Trying for Baby#1, Where Do I Go??

Oh my goodness, I am in a joking mood. I saw the title Trying for baby#1 where do I go? and I wanted to reply the BEDROOM. Hahaha, get it? Just kidding around but I want to wish you the best of luck wherever you go.

I'm not from your area but what I can tell you is to base your views on choosing your OB/GYN practice very carefully and talk to other women you know who have children and find out what their birth experience was
Iike. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. I know that when I first got pregnant, I lived in Connecticut and I knew nothing because my husband and I had only lived in the state for six months at the time. I met some nice neighbors and they all had children so I asked them what doctors and practices they went to and what the childbirth experience was like. One lady in particular became a good friend of mine and I loved her affection for her kids so much that I took her recommendation and chose a rather large and sophisticated OB/GYN practice run by all women that encompassed Internal Medicine and other specialties as well. What a great choice I made! My doctors were beyond fabulous! The staff was amazing and what I really loved was the attention they gave us to create a birth plan that we wanted to stick to but left all things open for adjustments and/or any issues that could arise during pregnancy or the birth itself.

All of the choices we made proved to be so valuable as lo and behold...our first pregnancy was twin girls! I had a very long and arduous labor but it did go smoothly and my doctor was incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout the whole process. Multiple birth and pregnancy is way different then singles. It ups the risk factors and pretty much magnifies all aspects of pregnancy so believe me....I had a new appreciation for doctors! I then went on to have two more daughters, single births, and used the same practice all the way through. There were three doctors in the practice as a whole. One delivered my twins and another one delivered the other two girls after that. In fact, my last one was born so fast and labor was so quick that she barely got off the highway to make it into the hospital for the delivery. We woke her up in the middle of the night and she flew into the hospital to deliver me ASAP wearing a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt! It was that urgent! I adored her for that.

Ask around and listen to the moms suggestions. It really matters. An OB/GYN with a short fuse or crappy attitude is the pits! You need a compassionate, caring, upbeat, and encouraging doctor. And let's not forget the credentials....the smarts and skill to back everything else up. Congrats to you on your decision to start a family. Best thing I ever did in my life was to bring four gorgeous young ladies into this world. Nothing tops it!

I love them, but I go to the gilbert location. Dr giali left the gilbert office to open the north chandler office, I think she is the best dr ever! If she is at the office close to you I would choose her hands down over anyone in the valley!!! I love that they do all their labs and ultrasounds at their location so you don't have to have other appointments elsewhere. Plus there are only 2 on/gyn practices in the area that are all women- you will never be seen by a man, that was very important to me! Within each office there are multiple doctors, I didn't click with a couple but there were a couple I loved! You go to the Dr like 50 times during your pregnancy and you get to pick who your appt is with so by month 4 I had my favorite and stuck with her. So I love valley women for women!!!

Are you having trouble conceiving? If so, talk with your family doctor about a referral.

Otherwise, there's really no "trying." You have no kids in the house. Pick a room and have some fun.

I highly recommend checking out a midwife. I never even considered it for my first, and I wish I had!!
I would recommend Sarah, she is just amazing:
http://www.midwifeskaleidoscope.org/

I would re-post this with your location in the title so that it is seen and answered by Mamapedia members in your area.

And yes, you've noted correctly that negative reviews are more likely to be posted about anything (restaurants, hotels, doctors, hospitals) and have more details. I think it's more important to find a great doctor you trust, and then figure that person will be associated with a good hospital. If you have concerns about reviews you read, you can raise those specific issues with that doctor.

You also don't need to work out a place to deliver before you are pregnant. And you don't really need a doctor right away unless you are having problems conceiving. It's okay to be proactive, but if you stress yourself out too much about which labor & delivery room you are hoping for, you won't focus on things like nutrition and stress reduction, which are more important before you conceive.

Good luck!

Check with your insurances site and see who's in your network and what hospitals they work out of.
It's good to check your insurance policy anyway so you know what they cover for maternity.
Research several places (and see if they are taking new patients - no point if they aren't).
Get 'What to Expect When You're Expecting" and start reading - you'll find out about options, what you might like and what you don't like and you'll be able to ask questions when you interview ob/gyn's.
Also, it's good to be taking a pre-natal vitamin before you start trying.
Good luck as you start out on this new adventure in life!

The best maternity hospital in the East Valley is Banner Gateway on Higley and the 60.