Am I stuck with my OBGYN?

S

SLPmom

Registered User
I am seeing a very well regarded OBGYN in central and I absolutely despise him. He has horrible bed side manner, pressured me to consider terminating a pregnancy before the test results came back for a condition I ended up not having, allowed his 5 year old son to walk into our exam room during my appointment (I was mostly covered but unclothed) and did not apologize, and has been overall unsupportive and truly unkind during a difficult pregnancy. Every time I speak to him or see him I feel more depressed.

I would really like to switch doctors, but being 12 weeks along, I am under the impression that no other private doctor will take me. I have considered separating from my husband for the next 6 months to move back to the United States, in order to see a different doctor.

Am I stuck with my current doctor or does anyone know of other private doctors taking new patients.

Thanks so much.
 
You should have no problem finding a better obgen. One issue is the hospital booking, which may not be transferable. You need to choose between the stress of seeing this guy vs. the stress of changing bookings. 12 weeks doesn't sounds too late to find a new obgen to me!
 
I don't see any reason why you can't change doctors, unless your hospital booking for delivery is dependent on him. I have traveled all through my pregnancy and seen OB-GYN's in 3 cities. It's really important to feel comfortable with your doctor.
 
It sounds like you need to switch doctors. I don't think 12 weeks is too far along. I think there would be less popular doctors who would take you on.

If you're delivering in a public hospital and just seeing this doctor for support, then you have lots of possibilities.

If you're delivering private and booked the hospital through this doctor then maybe a little trickier. Nevertheless, my understanding would be that the booking is made in your name so you would need to see which other doctors deliver at that hospital, check which of them can take you (you can explain you have a hospital booking already but would like to switch doctors) and go from there. I think there was a thread in a past about keeping the hospital booking but switching doctors at Mathilda. I'm sure it's possible.
 
Thank you for the replies. I was told by my current Dr.'s office that they handle the booking (Matilda) and I didn't know any better to try and make the booking on my own. I have called them every week including today (as I put the request in 9 weeks ago) and they said they still don't have a confirmed bed for me.

I called Lucy Lord's office and they will see me but made it clear I probably won't get a hospital bed and Patrick Chan's office told me they won't see me because all of his beds are filled for December and January. I don't need to deliver in a private hospital (though I would prefer it) but am having a complicated pregnancy so I am worried about choosing a less popular doctor.

I will continue to call every doctor I can find but I think I may just have to move home :/

Again, thanks so much for the replies.
 
There are plenty of competent obgens, in both the public and private system. There is really no need to go back to America to give birth - try not to worry! The fact you don't have a confirmed booking makes it easier too, you have far less barriers to switching doctors.

I would think the stress of moving, and being away from your husband is very much a last resort, not something that needs to be considered at this stage.
 
Though I can understand not wanting to go from Matilda (if that's what you can afford) to public. But I would keep trying, calling all docs. Have you tried Dr. Ghosh? (he's also one of the busy ones, but I would just do the rounds before giving up).
 
SLPmom said:
I will continue to call every doctor I can find but I think I may just have to move home :/
Click to expand...
An alternate suggestion : call (or visit) the hospital itself and ask them if they have a good doctor to recommend and a bed at the same time. Many of the private hospitals will have a list. Try Canossa, Sanitorium, StPauls and many more. Matilda is a busy&expensive place but certainly not the only place...

Complicated pregnancy == popular doctor : I dont see why you should equate the 2. Not knowing your complication, I cannot say for sure, but in general, complicated cases are better handled at the public hospitals.

As for leaving home : That sounds like stress doing the talking. In between the doctor and hospital calls, consider some massage and/or pampering session of some sort so you can relax a bit. Relaxation is good for mummy and baby.
 
If it is any help, here is a list of obgens from my healthcare provider here. We used Dr Jennie Ng for my wifes ante-natal checks and delivery and she was fine - professional, experienced and competent

Dr. Tsui Hang Yuet Michelle 徐行悅醫生
MBBS(Queensland), FHKCOG, MRCOG, FHKAM(Obs
& Gynae)
Premier Medical Centre
Suite 707, 718-733, Central Building, 1-3 Pedder
Street, Central
中環畢打街1-3號中建大厦7樓707, 718-733室
Tel: 3723-3098

Dr. So Wai Ki William 蘇偉基醫生
MB BS (HK), FHKCOG, FRCOG, FHKAM(Obs &
Gynae)
Premier Medical Centre
Suite 707, 718-733, Central Building, 1-3 Pedder
Street, Central
中環畢打街1-3號中建大厦7樓707, 718-733室
Tel: 3723-3098

Dr. Ferguson Sally 方莎莉醫生
MB BS(Ncle), MRCOG, FHKAM(O&G)
Owens, Trodd & Partners
Room 1501 - 1503, Shui On Centre, 8 Harbour Road,
Wanchai
灣仔港灣道8號瑞安中心1501-1503室
Tel: 2824-9112

Dr. Chan Leung Kwok Clement 陳亮國醫生
MBBS (HK), FHKCOG (HK), FRANZCOG, FRCOG,
MD (Singapore), FHKAM(O&G)
Room 702, Manning House, 38 Queen's Road
Central, Central
中環皇后大道中38號萬年大廈702室
Tel: 3113-3232

Dr. Cheung Cheuk Yuen Catherine 張灼源醫生
MB BS(HK), FRCOG(UK), MRCOG(Eng),
FHKAM(O&G)
Rm 1203, Cosco Tower, Grand Millennium Plaza,
183 Queen's Road Central, Sheung Wan
上環皇后大道中183號新紀元廣場中遠大廈1203室
Tel: 2545-3333

