UPDATE: I called today and spoke to a great advice nurse. I’m going to start calling the call center when my symptoms are bad- she says there’s a disclaimer with the emails because you don’t know how long it’ll take them to respond. But in the meantime she made an appt for me tomorrow. I’m seeing yet another doctor, but I saw him 10 years ago when I used to have Kaiser insurance and he’s a good doc. Also he’s the head of OB surgery for the department so I think his opinion carries some weight in the office. I’ll update again after my appt. Thanks for all the supportive responses ❤️

So I need advice on how to approach some issues I’m having with my OB/Gyn office.

My first few appts this pregnancy I had with one doctor (she was the first available appt when I found out I was pregnant). I liked her but didn’t feel connected. So I took a friends recommendation and hopped to another who is similar in age, just had her 3rd baby, and I really liked. However, at my last appt I brought up wanting to go on leave at 32 weeks. I’m already feeling physically taxed and I’m only 27 weeks-I’m an ER nurse at a busy trauma center. She suggested putting me on light duty- in my ER that means I’m sitting at the triage desk- AKA the first person encountered by every patient who comes in through the lobby. For me, this means I am exposed to all the germs (ie. the Flu, shingles, other potential airborne diseases like tuberculosis, etc). She said, “well as long as you’re not lifting over 50 pounds.” To which I laughed. As an ER nurse I’m responsible for assisting lifting patients in bed (and since the average person is not a 90-100 pound adult) that means I’m definitively lifting over 50 pounds. I’m also trauma certified, which requires a lot of lifting and physical strain. I’m also the “resuscitation” nurse often, which means I’m in charge of the people who are coding and under CPR. In fact, I assisted in CPR in my last pregnancy during the second trimester.

Anyways, she made it seem like she wasn’t even considering letting me go out at 32 weeks. So I decided to see my actual assigned OB for my next appt (my 28 week/glucose test appt next week) and hopefully get a different answer. Since my convo with the last OB, I want to be clear with them about the physical issues I’m having so I have leverage on why I need to go out early. So I emailed my OB about Pepcid for reflux, and my frequent Braxton Hicks contractions that are sometimes painful, and palpitations that I’ve been experiencing regularly at work. I emailed 4 days ago and haven’t heard back. I’m pissed. I feel like no one is addressing my issues and I’m concerned for preterm labor honestly with the amount of BH/painful contractions I’ve had at work. I sound like such a whiner, I know. But my concern is protecting me and my unborn son.

I know that palpitations are normal in pregnancy, but the frequency and being symptomatic (dizziness, lightheaded) concerns me. I know BH are normal, but again the frequency and the fact that they are at times very painful concerns me.

What would you do? Email again, call the office, call member services (I’ve got Kaiser insurance), or just wait until my 28 week appt and unload on the doc?