obstetrician needed

My understanding from my female friends is that the OB-GYNs here who are good have a waiting list, at best. If you have a low-risk pregnancy, you'll be fine. If you are over 30, stay home and have the baby there!!

Presumably you have searched this site and read the various threads addressing pregnancy. For example, if you choose to give birth here you must be prepared to do so without an epidural, as the individual who administers them may not be available when you would like one.

$0.02 -- if you NEED an epidural, you do not NEED to live in the USVI! :X

I don't understand that last post....:S

Anyway, I'm way to old to know anything 'bout birthin' babies down here, but a friend of mine on St. Thomas used Dr. Sprauve. Liked her a lot.

Juanita, I'm sorry; that was me being flip and it came out not making sense.

I just meant that people who say they "need" X to live here, have to understand that their world will not end if they do not get X. Part of living here is dealing with the challenges of not-having. If you absolutely require a sure-thing-guarantee on anything happening exactly the way you want it to, including reduced-pain childbirth, stay in the states where the odds are higher!

Note that I am not assuming that the OP "needs" an epidural! 🙂 jett, congratulations and good luck with the delivery!

Some women who have special obstetric needs and can afford to, travel to the states to deliver their children. Please research your options carefully.

Actually, on the epidural front things have changed here on STX for the better! They used to only have 1 trained doctor who could give epidural's and if he was off island you were out of luck. They now have a second and are in the middle of training the third. This provided "guaranteed coverage" for an epidural, at least as much of a guarantee as you'd get in most stateside hospitals! This has shifted our decision, we went back to Washington DC for our first child last summer but will be staying here to have our second in November. Dr. Briscoe on STX is a very good OB/GYN and with the increased staffing at the hospital (which has always got good reviews here on STX for the childbirth section) we are comfortable staying here even though we have the option to leave (as long as no complications arise early).

Sean

Epidural?
OMG
All i did was push
I understand now women make appointments. I am getting OLD 🙁

Either we are getting old or the women today are getting soft!!! lol.

Well my wife had a 10lb 9oz baby the "normal" way so I'm not sure I'd call her soft. The epidural probably prevented a c-section, not sure she could've dealt with the pain of a child that large without it.

Sean

wow, sean, were due in november also! rite on. not very concerned about the pain management portion. im assured that with my hubby, and an experienced staff they will make sure me & this baby are taken care of. women have been delivering babies for many moons with epidurals 🙂
so if we live on stt and my doc is on stx-how will that work when i go into labor-?? hm?- (just a thought) well figure it out LOL :$)
thanks for the dr referral, sean & juanita

Sprauve is amazing for higher risk pregnancies. Whitley is a nurse practitioner @ health care connection is great for low risk pregnancies. I like them both. There are epidurals on island now, pain management is a rather personal choice and both doctors will go over the risks and other issues that come with it.

Good Luck and Congrats Jett!