Family Physician
Family physicians are primary health care providers who treat people of all ages. They address general health concerns and can provide you with diagnoses, treatment, and preventative care options. Family physicians have completed residency training in family medicine, and are trained to deal with the psychological and physical aspects of health.
Family physicians will be able to provide care for you and your baby throughout most of your pregnancy, including monitoring fetal development. Some family physicians are also trained in labour and delivery (obstetrics), and can help guide you through a safe and healthy delivery in a hospital. Others will refer you to another family doctor or an obstetrician.
Why Choose a Family Physician?
Family physicians are often an excellent choice for prenatal health. They are well versed in obstetric and gynaecological health. A family physician can provide one-on-one, long-term care throughout pregnancy. Additionally, family physicians can treat various health concerns in one visit, reducing the number of appointments you have.
However, family physicians may not have had as much training as other types of prenatal care practitioners. This can make it difficult to for them to treat women with high risk or complicated pregnancies.
Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Family Physician:
Choose a health care provider who makes you feel comfortable and who listens to you. Below is a list of questions you can consider asking when first meeting a family physician to talk about your prenatal health care. Ask the questions that are most important to you first.
General Issues for Consideration
- Does the family physician listen to you and take the time to explain things clearly and thoroughly?
- Are you comfortable with the gender and age of the family physician?
- Does the family physician make your partner feel comfortable, too?
- Is the office staff pleasant and respectful?
- Is the location of the office convenient? Do the hours fit your schedule?
- What hospital is the family physician affiliated with? Is its location convenient?
Prenatal Care
- What is the scheduled length of your appointments?
- If you share a practice, what percentage of your patients do you deliver yourself? (Ask to meet all the other doctors who cover for your family physician, and review your birth plan with them.)
- Do you have evening or Saturday hours?
- How are calls and emergencies handled after hours?
Labour & Birth
- Do you provide obstetrical care yourself, or will I be referred to another health care provider?
- Do you recommend, or prohibit, eating and drinking during labour?
- When would you do an episiotomy and what is your episiotomy rate?
- What percentage of labours in your practice are induced?
- Do the nurses at the hospital support your philosophy?
- What methods of pain relief do you recommend?
- What is your caesarean rate and what is the caesarean rate at your facility? Can my partner be present if there is a caesarean?
- What is your usual recommendation if pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks?
- Do you require any routines in labour: fetal monitoring, preps, pitocin, IVs, bed rest?
- How many other people can I have with me during labour and delivery? If you want a doula to attend to your birth it is important to know if she will be allowed in the delivery room.
- How much time will you spend with me when I'm in labour? Knowing in advance the realistic amount of time your doctor (or whoever is on call) will be there will enable you to plan accordingly to have other supporters there for you.
Postpartum
- What are the baby protocols?
- Is there any mandatory separation following birth?
- Can I breastfeed immediately, even if I have a caesarean?
- Do you have a board certified lactation consultant on staff?