Northern Virginia Obstetricians

Say hello to a conversation about Northern Virginia obstetricians. This is another part of my “All about Pregnancy Providers and Support Roles” series where I chat all about obstetricians with Jaely Turner, a local Northern Virginia doula.

Northern Virginia Obstetricians – What do they do?

I will be the first to admit that I didn’t do half as much research into pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum (which includes feeding, perineal care, newborn care, sleep, so. many. things.) as I now feel like I “should have”. That being said, where do you even start? Especially as a new mom! And in terms of pregnancy care providers, unless you know what questions to ask, who to ask, and where to find local resources/recommendations, it’s hard!

And so, I want to preface this conversation by saying that there is NO wrong choice in either midwife or obstetrician. There is just the right choice for you, as the pregnant person, and you alone. So in this regard, we are going to talk about the two within their own lights and their own posts. No matter whether you choose Northern Virginia obstetricians or midwives, there’s plenty to think about!

Obstetricians

Obstetricians are doctors who specializes in pregnancy, childbirth, and a woman’s reproductive system. They are surgeons as well. Obstetricians can perform C-sections and handle any surgical emergencies during birth. They fit into the medical model of care, where you birth in a hospital and you have fairly standardized care for both mom and fetus during pregnancy and in the delivery room.

Appointments are typically every 4 weeks (once a month) during 4-28 weeks, every 2 weeks during 28-36 weeks, and every week during 36-40 weeks. Your checks are quick and to the point (based on my own experience with a low-risk pregnancy) to check on how baby is measuring and how you are doing physically. Some offices have ultrasounds available in-house while others require you to visit a lab to have ultrasounds performed. You’ll discuss birthing plans around the third trimester. Every OB is different in terms of how long they allow a pregnant person to go past their due date. Mine let me go to 41.5 weeks before we induced. Once the newborn baby is delivered, you’ll have a postpartum check-up to see how your recovery is and be asked how you are doing mentally and emotionally. Mine was in the form of a questionnaire.

OBs are typically covered under most insurance plans because chances are, you were already seeing this person for your gynecological care.

Miscellaneous Information Discussed

You can pay for doulas, out-of-hospital midwives, childbirth educations, etc using FSA/HSA dollars.. Do a care provider search (like for certified nurse midwife) through your insurance portal. Go from there to find the right provider for your needs!
Utilize your Facebook groups to find obstetrician and/or midwife recommendations, such as joining a local doula group. Choosing and hiring a doula opens the door to recommendations as they should be able to point you towards the right care provider for you!
Check out Jaely’s blog post on choosing a pregnancy care provider. There’s a great list of questions you could ask in your search for the right care provider.