Finding a good Obstetrician (OB) in the Tampa Bay area

Maria Parcels

If you are a woman trying to get pregnant, having an OB is very important. They provide you and your baby the care that you need to have a healthy pregnancy. There are many OB offices out there for you to choose, but you must feel comfortable with the doctors there.

It is good to have an OB before getting pregnant, but if you are already pregnant, that is okay, you still have time to find a doctor. Ask your friends who they go to and if they are comfortable with the doctor or doctors in that office.

If you have health insurance, check with them before you contact an office. Your health insurance has preferred doctors’ offices and have a contract with those offices for their services at reduced costs. If you choose a doctor that is not in your network, you may pay more for their services. If you do not have health insurance and are pregnant, check out the American Pregnancy Association website for more information on affordable healthcare.

Choose a doctor that is affiliated with a good rated hospital. Just because you have a hospital close to you, does not mean that it is a good hospital. Check with friends or on community websites like MomsLikeMe what the top rated hospitals are in your area. You want to know that the hospital you will eventually deliver your baby in is equipped and staffed with the best possible equipment and people. Some doctors in the Tampa Bay area that offer both normal and high risk pregnancy services can be found at Women’s Care FL. There are many offices associated with the Women’s Care FL group, and they are affiliated with most of the hospitals in the area.

For women that have conditions like epilepsy or are pre-menopausal, or just any other type of condition that would put you as a high risk patient, you might be better off with an OB office that specializes in high risk pregnancies. Florida Perinatal Associates offers services in normal and high risk pregnancies and serve Tampa, Clearwater, and Sarasota. They also offer services in genetic testing.

Make sure that the office you choose can help you map out a course of action for your pregnancy. If you are a woman with no complications in your pregnancy, you are very lucky indeed. If you have a condition, you may still have an easy pregnancy, but make sure the doctor or doctors discuss with you what their plan of action is for following your pregnancy.

If you choose an office that has many doctors in the practice, make sure you are comfortable with at least one or two doctors. You will get to know the others as you progress in your pregnancy so that they are all familiar with your history and your pregnancy in case they deliver your baby.