Suggestion for First Time mom expecting twins

[lleelain]

A week back I had made my first prenatal visit to Dr. Jean Chang of Zhongshan Hospital to confirm my pregnancy. I learned that I was 7 weeks pregnant and after ultrasound to check the heartbeat, she confirmed that I was carrying twins. Please suggest/advice that whether Dr. Jean Chang would be the ideal gynae/obs for my first time pregnancy with twins. I was not too pleased with the first visit as she did not advice me much or talked about except I need adequate rest and would grow big (I even had to remind her to prescribe me the prenatal vitamins) OR was she keeping it for the more coming visits. She asked me to visit her after 4 weeks, what i read through online is for twins a frequent visit is necessary. Appreciate your feedback.

[angie]

Hello and congratulations!!

Twins are very exciting and at the same time a much bigger challenge than expected.

Jean is a very competant doctor and one that I would trust in a high risk pregnancy. However, not every twin pregnancy is high risk, so you should check out all your options just like the mother of a singleton.

Much of the medical care in Taiwan is not like what we'd expect in the West regarding bedside manner. Don't misunderstand this to mean that the doctors can not give good care. Most of the doctors in Taiwan are extremely, highly trained and medical standards in Taiwan are one the best in the world. You will find that appointmens here are much shorter than they would be at home and questions are not as expected. Information is not freely given as you are expected to just follow doctors orders or read a book. Health insurance does not even start to cover pregnancy until after the third month so the first, critical trimester most women are left with no advice or care.

I suggest the following:

1. Buy lots of books; Penny Simkin, Sheila Kitzing, Ina May
2. Interview lots of doctors, at each monthly visit see a different doctor at a different hospital/birth center for at least three noths. That way you will know all your options.
3. Have a list of questions to ask each doctor regarding hospital policy regarding both birth and twins.

And , of course, enjoy your pregnancy! You are about to be blessed with two beautiful children, remember it's all about your new family, not hospital procedures. Choose what's best for you.

[Michelle]

I also recommend reading up on which tests etc you need when (I used What to Expect When you are Expecting). If the test is not covered by NHI here, some doctors may not even mention it to you. If you are happy to pay extra and/or have private medical insurance then be sure to ask for all the tests you (and the books) deem to be important.
Good luck. Twins....exciting!!

[lleelain]

A big thanks to Angie & Michelle. The suggestion provided by you is extremely helpful. I think, I would stick to Dr. Jean and next time I would bombard questions. I have been seeing online all about pregnancy and twins...next week I would try to make a visit to Eslite and get hold of the suggested books.

[shells1]

Hi lleelin,
I'm also pregnant with twins and will be due in December.
I agree with Angie, doctor appts here are much shorter than they are in the west. It really is up to you as a mom to do some research by yourself, be prepared with a list of questions and most doctors will be more than happy to answer them, they usually don't offer much advice otherwise then 'just rest and eat more."

A great book that I have found helpful is one by Dr. Barbara Luke called, " When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads." She is an expert when it comes to multiple pregnancies!

Message me if you would like more advice, I've done all the research on hospitals (i've visited Chung Shan, Adventist, Cheng Hsin, Shing Kong, Mackay AND veterans!!) I can give you my analysis =D