My OB had told me up front that there's a high chance she won't deliver me due to various reasons but I was okay with it. In the end, the doctor that delivered was great, and I felt like it didn't really matter since they don't come till the end anyway!
My newly pregnant friend is super paranoid and wants to find someone that can guarantee delivery even though I told her there's always gonna be exceptions (on vacation, not on call, with another patient, etc) unless she has scheduled c-section.
pomegranate / 3565 posts
I didn't care. It could have been a total stranger performing my c section and it wouldn't have mattered to me. I wanted a healthy baby that is all. I was going to be nervous and excited no matter who it was. And honestly I didn't know anyone else in the OR anyway.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I knew going in that I wouldn't have my OB at the delivery, wasn't much I could do about it to change it, so I didn't worry too much about it.
cherry / 179 posts
I didn't care at all and don't think it would have mattered in the end if I had spent lots of time worrying about it. I had a doctor from another practice that I had never even heard of deliver DS and it ended up just fine.
There are so many variables to consider regarding labor/delivery I chose to make sure I was at a well-respected hospital and not stress or worry about anything at all after that.
coconut / 8483 posts
Where we live there is no guarantee. At all. You see a team of OBs during pregnancy and whoever is on call that day delivers. I was with midwives and same thing! Even if I did care it wouldn't matter, no choice!
pomelo / 5607 posts
It doesn't really matter to me. Having DH and my doula is way more important. I will get a chance to meet all the possible midwives throughout pregnancy, so none of them will be a stranger if everything goes well. But if I wind up needing an OB to come in, I have no idea who that might be. I just really hope it's not a man. I'm not comfortable with that. Hmm, I should probably bring that up at my next appointment, so I know whether to be prepared for that possibility or not.
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I wasn't worried about it for my first but very concerned about it for my second and third (current) pregnancy. I really want my RCS with "my" Dr so the thought of going into labor before the scheduled date makes me nervous.
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
I was actually really worried about this and ended up having a different doctor because my ob wasn't on call...and I ended up having someone who was great!
eggplant / 11716 posts
I go to a pretty large practice and I like all of the OBGYNS except one...I just feel like he talks down to me and I hate it. Of course, he was the one who delivered my LO. I can't say it was a warm-fuzzies experience, but he didn't eff anything up, so all's well that end's well.
Since there were no complications, he basically just came in at the end to catch the baby and then he stitched me up and was on his way. He was there maybe 20 minutes, tops.
All that to say....I guess it generally doesn't matter, although I would have preferred any of the other doctors just because I like them more.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I'm cool with someone in my OB's practice. I'm less cool with random on-call residents who have less vested interest in me, don't know my history, etc etc.
grapefruit / 4663 posts
For the first kid, I cared a lot but we were using a midwife who'd been with us through infertility and the like and she wanted to be there as much as I wanted her there.
This time, I know all the providers from my doctor's office at the hospital and don't really care at all. I trust my DH and I to make the correct decisions for me and our kiddo and we know what we are doing this time..........................
Although we have both joked about driving the 12 hours to have the first midwife deliver because we love her THAT much. She is also the person I still text with questions and she has told me several times I could come to her for delivery so I think our relationship is probably on the rare side.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
I wasn't worried about it at all. I was more worried about getting crappy nurses.
pomegranate / 3779 posts
I knew it was a possibility going in and was fine with it. I ended up seeing 4 of the 5 doctors in my practice during my (long) induction and labor and the one who delivered LO was great.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
Yes and no. I go to a midwife practice and knew it would be whoever was on call that delivered, and I was fine wth that. But I was really hoping I liked the midwife! It was nice that the midwife was with me almost the whole time I was in the hospital before delivery (only a few hours). And I really really liked her and wish I could see her for my prenatal appts but she only does deliveries.
In the end an OB came in to assist with the delivery anyway but the same midwife and nurse stayed with me.
