to wonder why American women go to the gynaecologist so much, and whether we should to?

[Ribbet]

Do they really have regular check ups or is it something I've seen on TV, just for routine smears, contraception and those services we use GPs/ practice nurses for? And if they do go more often, do US women have better gynaecological health Han those of us in the UK?

And sorry but everyone trots out this line about it being 'over medicalised'

When you need it to be medicalised you are grateful it is.........like when you want an epidural you get one....not several hours later but when you need it.
Before I came here the uk midwives really scare Mongered about how dreadfully medicalised my experience would be....had I seen The Business Of Being Born they asked....a weak and biased documentary as it happens.....
Suffice to say I had a brilliant experience and not one of my friends says that of their uk birth experience, especially in London.
I think there is a lot of Us bashing in the uk but I am grateful to access their exceptional medical system , I really am so glad I did not have to give birth in the uk now.

I've just moved to the US having birthed both my babies at home. Most of my UK friends would describe their birth experiences as good, even if post natal wards were shocking. I had two home births and both were incredible experiences through pregnancy, labour and post nataly.

The women I've met here so far (not many to be fair) have all had quite scary experiences with doctors holding stop watches breathing down their necks threatening unnecessary cs if they didn't birth naturally within a certain parameter, not giving much information during labour and providing no aftercare whatsoever. They did all admit that aside from that it was like giving birth in a hotel though.

All anecdotal evidence but added to reading Naomi Wolf's "Misconceptions" and anything by Ina May Gaskin, I know I'd much rather give birth under the NHS Valley midwives via St Thomas' than any hospital in America.

And of course the key in America is having access to "good" medical care in the first place. Their infant and maternal mortality rates are shocking because of the vast numbers of women who do not have access to such care

pit would you mind letting people knowing what you pay per month for health care including your employers contribution? I am happy you are happy, but on the breast care, never had a problem in the UK you sound young I had a breast lump removed within a week in the 90's which i knew was a fibroma, but the NHS treated my head because my mum died of breast cancer 3 years before.
she died because she had a agressive form had had a mammography 6 months before and absolutly nothing, I have accessed her notes and got many doctor friend's to look, there is nothing. I can see nothing,
but really do you think this sounds right from a person living in a first world country?
know the us has some major issues in terms of ensuring care is there for all but if you are insured, the care is amazing
that is why I Will support the NHS to the hilt, as much as we will see the 45 year old lady with breast cancer saying in the US she could get such and such treatment which would extend her life for 6 months or a year, and the US system is held up as the light, it is only people with a ton of money in the US will get this...
also I have in the UK seen doctors who do private work unhappily peddle these wonder drugs to see someone suffer for more months than they should have.All I need to Know is in the US they spend more in health insurance than any country in the world then they spend more gpd in health care on medicare, because by the time someone turns up they are very ill than any other first world country, and shock horror the US death rate is Higer then the UK, we live longer, our nenonatal death rate is lower than the US because women can't afford antinatal care...do I need to go on? you can check these quotes easily by doing a google search.

Sorry 404 error in spelling and grammer please check Mumsnet server :)

With you completely. I've no idea what my husband's work contribute but we pay $400/ month medical for our family of 4 and an additional $50 for dental. You can pay less but then you have to have the doctors the company or insurer (I'm insure which) insist upon

I do know that some insurance companies won't cover the costs of a home birth ($10000) but will cover most of a hospital birth ($30000+) and - get this - some insurers will cover prescriptions for Viagra bit not female contraceptives!!

I've only been here a month, maybe my attitude will change, but it will be a terrible thing if the NHS is ever privatized - you can see the results of private health care walking the streets every day.....

I think it is better to access specialist care direct. When I arrived in Qatar, after years of IBS, I had a urine infection and was sent for an ultrasound. It wasn't IBS I had a huge cyst on each ovary and pcos. No GP had ever expressed any concern over the many years of pain and incontinence I suffered. Having US style health insurance is the best thing we ever did. You get ill, you see the specialist. No guilt, no wait.

