Pro-life Ob/Gyn Associations?

Suudy · #1 Jul 27, '09, 8:40 am

My wife and I have been trying for the last couple of months for our first. Last night we got our first positive (!) from a home test, and now we are on the lookout for a local ob/gyn for the entire pregnancy. My wife's last ob/gyn moved out of the area, and since she hasn't found a replacement.

So now that we are going forward, we want to find one close to home, and most importantly, pro-life. She was a bit put off the first trip (before we were married) when the doctor asked what birth control she was using, and when my wife said none, the doctor said "Oh, you are trying to get pregnant?"

And even after we were married, and we were using NFP, the doctor pushed for the pill. Since my wife only saw her once a year, we just ignored the related advice and let it go.

But now that we defininely need an ob/gyn (we hope!) we want to make sure to find one that is committed to pro-life values. Or at least not antagonistic to them. And being Catholic would be a huge plus too!

I did a quick Google search, and all I found was AAPLOG (American Association of Pro_life Ob/Gyns). But there is only one doctor listed in our area (Seattle).

Can anybody recommend some organizations or lists that specifically identify themselves as pro-life? I'm not looking for a specific doctor recommendation, just a place to find one.

Thanks!

Belle10 · #2 Jul 27, '09, 9:52 am

I've seen this suggested on CAF before:

http://www.omsoul.com/nfp-only.php

Congratulations on your baby! Best wishes on finding a wonderful doctor to help you along this most wonderful journey!

Em_in_FL · #3 Jul 27, '09, 10:54 am

The link that Belle10 posted is the only source I know of.

Pro-Life OB/GYN's (at least those that advertise as such) are hard to come by. But, don't be discouraged! Think of it as an opportunity to share your faith and to evangelize! Seriously, stand up and educate the doctors for once! I love going to my OB/GYN appointments and sharing what I know about NFP. Some doctors have never been fully educated in the methods and really don't understand how useful they are! My midwives always tell me "So you're wanting another one right away, eh?"

And then I grab my opportunity to share about NFP - "Acutally, NO!... We're going to wait a while before having more using NPF. Here are my charts! Would you like to understand how it works?"...

So, if you aren't able to find a pro-life doctor in your area, don't fret... use the opportunity to spread the pro-life news by example!

Congratulations on your upcoming blessing!

Best of luck finding the right doctor!

Truly Beloved · #4 Jul 27, '09, 11:09 am

Try your parish bulletin, too. That's how I found my current OB/GYN. She isn't listed on the pro-life sites, but she is pro-life and she has taken NFP courses to use personally as well as the physician-oriented classes.

At my visits, her assistants always ask me, "So, when was your last period? Or are you still breastfeeding?"

My OB likes to see my charts, too, when we decide on a due date.

If your parish bulletin doesn't have any OB listings, go around to different parishes and pick up copies of theirs. You're bound to find someone in such a large metropolitan area!

Suudy · #5 Jul 27, '09, 11:27 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truly Beloved

If your parish bulletin doesn't have any OB listings, go around to different parishes and pick up copies of theirs. You're bound to find someone in such a large metropolitan area!

Outstanding idea!

We found our dentist in our bulletin, and we are thrilled with her. And doing the same for an OB is a great idea.

Thanks!

Truly Beloved · #6 Jul 27, '09, 11:30 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suudy

We found our dentist in our bulletin, and we are thrilled with her. And doing the same for an OB is a great idea.

That's how we found our dentist, too!!

pentecostbaby · #7 Jul 27, '09, 7:45 pm

If you have a low risk pregnancy, think about a non-hospital affiliated birthing center. They are generally run by midwives, who are MUCH more pro-life, in general, than OB/GYNs. They are also likely to have referrals to pro-life docs - or at least docs who will respect the decisions you make.

We are very, very lucky to work with a midwife who is Christian (though not Catholic), and therefore VERY pro-life. For example, she made sure we were informed about pre-natal tests designed just to find out if the baby is 'flawed' - for example, tests that only find out if the child may have Down's Syndrome. We said that we didn't care if our child had Downs - we were keeping him/her regardless. She beamed at us. It was such a wonderful thing to work with a health care professional who saw all life as valuable.

