The run around

Okay so I am really frustrated with the OB clinic on this base.  It is so messed up!  To start with if you are having twins or have any risks they send you down to Okinawa to sit for a month in the 'stork's nest' which is just a wing of Billeting where they send women to wait to give birth.  If you do stay in Misawa because everything is 'normal' you still have to worry about going into preterm labor because they can't take care of you at the base hospital so you have to go to a Japanese hospital that is about 2 hours away and that means driving through the mountains every day to visit your baby. This time of year the mountains are seriously difficult to drive through especially in a small car- this has been a huge worry of mine... So I am feeling so much relief to know I am almost at that 36 week mark where I don't need to worry about PTL anymore.  

I have been feeling pretty uncomfortable during my Dr visits because they wont let me see the same doctor.  I told the woman that books appointments that I would feel much better if I could be scheduled with the same Dr.  She acted as if I was asking for the world!  She told me  they want me to see all of the doctors so that when I go into labor I will feel more 'comfortable' knowing which ever doctor happens to be in.  Well, I when I asked I had already seen all of the doctors so what would be the harm of seeing the same one for the last 5 months?  Plus, I am pretty sure no matter which doctor is down there catching I will feel the same amount of discomfort due to the fact that a baby  will be squeezing out of my you know what.   I haven't said anything about not seeing the same doctor since but that place is a mess and my appointment yesterday was a prime example!

I went to see Dr. B three weeks ago.  She answered my questions and checked the baby's heartbeat and measured me.  Then told me that I would come back in at 35 weeks for pelvic exam to check for Strep B.  She said they would see me every week after that until the baby comes!  I said OK.  So, yesterday I went to my 35 week appointment prepared for a pelvic exam ( I shaved my legs which was tricky with my belly- I even nicked my belly with the razor!( I was going from my leg to rinse the razor and bumped my belly and it got a cut!) )  SO i get in and I  have to see Dr. M  well, turns out he doesn't like to do the pelvic exam until 37 weeks!  He told me my next appointment will be in 2 weeks to have the strep B test done then I will start weekly appointments until the baby comes!!!!  Can you believe that? Its a small clinic don't you think the 3 doctors could get together to sync up their tests and appointment policies?  I mean HELLO!!  Here I had been really glad that weekly appointments were going to start this week because its hard having all these weird things happening to your body and not getting to ask you doctor until weeks later. But now I have to wait two weeks and that's forever when you have contractions and stuff going on!  So I spend those week thinking,  'gee I hope that is normal. Doesn't seem normal, but it will have to be until I get to see a Doctor.'  

I am so upset.  This is not the first time one doctor told me one thing and then the next tells me something totally different.  It makes me so mad.  I think about all those pregnant women that get to choose their doctors, and I understand sometimes at appointments they have to see a diff doc if theirs is in surgery or delivering a baby, but they got to choose!  That must feel nice. Even if I could just choose one of the three here at the base it would be so nice.  I could tell Dr. M hadn't even looked at my chart before seeing me because I was asking him a question and he was ignoring me because he was reading my chart!  It was obvious! 

Sorry I had to vent about this but it has been bothering me my entire pregnancy.