I'm looking for a recommendation for an OB/GYN who delivers at Providence St. Joseph's in Burbank. Have you had any good/bad experiences with doctors (or with the hospital) that I should know about? Thank you!
I recommend Dr. Samantha Han. She has delivered two of my children and will deliver the third one in October. I like her follow-through AFTER delivery while at the hospital.
Hi S. -
My OB/GYN is Dr. David Newfield at ###-###-####. He is located right across from St. Joseph's hospital. He delivered all 3 of my kids.I live in Santa Clarita and still commute to him for my annual check-ups. Hope that helps.
L.
I have several friends who really like Dr. Schmones. I believe his office is more or less accross the street from St. Joe's. I had Dr. Kim Reyes, and would advise you to avoid her. As far as the hospital itself, look into their Mommywise/Babywise program as well as their lactation consultants. Some good instructors.
I highly recommend Dr David Newfield. Not only is he great (a doctor with bedside manners) but so is his staff. The longest I've ever waited in is office was 30 min. I used to have Dr. Renan and I used to wait 2 hours for him.
I was going to switch to Dr Cahie but after almost suffering a miscarriage they wanted me to wait to see the Dr after the weekend because there was no room on their schedule. Dr Newfield took me in right away. Parking is a pain but he's worth it. Good luck!
Dr. Christopher Pearson is awesome, he delivers at St. Joseph, his staff is amazing too! Stay away from Dr. Roseline Dauphine-Baptiste, horrible doctor I believe she caused me to have a miscarriage.
Good luck!
Dr. Pearson is the only relatively birth friendly doctor I know of at St. Joe's. The hospital itself is very protocol driving -- women are not allowed out of bed after their bag of waters releases or after they are 4 cm dilated. They are not allowed to push in any position but the 'stranded beetle' (on you back with your feet in stirrups). If you're incredibly luck, you'll get the one absolutely wonderful birth friendly nurse at that hospital - Susan Chait, who is supportive of a woman's right to labor in whatever way she needs to!
Many doulas refuse to accept clients who are giving birth at St. Joe's -- I am willing to go there because I know that the women who give birth there are going to need the most help! However, I always encourage my clients to switch to a better hospital if their insurance allows, and most do!
Your best bet, if you can't switch hospitals, is to labor at home as long as possible and to tell them you will sign a waiver for whatever you want to do that's against the rules :)
Good luck and happy birthing!!!
T. H., CD(DONA)
www.bestdoulas.com
I want to echo what others have said--Dr. Pearson is awesome! When I was pregnant, I developed a rare condition that could cause a stillborn--usually after 36 weeks. This condition is either not well-known among OBs or not taken seriously. Well, Dr. Pearson was able to diagnose me with it (REALLY amazing since I wasn't experiencing the key symptom), treat it according to latest research, and worked with another doctor who specialized in high-risk pregnancies. That doctor was amazed that Dr. Pearson caught this condition with me!
Even before this, I found him to be amazing! Many years of experience, but also up on the latest research. He always took my viewpoints and questions seriously and considered me to be an equal partner in the process.
Dr. Pearson is amazing. He is incredibly knowledgable and truly listens to your questions. He really prepared me for what to expect at St. Josephs. I can't say enough about him or his staff. Good luck, I hope you find your perfect fit.
I use Dr. Samantha Han and I LOVE her! She delivered BOTH of my kids, one at 11:15 pm and the other 1 minute before midnight...and she has little finders! HA! She is GREAT! She is in the new medical building across from the hospital!
I absolutely LOVE my OB/Gyn at St. Joe's. Her name is Dr. Leslie Korostoff, she just moved into a new office right across the street from the hospital. Her associate, Dr. Dawn Cashie is also great. Both are covered by my PacifiCare HMO insurance too.
I highly recommend Dr. David Newfield at ###-###-####. He has very good bedside manners and his staff is great too. My first child was born at 33 weeks. With Dr. Newfield's guidance I was able to carry my second child full term with no problems. I have recommended him to friends who have been happy with him.
Good luck.
I had a really bad experience with Dr. Jehuda Renan, as my OB/GYN. I switched at 7 mo. to the midwives at UCLA. He does not have a good bedside manner. Women seem to either love him or hate him. I also didn't like St. Joseph's policies because they are a "high intervention" hospital, and I wanted an umedicated and intervention free birth. When I told Renan that was my intention he "accused" me of "trying to take control of my birth" and that he should be the one to do so. Needless to say, we were not on the same page. I know of only ONE woman who gave birth naturally there twice(she had fast labors). I've met about 6 others, and have heard of plenty more, who have all had high intervention births, many with unneccesary "complications" and bad memories. You can also look him , and others, up at ratemds.com.
Good Luck!
Dr. Renan
2601 West Alameda Avenue Suite 300
Burbank, CA 91505
###-###-####
I delivered an 8 and 1/2 pound baby without tearing and no epiziotomy. He's the only dr. in the hospital that can do that according to nurses. With my first birth, I really wanted a female dr,. a doula and felt the need to control the situation. I was in a lot of pain and swore I would never have kids again. Three years later, with the second baby, I decided that the doctor knows best and that I needed to trust him 100% and I did. Dr. Renan has a bit of an attitude, but I don't care about that because he's a good doctor.
