Every woman should take care of their health. Besides choosing a physician, dentist, dermatologist, or other specialists, women should also always have their own ob-gyn. Obstetrician-gynecologist is an essential doctor to have in order to make sure your reproductive health is in order.
Also, you shouldn’t pick just any ob-gyn. Instead, that should be a person you trust, a person with whom you can openly talk, and a person that is an expert in their field. Establishing a good relationship with your gynecologist brings many benefits, and they can make sure your health is top-notch. So, if you are looking to find a new ob-gyn, here are a few tips on how to do it properly.
See Who is in Your Network
You probably already have a few specialists and a family doctor in your network, and you can see what ob-gyn are in the same network. This means that your insurance should cover more of the services of doctors in your network. By looking through the network of doctors, you can gain a better understanding of your coverage options and how you can avoid any surprises in the future. However, if you are not sure how you can find a good obgyn in the network, you can always ask your insurance provider for some help.
Do Your Research
Going through your network should help you narrow down a few great obgyns. However, you shouldn’t stop there. You should do thorough research on the chosen few and see what others think about their services. Gynecological exams and tests are extremely personal and you want your provider to be gentle, attentive, and kind. You can read reviews online, visit their websites and look for testimonials, or even look at reviews on Google My Business.
Additionally, you can talk to your friends and family and see if they have experience with some of them. If not, you can openly ask them for a recommendation. Just make sure to find one that has great reviews and someone who is professional and a person you can trust. You can also check their availability, appointments, office environment and so much more by asking for help or reading online reviews.
Consider Your Own Personality and Communication
Before you start choosing an obgyn based on their manners, start with yourself. For example, if you think you are more serious, then you want to find an obgyn who is similar or you can go in the opposite direction and find someone who can bring a little levity to the appointments. Also, consider if you want a doctor that just gives you the facts, you would prefer someone with a gentler demeanor.
You can create a list of your own must-haves and what type of personality you like in a doctor. When you choose a professional with a personality and way of work that suits your personality, it will be easier for you to trust them and honestly come out with any issues. Also, it’s important that your doctor is willing to answer all of your questions, no matter how many you have.
Check Their Speciality, Location and History
Once you have found an obgyn that you’d potentially choose, you should read their online biography. All respectful doctors will have their biography at your disposal and you should check their license, history, and location. You can read about their board certification to see if they have completed extra training and exams beyond their licensure. This might be important to you if you want to explore more healthy options. Also, see if you can find any extra details about their specialization (for example, heavy periods) since this may help you resolve your own health issues.
Your Decision isn’t Final
Once you choose an obgyn, you are not stuck with your decisions. It may happen that the doctor you’ve chosen sounds great in theory, but you get a different feel when you go to your appointment. And if it happens that your relationship with that specific ob-gyn isn’t working out, you can openly talk to them about your concerns, or simply choose another doctor. You should feel safe and welcome at every appointment and if this is a priority to you, know that you are not stuck with your first choice.
Sometimes, finding the right obgyn is a tough task. You might be lucky that your first choice works perfectly well for you, but it may also happen that you want to switch to another provider. If that’s the case, you should always do your research and find one that is a match for your health issues and personality.
