Bad doctors appt, what should I do?

Booked an appointment with an ob in town and first appointment was great. Then the second appointment comes. We go in and my ob couldn’t see anything. Immediately my husband and I were terrified. The doctor said they don’t have good equipment and sent me to the hospital. Everything was fine baby has a heart beat and is doing great. But all the emotions that I had. I don’t know if I should switch to an office that has better equipment or not. And we have to pay for both ultrasounds. I’ve talked to them about it and they just don’t seem to care about the emotional toll that took on me that day. I’m really stuck as to what to do.
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If their equipment doesn’t work or doesn’t work correctly, they shouldn’t be seeing patients. I would go to another office, you need to be able to trust your doctor and they just scared you without really caring.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Bad doctors appt, what should I do? - Mamas Uncut

Duh …find a new doctor

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If you don’t feel comfortable or like it, switch. It’s all in your hands. I’d definitely switch

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Go where better equipment is you don’t want that experience again

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The LAST thing you want a lot of during pregnancy is stress! It is already an emotional time. Plus, no having professional equipment is a red flag.

Get a new doctor.

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Most clinics equipment are not as good as the hospitals will be. The further along you get, the better they’ll be able to pick up the heartbeat and everything. But if you feel switching may help, then definitely do it! You should avoid getting stressed during your pregnancy.

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Omg i cant imagine going through that as a mom i bet its emotional. Bless your :heart:. Ive never been through this but i think i would get a diff dr if possible

Switch doctors, you’re paying for a service that they can’t adequately provide

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How many weeks along are you? I had to go through an infertility specialist and “graduated” to an OB at 12 weeks. Regular office equipment couldn’t see the baby very well…she was SO SMALL. It took until halfway through pregnancy to get more clear picture…all ultrasounds up until then were kind of shadowy and blurry. This was 5 years ago btw.

Really? run as fast as you can, id report him as well…

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I don’t know how far along you are or whether this is your first child or not. So I’m going to be honest here:

Many many doctors do not do ultrasounds until you’re at least 8 weeks pregnant, because a lot of equipment cannot see baby -or their heartbeat- before then.

Many many clinics do not have as good of equipment as hospitals do. Some doctors offices do not even have ultrasound machines of their own and refer out to hospitals anyways. And the clinics that do have ultrasound equipment doesn’t mean that their doctors are better.
The doc I saw with my oldest worked in a clinic with their own lab, x-ray machines, ultrasound machines ECT. She was awful. She was incredibly dismissive. She let a sinus infection turn into pnemonia. She was constantly cancelling appointments despite me being high risk. Then her carelessness almost killed my son and I. He has a severe nerve injury that will never heal.
My doctor with my youngest had none of that equipment. Only a handheld ultrasound machine she bought herself.
We had to drive 45 minutes to the hospital for the “real” ultrasounds. But she was :100: a better and more caring doctor…and that made it worth it.

It’s highly unusual to have ultrasounds at every appointment, it’s more typical to have one in each trimester unless you’re considered high risk.

The doctor told you that their equipment wasn’t as good as the hospitals and to alleviate your fear sent you to the hospital rather than telling you to wait and come back (many do this) because it could just be too early.

I personally would not base my decision about a doctor on their clinic equipment…because that is the least of what makes someone a good doctor.

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That’s wild! Our clinics are way better than our hospital equipment with OB. I’m so sorry :cry: I’d switch so you don’t have added stress

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Also our doctor does one ultrasound at the beginning around 8-9 weeks for viability and heartbeat but then we don’t get another till anatomy around 20. And then they usually don’t do one unless needed. I’m high risk so I get them a lot but most people here go to outpatient sonogram facilities. They’re so much more relaxing too.

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Definitely find a new doctor. There’s no excuse for a doxtors office that makes so much money to not have good working equipment. Even if it’s older equipment, it still needs to work. Red flags waving everywhere. Find a new OB!

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I switched hospitals so many times and ended up with a midwife and a home birth. Your emotions are justified! Youre growing a baby in there!

You need a good relationship with your doctor. If you don’t you need to switch. The sooner the better too.

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My doctors office never had anything but a Doppler. If we needed a ultrasound they sent us to the hospital to get one. Idk I’ve notice around here at least some offices have stuff and others just use the hospital facilities. Even when I went to my high risk doctor it was at the hospital.

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If you’re gonna have to pay then switch so you pay for better equipment and don’t have to pay twice.

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Sometimes you may need some empathy as the child may be of special needs and the parents are already running on a short fuse that allowing them to let it out may be all they can muster at the time

Same thing happened to me. Not sure what to tell you. My doctor is convenient, but the hospital is not, so I stayed with the doctor.

I was bleeding with my 2nd. I went to the hospital who told us it was a miscarriage. That would’ve been our 3rd miscarriage in a year. I went to my ob who did blood work & an internal u/s. Baby was fine. I should’ve questioned the hospital &, Dr right then & switched. The hospital was so incompetent they couldn’t detect that my water broke when it did. They only did an AFI because I told my ex we were going to go to the other hospital. There was no water left. They made my birth awful. I truly believe to this day they wanted to & tried to kill my baby. Go with your gut. Just keep in mind drs offices don’t usually have the best equipment. It was probably too early for their u/s machine to see baby. She sent you to the hospital knowing they’d have a better machine.

My Dr was upfront from the beginning, he specifically stated he would like to refer me out to a specialist and specialty clinic that has up to date equipment. He did not like the equipment from the Hospital. I was very fortunate to have amazing providers. Hopefully you get the same

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Anytime I’ve had an ultrasound, it was scheduled at the hospital. At my regular ob appointments, we just listen to the fetal heartbeat to make sure baby is okay. My doctors office doesn’t have equipment like the hospital but my ob is amazing with what they have.

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Try to get on pregnancy Medicaid. It will pay for ultrasounds and doctor visits and some medicines, itll also pay for your labor.
If you genuinely feel like they do not care, go find another doctor. Your babies health and your health matters.

I would definitely switch offices. That’s unacceptable to cause that much stress & worry. Even older equipment should work properly.

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My dr’s office had an ultrasound machine in each room and he used it on every single appt, it was routine and no extra charge

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You deserve better, find another provider.

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That is traumatic! And I’m sure you are billed the same for their “bad equipment” so definitely switch!

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Please switch doctors

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See an Obstetrician.

They should definitely have equipment capable of seeing a baby and a heartbeat! Find a new OB immediately!