I also spent many years in SA where I had a gynae. Was utterly brilliant and the one thing I miss here. They did smear tests but were also really helpful with any issues of that nature. Was the first time my period pain and v heavy periods were ever taken seriously. Over here (the UK) they really couldn't have been more disinterested if they tried.

You will be lucky if you get to see anyone for anything now the health and social care bill has been passed.

Girl the numbers are terrifying aren't they. My Dad, who is English but has lived in the USA for about 20 years, pays thousands a month for insurance for him and his wife, presumably because of their age and general state of poor health (overweight, smoker etc). I find it shocking to be honest. If he weren't able to earn as highly as he does (he owns and runs his own international company) I just don't see how he could afford it. He's not a millionaire or anything but he earns very well and is very wealthy. If he were a teacher, or a shop worker, or something else more 'normal' then he wouldn't be able to and they'd be uninsured I'm sure. His monthly insurance bill is about 3 times our monthly mortgage payment.

I've always been puzzled by strep throat! I think a lot of Americans say they have strep throat when they just have a sore throat, just as lots of people claim to have flu when they just have a bad cold.

Leaving aside the private/public debate, I am interested in the idea of a system using GPs who refer vs going directly to a specialist. On the one hand, GPs can be frustratingly ignorant about loads of stuff. They know a little about a lot. On the other hand, I wonder whether you'd always know which specialist to see. Suppose you had abdominal pains - you wouldn't necessarily know whether that was a gynaecological problem or a stomach problem or something else altogether, would you?

Missing mum, I am so sorry about your mum.

All I can do is compare my experience with being in hospital in the uk with that in the us so just direct experience.......I had a dreadful experience of care in a London hospital...great surgeon......uncaring nurses and dirty wards though.....and seeing my go which was always incredibly hard and frustrating to arrange. Here I always get an appointment when I need one but I always feel they have time for me here which I appreciate.
Since the thread is not about the merits or value of a state funded health system I am not writing about that.....I guess if you have to choose between bad care that is free or good care that is rather expensive I am sure you can put up with the bad care as it were.

I am with Obama in trying to reform the us system.....and of course appreciate the 'freeness' of the Nhs system now I am in the states but I cannot report having a good experience of the Nhs whilst in the uk.....so good to hear mousey that yours was good. Of 7 friends that gave birth in the London area only one reports a positive experience. Of 15 friends who have had births in the us no one has mentioned a negative experience....three had home births in that group.

The point is that the care I have received has been exceptional.......no one breathing down my neck to have a c section....first time the doc advised after over 3 hours pushing to have a c section.......he said I could online pushing if I chose to.....I listened to his advice.....my son was huge and would have been harmed if I had continued.
Second time round.....and maybe I feel more strongly to voice my praise for the level of care they give here once this was only 5 days ago......I gave birth somewhere where they actively encourage vbac and even when I decided repeat c section was the best option for me, they still asked whether I'd like try for a vaginal when the process began.
So these are my anecdotes from my experience.
The level of care I get here in the us is exceptional. It was not in the uk, but I never gave birth there. This does not mean I prefer a private system......ethically there are many issues but in all honesty I am sure I have had a better experience giving birth under a private system. Just as I recognize that many private schools in the uk offer a better education than many state school......but I would never wish to see all education privatized.
I just think there is this knee jerk reaction to some things American and yet experiencing it from the inside I can only report being very satisfied with the care whatever my ideological views are on the system that generates that care.

Long one....the night feed is over!! :))

Oh and I was tested for strep the week before birth. I like this medicalised aspect. My friend,s son was in intensive care ten days into his life from picking up strep during birth..l....she would have loved to have had such a test done.
There are times when having things medicalised is a very positive experience. I am so touched by how caring every member if staff was to me earlier this week I will be writing to thank each team when i get the chance.....I left hospital feeling fantastic. My only grumble is they were very sparing with the painkillers......when I questioned them on why this was when I got an extra 2 days supply yesterday.......they said there were cautious .....this was due to the addictive nature of particular narcotics so they would give an alternative if I needed more after this batch......again far from the hand out the pills ....customer spaying mentality. In fact they only gave out pain relief on request if I felt that my pain warranted it......quizzing me every 4 hours.

