If you've recently found out you're pregnant with your first child, you may already be scrambling to have yourself placed on daycare waiting lists and starting your baby registry. However, one of the key steps to a successful pregnancy is choosing an OB/GYN who is responsive to your needs and worries and available at your convenience. Should you seek out an OB/GYN at your local hospital, investigate group practices, or select one who has a solo practice? Read on to learn more about some of the advantages and disadvantages of solo practitioners and group practices.

What advantages are there to seeing a solo practitioner OB/GYN during your pregnancy?

A solo practitioner is an OB/GYN who is not employed by a specific hospital, birthing center, or larger medical facility, although he or she may have admitting privileges at a number of area hospitals. Unlike a group practice, which will schedule you into appointment slots with one of several OB/GYNs (often with no guarantee of who will be available when you go into labor), a solo practitioner will perform every medical exam for the duration of your pregnancy and help you through childbirth. 

Solo practitioners can be ideal for nervous first-time parents, as you'll have the security of knowing your doctor is familiar with your medical history and can make the most informed decision on your care if an emergency situation arises. You may be nervous that you won't "click" with one or more doctors at a group practice and wind up having this doctor present for the birth of your firstborn. And many solo practitioners who have admitting privileges will be able to meet you at the hospital for your appointment if you require an ultrasound or other care better provided in a hospital setting.

Are there any disadvantages to an OB/GYN who isn't part of a group practice? 

While solo practitioner OB/GYNs generally have flexible schedules, you may sometimes find yourself waiting at the office for an appointment as he or she delivers a baby or performs an emergency C-section at a nearby hospital. Depending upon how your OB/GYN's other patients' due dates line up with your own, you may even run the risk that he or she won't be available for the birth of your child. Fortunately, solo practitioners often have a backup OB/GYN or nurse practitioner available for times when they need to be in two places at once, so you'll often still be able to enjoy expert care by someone familiar with your medical history even if another patient of your OB/GYN gives birth when you go into labor.