An obstetrician is a medical specialist who focuses on labor and delivery. Obstetrics is actually a surgical sub-specialty, meaning that an obstetrician attends surgical training and then specializes in the care of pregnant women and in surgeries which are related to labor and delivery, such as Cesarean sections. He or she typically works in a hospital environment, so that if a laboring mother experiences complications during the course of labor, she can be rushed into an operating room for treatment. The non-surgical version of this medical specialty is midwifery.
Most obstetricians see their patients throughout their pregnancies, and they also study gynecology, so that they can deal with a range of conditions related to the reproductive system. During pre-natal visits, obstetricians check to be sure that the baby is healthy, discuss steps pregnant mothers can take to ensure that the pregnancy runs smoothly, and perform diagnostic tests to look for potential problems with the pregnancy and delivery.
If medical emergencies arise during the course of a pregnancy, an obstetrician will be part of the team which cares for the patient. In some cases, an obstetrician may choose to specialize in high-risk pregnancies, in which case he or she generally sees patients on a referral basis. Some conditions which require the treatment of an obstetrician include tubal pregnancies, pre-eclampsia, placentia previa, and unusual presentations of the fetus, such as a buttocks first position which could cause problems during delivery.
The ideal goal is for a woman to carry a baby to term and deliver comfortably. When a woman experiences the early signs of labor, her obstetrician works with a team of labor and delivery nurses and other support staff to keep her comfortable and to monitor the baby's condition. When the labor progresses to the point of delivery, the obstetrician closely monitors mother and child and is present to catch the baby as it is born. Once the infant is born, the doctor assesses the health of mother and child and makes sure that no emergent conditions require treatment.
This medical specialty can be greatly enjoyable, as many people love interacting with infants and helping to birth healthy, happy babies. However, it can also be stressful. Obstetricians tend to work long, irregular hours, because labor is not readily predictable, and bad outcomes in the delivery room can be emotionally draining. Malpractice insurance rates in this specialty are also extremely high, due to the inherent dangers of labor and delivery; unfortunate things can happen even in the hands of a skilled doctor.
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