Again just a positive experience. Another friend has just qualified for a scheme called healthy families......she will now only pay about 60 quid a month for full coverage for her two children as their income has gone under......I think around 40 uk k per annum.......so there are schemes to help pele here as there should be butyes I agree the way insurancecworks here is shocking and does make you value state health care......I also have valued being cared for brilliantly as a lucky person who has insurance. My entire bill for my pregnancy and birth was 66 pounds........

Pure anecdotal 'evidence' here but doesn't having an entirely insurance driven system drive up the costs as at every layer of bureaucracy everyone takes their 'cut'. Therefore even if you don't have insurance it's damn near impossible to pay out of your own pocket for things. When we got stranded in the US () I needed to buy more Beconase. I asked at the pharmacy how much to pay for it myself, apparently it's prescription only over there...so I asked what I'd have to pay if I got a prescription and was told something like $95...this for something that over here costs about a fiver and I can get delivered from Tesco with my shopping!

British women are tested for Strep-oh-thingy bacteria as part of the general antenatal care timetable, aren't they?

I'm sure I was.

I mean actually we are writing about a different thread now aren,t we as the original thread was simply questioning why women have a regular ob....gyn iin the us.
Look knowing the expense of the us system should make everyone feel better in the uk...when you do not get the treatment you think you should have in the uk......you can just think.....well at least it is ' free'.....I will take this attitude if we ever return......and the Nhs as an idea and I am sure often in practice is a wonderful thing...lbut I am still glad I got to give birth under the us system....if I had had to pay the actual cost I may not say that but perhaps this is the same with the Nhs....ifvyounpaid the true cost you may demand the care is better if you deemed it was not of the standard you desired.
Okay got to go back to sleep now......

"British women are tested for Strep-oh-thingy bacteria as part of the general antenatal care timetable, aren't they?"

No they are not. One has to have a baby dying (like mine at 23 days) before they test you in the next pg.

Yearly routine gyno appointments with a specialist are norm not only in the US, but in many other countries (my home European country for example).

"before they routinely test you in the next pg."

Pitmountainpony

You are not comparing like with like, ask a mother who has given birth in The Portland of her experience.

Then ask an uninsured woman about her birth experience in the US.

You cannot compare US private with the NHS. If you want an appointment with a gynae you can phone a private hospital and get that, or a pead, or whatever.

bemybebe I'm so sorry. That's awful.

"Look knowing the expense of the us system should make everyone feel better in the uk...when you do not get the treatment you think you should have in the uk......you can just think.....well at least it is ' free'.....I will take this attitude if we ever return..."

That made me laugh... well my baby is dead because I did not receive what I would consider a proper care (although it is absolutely proper and no guidelines were broken). But "at least it is free".

Also, my dh nearly died because the waiting for NHS CT was 3 weeks and "even cancer patients have to wait that long" (this is from a booking person). We went private and he had a life-saving op immediately afterwards.

That will make my day. I should really change my attitude I guess.

We have a huge postcode lottery, is what we have.

But then, is a postcode lottery so bad? Would it be better if everything were governed from the centre and all HPs and hospitals had to follow exactly the same rules about what treatment they could offer? I ask only because IME people start complaining about over-centralisation when that kind of thing happens.

Seems pretty unfair and thus bad to me. If I did have a strep bacteria test (and it is quite likely that I am confused and didn't), and bemybebe didn't, even though we are both taxpayers in the same country, that seems wrong.

Hmm... my GP practice has a women's health nurse practitioner attached to it. I get letters encouraging me to see her for check-ups (I'm not high-risk for anything), and she does nearly all the smears and gynaecological stuff. She's great if you're ever worried about anything. This is the first practice I've been to with this system, and I really like it.

My local hospital actually has a self-referral system for some departments, including Maternity and the women's health clinic. It's pretty cool, fill in a form, email it and you get a call back in a few days.

I live in London and sometimes, admittedly, the care I've had was a bit stretched (esp. post-natal care on the ward, night-shift staff were not good) but in the main I've found my care on the NHS in recent years is really good, and my wonderful GP in particular has given me great care.