Out With the Old, In With the New

Yesterday I called Kaiser and changed my primary care OB/GYN. Though I liked this woman when I was receiving gyne care from her, I haven't been impressed with her knowledge or bedside manner during my prenatal visits.

My last visit was nearly two weeks ago. After listening to our son's heartbeat with the doppler, she turned her attention to my chart and said, "We expect people to have weight gain after the holidays. But you can't have a jump like this again." She smirked at me, assuming to know that I'd eaten too many cookies and had too much egg nog.

She did not ask me about my diet. She did not inquire about how much juice (or eggnog) I drink thought this is a source of calories that most pregnant women seem to overlook. She didn't ask if we eat out more often than cooking at home. She just assumed to know.

I was MAD. Firstly, I just lost 15 pounds from adhering to my yeast free diet (see earlier posts.) To summarize, this meant no sugar, no alcohol, no simple carbohydrates, no bread with yeast (which is almost all bread), no vinegar, no mustard, no mayonnaise, no mushrooms, no cheese. In fact, I had to limit my fruit intake - because that is also sugar. What do you eat on a diet like that? Whole grains, meat, and vegetables. What happens? You lose weight FAST.

In fact, I am hovering between 5 - 7 pounds above my pre-diet weight now, at Week 19. I would have been all-too-happy to share this fact with her if she hadn't pulled out her lance and aimed it at me. Try and find a topic more sensitive than a woman's weight. I can't believe that a trained medical professional who specializes in this work would take this approach.

Shortly after leaving her office I called my friend, Liz. She is now 8 months pregnant. Pre-pregnancy she was an avid soccer player who danced on the weekends. This woman is not fat, even at 8 months she's solid. She said that she had the same experience at the same point in pregnancy. She gained 13 pounds between Month 3 and Month 4. Then she gained 3 pounds between Month 4 and Month 5. Her OB said that THIS IS NORMAL. If her OB knows that this happens, why doesn't mine?

One more question that my OB could have asked me was, "Are you retaining water?" The answer to that by most pregnant women would be a quick, "YES." In fact, I lost 3 pounds in 2 days after that appointment. Could that be fat or muscle? No; that was water.

The odd thing is, I'm not overweight AT ALL. My friends say that I look like myself with a bigger mid-section. My legs still fit into my pants (thought I can't wear them because of the waistline.) And my face is still the same shape, not rounded. When I gain weight, it goes to my face first. My arms are thin. You can see my ribs, though I'm not gaunt. In a word, I'm healthy.

I told this story to several friends, to get their sympathy. Almost unanimously they told me to find someone else. They didn't like the idea of me putting myself into the hands of someone who was so reluctant to ask questions instead of making assumptions.

I thought back and remembered that I'd seen another OB several months ago when mine was too busy to schedule me in. I really liked that woman. She was young, sharp, and had a fantastic smile when she walked into the room. We had an immediate rapport. I found my spirits lifted by my visit with her, even though I went there with a problem.

Upon research I found that she is accepting new patients, YEAH! What I didn't know is that she is an osteopath (DO.) I like the fact that her focus is on wellness and that she knows about natural cures as well as western medical practices and prescriptions. I'm actually excited to go to my first appointment with her.

I'll check back in once that happens - if not before.