Dr. Ng Ching Wah Jennie 伍菁華醫生
MBBS (HK), FHKCOG, MRCOG, FHKAM(O&G)
Room 1318, Melbourne Plaza, 33 Queen's Road,
Central
中環皇后大道中33號萬邦行1318室
Tel: 2523-6888

Dr. Tang Yuen Chiu 鄧遠釗醫生
MBBS (HK), FHKCOG, FRACOG, MRCOG,
FHKAM(O&G)
Room 801, Hang Shing Bldg., 363-373 Nathan Road,
Yau Ma Tei
油麻地彌敦道363 - 373號恆成大廈801室
Tel: 2780-0655, 2740-9225

Dr. Chai Hei Lam Anita 蔡曦琳醫生
MB BS (HK), MHKCOG, MRCOG, FHKAM(O&G)
Ken Lee Medical Centre (Central)
仲堅醫療中心 (中環)
Room 1103-4, Melbourne Plaza, 33 Queen's Road
Central, Central
中環皇后大道中33號萬邦行1103-4室
Tel: 2787-0221

Ken Lee Medical Centre
仲堅醫療中心
Room 1825-1827, Argyle Centre Phase 1,688
Nathan Road, Mongkok
旺角彌敦道688號旺角中心第1期1825-1827室
Tel: 2787-0222

Dr. Poddar Nises Chandra 布特理醫生
MB BS(Calcutta), D Obst RCOG(Eng), FRCOG,
MRCOG, FHKAM(O&G)
Owens, Trodd & Partners
5/F, Century Square, 1D' aguilar Street, Central
中環德己立街1號世紀廣場5樓
Tel: 2521-3181
 
I may be missing something because I only skimmed the thread, but have you been told that you cannot transfer your hospital booking? I switched OBs at 18 weeks or something because my first doctor had a holiday scheduled that would likely have been during my delivery. I found another doctor who delivered at Matilda and they were able to transfer the booking for me, no problem. This was in 2010 so maybe Matilda's policies have changed?

Anyway, agree with others. Your doctor sounds awful and uncaring and I would make a change. A couple of the incidents you noted are also likely sanctionable offenses if reported to the medical board here (not that you need the added stress of course).

Hope it all works out and all the best.
 
ps. Try Dr. May Mok at the Women's Clinic in Central as she has privileges at several hospitals, but is a newer doctor in HK (and pricey) so somewhat less in demand. Also call Sanatarium and Adventist directly. I have friends who found beds through hospital refereals to doctors.
 
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Also I would strongly recommend the Women's Clinic's Dr May Mok. I'm also pretty sure she could get you into Matilda.
 
12weeks is not too late. From my experience though...(delivered at Matilda, sanatorium and Adventist and had two kids in QMH NICU unit with problems) if you will definitely have a problem pregnancy I would have the kid at QMH, then Sanatorium...they have the best medical equipment to handle complicated pregnancies. My first born at Matikda needed to b sent to QMH cause Matilda didn't have the life saving machine for my daughter. Perhaps you can ask your OBgYn now to write you a referral to get into QMH private section, or you could go see DR Ferguson and have her write you one...since she can't deliver now in HK at all I'm sure it'd be what she would be expecting anyways. 12wks is not too late if youre flexible about the hospital. At the end of the day you just want someone who can handle complicated pregnancies well, right? Safety of the baby first in my opinion.
 
Since you have a wished-for booking at Matilda, check here for their doctors http://www.matilda.org/en/doctorlist. Anyone that is not on this list, cannot get you a booking there.

When you visit each doctor, check where you are on the doctors waiting list. If you are within the top10 that is not yet confirmed, you are likely to get a confirmed slot at Matilda.

The other option is to stick it out with the current doctor until you have a confirmed booking and then make the switch. I would make that decision once again depending on where you are on the waiting list for your current doctor.

Last but not least, you could also go for your regular checks to another doctor and see your current doctor only every now and then until you have the confirmed booking from Matilda. And then switch

On a separate note, did you already get a rejection letter from Matilda? From our recent experience and a few friends, it seems typical nowadays that one gets first a rejection letter around 12 weeks and then a confirmation letter later on. The timing of the confirmation letter seems to be dependent on where you are on the doctor's wait list.
 
Thank you so much for all these helpful suggestions. We actually just got accepted to Matilda last night. I am going to head over there to make the deposit and to find out if once paid I have the option to switch doctors. If not, I'm not sure what I will do because a 20k deposit is not something I am financially comfortable to lose.

That said, if I cant switch, it seems from the previous posts I shouldn't have trouble getting a spot at another hospital, which I will have to confirm to be accurate. If only I'd realized about this dragon year baby stuff I think I'd have waited another year!

Thanks everyone.
 
Afaik, you can change doctors once you have the booking, so long as the doctor you switch to is able to deliver at Matilda.

If you have complications, I really recommend Lucy Lord. She is "to the point"/ brisk, but very experienced and was absolutely brilliant during my first delivery, hence I am seeing her again for my second pregnancy.
 
Also, just to add, this is probably not happening now, but if you deliver in the public system, but have your ante-natal care privately, your ante-natal obs cannot deliver your baby- you'll just get whoever is on duty at QMH that day. Some obs (incl LL and Grace Cheung) don't see patients for ante-natal care if they are delivering in the public system. Others do, Patrick Can being one. HTH.
 
I have also heard of a f people who have switched bookings from one dr to another provided your new dr can deliver at Matilda. At the end of the day, although they book it fr you, it's your booking. If Lucy Lords clinic wil see you, I'd recommend Dr Grace there. I had her for my second and liked her. Competent but friendly.
 
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