How to Switch Doctors in the Middle of Pregnancy

Prenatal care involves ongoing appointments with your healthcare provider to care for you and your unborn baby. Standard prenatal care involves a checkup every four weeks until 28 weeks. Next, you will have biweekly appointments for eight weeks and then weekly appointments until delivery, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The practitioner you choose is important, because this person will provide ongoing care, as well as the delivery of your baby. If you change your mind at a point during your pregnancy and you want to switch doctors, you have this prerogative.

Instructions

    • 1

      Explore your options for choosing a new practitioner. If you have insurance limitations, learn the healthcare providers from which you can choose for medical care. If you wish to deliver at a specific hospital, learn the practitioners who deliver at your hospital. Once you learn your options, narrow your search down to two or three you wish to interview.

    • 2

      Interview the physicians you are considering to make sure the care provided matches your needs and wishes. If you need specialized care for a health issue or for a high-risk pregnancy, make sure the physician can provide the level of care you require. Assess the physician̵7;s style and personality to ensure you feel compatible together. Consider each physician̵7;s clinic location, hours and patient load as a part of the decision. Provide details about your pregnancy and ascertain that any physician you consider will take you as a patient, even in the middle of your pregnancy.

    • 3

      Make the final choice for a new heathcare provider based on all factors outlined during the interview process. Choose the doctor you feel confident about and comfortable with as a physician.

    • 4

      Call your current physician̵7;s office to request a transfer of your medical records to your new physician. Provide the new physician̵7;s name and address. Your current physician may need you to sign a release to transfer your records. Ask if you can sign a faxed release and return it to the physician̵7;s office by fax, for convenience.

    • 5

      Make an appointment with your new physician immediately to establish care and ensure that the physician received your medical history. The new physician may wish to perform exams and tests to complete the transition into her care.

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