The first phone call to a doctor or therapist can feel daunting. I wasn't even able to make the first call; my husband had to do it. This was actually a blessing because he was very forceful with the receptionist and made it clear I needed to be seen soon. He was initially told it would be 6 weeks until I could get an initial evaluation appointment with the psychiatrist, but my husband asked a great question: "Can you get us on the list to call if there is a cancellation?". We were put on the list. FYI, the words "infant", "pregnancy", "newborn", and "postpartum" all trigger a more urgent need, so we were called THE NEXT DAY for an appointment the following day. So, here is my advice when making the first call to a therapist or psychiatrist:
Have a friend or loved one make the phone call if needed; you may feel too overwhelmed. Your friend or loved one will need your insurance information if you have insurance.
On the phone say:
1) I need an appointment as soon as possible because I am
a. Pregnant
b. Experiencing anxiety/depression and I have a newborn/infant
2) When is your earliest new patient appointment?
3) Please call me if you have a cancellation before that appointment? Here is my phone number.
