Choosing an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist for baby #2

Baby #2 is nearly 17 weeks now and we are still on the hunt for an Obs Gynae that I am comfortable with. Hubby is quite sick of hearing me complain about docs in general. Anyway, I thought I better pen down some thoughts about what I want so that when I come across "the" doctor, I would know. He keeps asking me what I want, but I can't seem to explain to him! Come on, I have only been pregnant once, it's not like I have had many opportunities to experience a good doctor.  So here I am putting my thinking cap on. It is such a shame that Malaysia doesn't offer the option of midwives.

• Someone who is down to earth, frank and will spend time to talk to me and not make me feel stupid when I ask stupid questions. (Which I probably will...over the course of the next 6 months)
• Respect my wishes/hear me out. 
• Provide sound medical advice and explain things clearly and completely to me, provide options and share opinions with me. 
• Supportive of vaginal birth and pro-natural rather than inducement/cesarean  
• Helpful, informative and pro-active nurses 
• Convenient location and (hopefully) reasonable waiting time. A good doctor will definitely have a good number of patients so that is why I say reasonable...2 hours? 
• A hospital with good reputation
• REASONABLE COST. I put this in bold because some places can cost bomb just for consultation and scanning. No more than RM 150 and if they can keep it to RM 100 would be ideal per visit. This also applies when I deliver baby #2 all in RM 3k - 5k. (excluding circumcision) I am just looking at what we paid when we delivered Chapati which was approximately RM 7,800 including circumcision and 3 nights stay.

I can't decide if I want a male or female doctor, but because my first doctor was male, maybe the experience will be different with a female doctor. 

I asked quite a few friends and even facebook groups for recommendation but somehow they don't seem to be quite right. However recently I chanced upon a posting in the The Gentle Birthing Group Malaysia that someone shared about her birth experience. I can't remember much of it but I certainly remembered the way that I felt when I read the posting! I screamed inwardly, "I want that for myself!" You can read the posting here Birth Story. I was hoping to find the doctor and hospital in Kuala Lumpur but it was all the way in Kuching, Sarawak! What a bummer!

The next day I chanced upon another posting Looking for a doctor from another Mummy who is 33 weeks pregnant. She shared her birth plan with her current doctor and the she response received, made her uncomfortable and distrustful of that doctor. Many mummies commented on her post offering recommendations and experiences and this one caught my eye.

I quickly asked her if I could pm her and if she could share some information with me. She was so helpful and even shared her birth plan with me. (The beauty of Facebook and being mothers)

So now I have made two appointments, one to see Dr Tan Ee Ping  at Pantai Hospital Cheras and Dr Tan Peng Chiong at UMSC.

Praying that I will find a doctor that I can settle down with soon!