves that they experienced a pregnancy loss.
I'm sharing this because I wish I had known before choosing this office. This should not be the experience for any patient, but it was especially heartbreaking as a first-time mom walking into what I thought would be one of the most exciting appointments of my life. read more