She also gave us a recommendation to an awesome little rural health care center whose doc is a 'midwife in a doctor's coat'. While I don't know if they are totally pro-life, they respect and applaud our use of NFP, never act like I ought to be on the Pill, etc. I am never made to feel like an irresponsible freak for not using birth control. In my state, with very few Catholics, that's all I ask.

jfischer1216 · #8 Jul 27, '09, 9:07 pm

Our doctor is NaPro certified, but not an OB. There are two partners and are in family practice, which I love because we can see them for everything. They can read my charts, see me throughout my pregnancies, deliver and are also our pediatrician! I'd maybe try that route...sorry I don't know the Creighton website, but I know they list their (NaPro)doctors by State, and even if one doesn't pan out, you could possibly get a referal from them. Prayers for you, your wife and baby, and CONGRATS!!!

jfischer1216 · #9 Jul 27, '09, 9:39 pm

http://www.fertilitycare.org/locations/washington.htm

Found it, hope this helps!

nodito · #10 Jul 27, '09, 9:48 pm

You could also try contacting the Catholic Medical Association. [www.cathmed.org] I don't know if they do referrals but there's a Dr. Jan Hemstad in Yakima who serves as a regional director and might know of someone in your area.

nodito · #11 Jul 27, '09, 9:50 pm

Another idea is to contact CCL teaching couples in your area and ask who they go to. You can get their names off the One More Soul database linked to above [www.omsoul.com] Even if there aren't any NFP medical providers in your area, the teaching couples could probably recommend their own OB/GYNs or midwives.

And hey, congratulations on your new baby!

Suudy · #12 Jul 29, '09, 9:33 am

I thought I'd post an update on our search, just in case anybody would find it useful or interesting.

And, it's not going well. I've found 4 different pro-life organizations, and none have a single ob/gyn listed in the Seattle area as pro-life. I knew Seattle was about as pro-abortion as it gets, but I certainly didn't expect this kind of a drought. There was one listed, but there is no phone number, and I can't find anything about the doctor. So perhaps she isn't in the area anymore.

I also contacted two parishes, other than my own (my wife wants to keep this silent until we are certain of things), looking for a referral. One parish had no suggestions, other than to contact the archdiocese. But I'm not sure who to contact there. The other parish was extremely helpful. The pro-life chair thought this would be an excellent list to compile and make available to parishoners (and after we get things settled, I think I will bring this up to our pro-life chair as well). She suggested one doctor, a radiologist, that has been very active in the pro-life movement (fought against the "Death with Dignity" initiative, very vocal against FOCA, etc) to call, as he might know someone. But I haven't heard back yet. She also gave one referral to a Catholic family practice doctor, but she is unsure of her pro-life stance (and given the Catholic doctors my wife works with, it wouldn't be a surprise if she wasn't). I am hoping to hear back from them today.

And finally, I thought I'd note the general response to my queries. The calls to the parishes were very warm and welcoming. However, the calls to the doctor offices were very cold. One lady even told me that their office did not make the distinction between pro-life doctors, and that all were for saving lives. When I explained that we were looking for a ob/gyn that was committed to supporting our Catholic viewpoints (no contraception, abortion is off the table completely), she told me that the doctors are obliged to discuss all options, regardless of our personal convictions. She seemed to me quite putoff by my call, so I dropped that office from our list.

Anyways, we are still hunting. I hope that once we get things going, I think it would be an excellent project for parish pro-life committees (and health ones, if the parish has one) to collect names of doctors committed to Catholic values. It would be a valuable resource to parishoners.

Truly Beloved · #13 Jul 29, '09, 10:04 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suudy

However, the calls to the doctor offices were very cold. One lady even told me that their office did not make the distinction between pro-life doctors, and that all were for saving lives. When I explained that we were looking for a ob/gyn that was committed to supporting our Catholic viewpoints (no contraception, abortion is off the table completely), she told me that the doctors are obliged to discuss all options, regardless of our personal convictions. She seemed to me quite putoff by my call, so I dropped that office from our list.

This was my experience, too. I would be so blunt as to ask the receptionist if the doctor was pro-life and anti-abortion, and most of the time, the receptionist was a real pain in the neck. If you're able, leave a message for the doctor. If the doc him/herself calls you back and says that yes, indeed, they are pro-life and won't push contraception on you, I would say you have a winner.

sheilathebard · #14 Aug 21, '09, 7:21 am

Although I don't know of any pro-life Ob/Gyns in Seattle, I do know of at least one midwife practice that is quite pro-life (and Catholic!). Would you consider a midwife? What part of the Seattle area do you live in?

KCT · #15 Aug 21, '09, 4:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheilathebard

Although I don't know of any pro-life Ob/Gyns in Seattle, I do know of at least one midwife practice that is quite pro-life (and Catholic!). Would you consider a midwife? What part of the Seattle area do you live in?

I had midwives for all 3 of my babies. I loved them.