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
I didn't worry about it. The doctor is there for such a little part of it. I would hate to get the nurse I got last time though.
nectarine / 2834 posts
My doc said she'd deliver me, so I didn't meet any of the other docs in the practice. Turns out, she was so sure of me going past my due date that she went out of town for the weekend and another doc in the practice delivered DD. She was awesome and probably better for me than my doc would have been. I was a little perturbed that the nurses kept telling me my doc "had been told I was there" so I kept expecting her to walk in any minute. But when it came time to deliver, anyone with a medical degree was fine with me as long as they took care of us!
grapefruit / 4681 posts
I go to a small practice, 2 OB and now 2 midwives (only 1 when I had my first). I didn't want the one OB because I didn't feel she was as personable, but had she delivered either of my children (or the next one) I would ultimately be fine with it.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I didn't care. The midwife I saw throughout my pregnancy rarely is on-call at the hospital, so I knew I wasn't going to get her! I just wanted to have a midwife and there's always one on call (and I knew if complications arose, I'd be transferred to a physician).
pomegranate / 3113 posts
There are five midwives in the group I went to and whoever is on call will deliver the baby. They try to have you meet all the midwives at prenatal appointments so there won't be a total stranger there at the end. But if you need to have an emergency transfer of care, the on-call OB would obviously be someone you've never met before. I was totally fine with this setup.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
I wasn't worried about it at all, and it worked out in my favor that my original OB's partner delivered DS1! He is my new OB and I love him! 
eggplant / 11861 posts
I mean I had my favorites that I "hoped" would be there and 1 doctor that I flat out told DH and another midwife I'll die if he is on call that night, he was a jerks no bed side manner at all....
I got super lucky and went in with my favorite MW who actually stayed to deliver G
eggplant / 11824 posts
I’m kinda weird because I didn’t really care who delivered me if I had a vaginal birth, but it turns out I cared A WHOLE LOT about who I wanted performing a c-section, which I didn’t realize until I was past 40 weeks and scheduled one. I’ve been under my OB-GYN’s care for years (now that I think about it, about a decade!) and I trust her completely. I met several of the other OB’s in their practice and was fine with them, but when my OB and I (and DH) sat down as the end was nearing and were seriously discussing the birth and whether I wanted to be induced or schedule a c-section or wait things out, a big part of the reason I went with a c-section was because that guaranteed she would be there. I dunno….like I said, I was fine with anyone else being there for a vaginal birth, but when I thought about who I wanted performing surgery on me and stitching me up, I knew I only wanted her to do it.
nectarine / 2784 posts
I didn't care because I felt comfortable with all 4 options, although I was keeping my fingers crossed for my two favorites. Plus, I delivered, she was just there to catch the baby 
pear / 1750 posts
I'm ok with whoever because I'm at a larger hospital practice and that's just the way it is. I know the nurses play a huge role in the process and you can't choose your nurse. That said, there is a midwife in the practice that I love, but she only works in L&D one day a week, so that's a bummer.
pear / 1697 posts
If I were having a hospital delivery with an OB, I wouldn't care much at all. The OB is there for so little of it -- the nursing staff makes much more difference and you just get luck of the draw for that no matter what.
However, I'm having a homebirth with a practice of three midwives. I will probably be spending somewhere between 6 and 18 hours with at least one of them at my house.
Unless I am in active labor before 7am tomorrow morning, my favorite of the three isn't back on call again until I would be 41w4d...which might happen, but, ah, I think I'd rather it didn't. So, I am feeling a bit bummed about that.
grapefruit / 4584 posts
I cared a lot....mainly because my OB's partner had a reputation for being a super strong personality and I was intimidated by her. My OB was on vacation about 2 weeks before my due date and I seriously didn't get off the sofa that weekend because I did NOT want to go into labor.
pomegranate / 3983 posts
I guess if you have a straight forward delivery then maybe it doesn't matter as much who catches the baby. However if there are complications and the OB is making judgement calls about interventions then I do think it's important to be in the care of someone you trust. Both times my chosen OB delivered, but the second time when I came to the hospital the on call doctor was in the room until my own OB arrived and to put it mildly her bedside manner was severely lacking (and thus very disruptive).
grapefruit / 4988 posts
I saw a midwife through my pregnancy and while I would have loved having her deliver, I was ok with any of the other midwives in the practice. So I didn't worry about it too much.
pineapple / 12053 posts
I didn't worry because I chose the hospital I delivered at because it was great but that meant my OB practice, of 5, was only on call there M-F during "business hours" so there was a large probability that none of them would deliver my baby. As it turned out, my fave OB was on call and delivered DD.
