FAQs

This appointment is an opportunity to establish care with a provider who specializes in Women’s Health. We typically meet with you and perform an exam once a year, but during the first visit we also gather your health history so that we can best address your needs at that time or in the future. 

You can expect that we’ll review:

• Your medical, surgical, obstetric, and family history
• Your menstrual history – when you started your first period and what your cycles are like
• Your social habits (smoking, alcohol, diet, exercise, etc.)
• Any concerns you may have about vaginal hygiene, your menstrual cycle, urinating, pelvic pain, or questions about intercourse
• If asked, we can discuss birth control or medical options to manage aspects of your menstrual cycle

An exam depends on your age as well as your comfort level. We’ll always discuss all aspects of an exam in advance and you can decline any part. A basic exam includes listening to your heart and lungs and pressing on your abdomen

• We recommend breast exams starting at 18 years old
• We start pelvic exams (looking externally at the outside of the vagina and vulva and then internally at the vagina and cervix with a speculum) at 21 years old . 
• A pap smear (the screening test for cervical cancer) is recommended in most patients at 21 years old which happens during an internal exam. We will look at your cervix and use a small brush to collect a sample of cells from the cervix.

Please call the office once you’ve had a positive home pregnancy test. 

Once we’ve established approximately how far along you are, we’ll arrange two appointments for you:

• First, a telephone appointment with a nurse around 6-8 weeks that includes getting a detailed medical and family history, and will briefly review initial testing, genetic options, and certain first trimester concerns like what foods to avoid.  We will go over this more in depth at your first in person visit.
• We’ll also send you pregnancy care information and preliminary lab work orders through the mail. Please try to do the labs prior to your first in person appointment.
• Then, you will be scheduled for a first in person OB appointment with one of our providers around 8-10 weeks. At that appointment we will review your history, labs, any pregnancy concerns or symptoms and discuss routine prenatal care. Depending on your insurance, you may get an ultrasound at that appointment or in advance of that appointment to confirm your due date and check the baby’s heartbeat. Feel free to bring your partner to any appointment!

• We usually recommend starting to come for regular annual visits around 18-21years old. We don’t start offering  routine pelvic exams or pap smears until 21 years old, though sometimes pelvic exams are recommended for younger patients depending on their concerns. We do not do any exam without your express consent and a chaperone is always available. For patients younger than 18 years old, your pediatrician is an excellent starting resource. However, if you are having a problem with your menstrual cycle, pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, or needing birth control, just ask your pediatrician for a referral and we’ll be happy to help. 
• We at Bayside ObGyn understand how sensitive it can be to come in for a gynecologic visit. We feel privileged to care for you, and honored that you chose to work with us.  Your visit is always your visit: your body, your rules and it is our job to educate and arm you with knowledge so that you can make the best decisions for your own body and life. 

• We offer the Gardasil vaccine for our patients 18 years old up to 45 years old
• We offer the flu shot for our pregnant and postpartum patients
• We offer the Tdap booster for our pregnant patients (routinely given at 28wk)

Everyone has different needs, so we offer a wide variety of options for both pregnancy protection and to help with menstrual cycles. You can discuss this at your annual exam or call any time for an appointment with your provider to discuss options. We can offer:

• Oral birth control pills
• Patch or vaginal NuvaRing
• Nexplanon
• IUDs: ParaGard, Kyleena or Liletta
• Depo Provera injections
• Surgical consultation for sterilization (removal of the fallopian tubes)

Absolutely! If this is something you are struggling with, please call to make an appointment to talk about it with your provider. Depending on your history and menstrual pattern, we can arrange for laboratory evaluation and radiology studies. There are treatments that we can provide in office and we can also refer to Women and Infants infertility specialists as needed.

• Yes! Danielle Wiesner is the Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) with our office. She sees patients for low risk OB care, annual gyn exams, gyn problem visits, and contraception visits.
•  If you are delivering with our group we also work closely with a larger group of midwives at Women and Infants Hospital. There are always at least two providers to cover our patients: an MD and a CNM that provide comprehensive care to our OB patients including unmedicated and low intervention births.

• We accept all commercial insurance including BCBS, Tufts, Neighborhood, United, Cigna
• We accept Medicare and Medicaid
• Medicare will cover an annual GYN exam every OTHER year
• Please check with your insurance provider before making your appointment

• You can call the office between 8:30a-4p. If you have a question about your appointment, TDI, or other paperwork you can discuss this with one of our secretaries. If you have a medical question or a problem you want to discuss, just ask to speak with one of our nurses and they will talk you through the problem and consult with one of our providers to come up with an appropriate plan. 
• If you have signed up for the MyChart portal, you can reach out to a provider directly through the message function. This should be used for non-urgent medical questions or logistical questions. You can access lab and radiology orders through the portal. You can also upload PDF paperwork for us to access. 
• There is always an after hours provider on call for emergencies after hours.  Call our main office (401-421-1710) and you will be directed to our call center. They will then reach out to the on call provider who will call you back.  If you do call through the answering service, please keep your phone with you afterwards. Please reserve the use of this for emergencies only. Any general questions can be sent through the portal.