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
I cared that it be someone from my ob's practice-- they deliver at a teaching hospital but the residents only see you when checking in, otherwise it's one of the 4 drs in their office (one is always on call/there) and their midwife. The midwife ended up being with me for my labor and I looooooved her, I would love if she was in call next time!
pear / 1586 posts
I didn't really care too much. My OB practice has 5 doctors and you have to see all of them before you deliver, so I'd had at least one appointment with all of them. My least-favorite doctor ended up starting my induction, and I ended up liking her a lot. The original doctor I saw ended up delivering LO, and it was a great experience. He was a brand-new doctor (like, just off his residency I think?) but that didn't bother me at all. DH was a little disappointed bc he had a bromance going on with one of the doctors and he was unfortunately not on call the day I delivered, haha!
pineapple / 12566 posts
I didn't care, and both times someone I didn't know (at all!) delivered my babies. I also had no complications with either, so maybe a bit less to worry about than some.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
I was fine knowing the chances were it was going to be another doctor in the practice was likely to be on call. I got the hospital and the doc said she was on till 8am and then my doctor was taking over for the day. I told LO to stay in till 8 and was thrilled my doctor got to deliver. But really she wasn't there for long, so it wouldn't have mattered if it was someone else.
watermelon / 14467 posts
I knew it would be someone from my midwife's office, so I was okay with that. I didn't want any random resident.
pomegranate / 3904 posts
I cared, but with my second when my doctor wasn't on call and we didn't think she would be there, I was ok with it. She ended up calling in and they told her I was there, so she left her conference to deliver our daughter. I was glad she was there.
pomelo / 5041 posts
I cared because it was twins and I was at a relatively low-risk hospital so there wouldn't be a lot of experienced staff around if something went wrong. Had it been a normal vaginally delivery I wouldn't have cared.
persimmon / 1427 posts
@snowjewelz: I knew my doctor couldn't guarantee she'd be there for birth, but she attends almost all of her patient's births and that was important to me. If a doctor told me they likely wouldn't deliver my baby unless I had a c-section, I'd find a different doctor.
I selected my doctor because of her expertise, philosophy on patient care, and bedside manner. I trust her 100% and felt like if there were any issues that created decisions to be made, she'd give me options and let me make my own decision. If a doctor I didn't know and trust was making those decisions, I'd be worried if they were pushing interventions because of their bias or schedule, not what I wanted as a patient.
grapefruit / 4800 posts
For my first I think it would've been better for me emotionally if I knew and trusted the doctor who is going to deliver my little one. I did find it a bit discombobulating to have different doctors with different opinions coming in during different shifts and giving birth can be a new and slightly scary experience so having trust with the person giving you advice would have been better for me.
pomelo / 5093 posts
Even with my very long labor, I didn't get my favorite midwife. The one who delivered me was great, so I didn't mind terribly. But I'm really, really hoping to have my favorite one this time.
pomegranate / 3355 posts
I go to an office that has lots of ob's and I like all of them except ONE. She held me in the hospital overnight when I went for my rh shot and my BP had spiked. She accused me of diluting my urine and wouldn't listen to anything I said. It was terrible, I complained about her to the head dr after wards. Of course the day I went to be induced she was on call! I was so upset but Dh calmed me down. She ended up being useless to get me dilated and thankfully she went off duty before I had DD. I actually had 3 dr's b/c my induction was so long. The one that ended up delivering DD was a stranger to me and I didn't care.
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