Berkeley Parents Network: Alta Bates Perinatal

Berkeley Parents Network

Alta Bates Perinatal

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Health & Medical > ObGyns > Alta Bates Perinatal

Aug 2005

Hi, I would like current perinatologist recommendations. I have two - Janet Goldman - who is listed at Alta Bates, but BPN doesn't have a current recommendation. The second is Mary Norton in San Francisco, same thing. I am also interested in other recommendations especially in San Francisco, BPN has some but they are generally older. I am interested in someone that can do a consult as well as testing later, who is very competent, warm not dogmatic and not age biased. Thanks

I've been a frequent patient of Dr. Goldman's. I find her extremeley competant and soothing in the sense that she's confident in her recommendations. She generally eases my fears by giving concrete, medical explanations for my symptoms. She also listens to my opinions and needs and has taken then into consideration when making recommendations about early induction, etc. (She's also a mother of four, so she's pretty darn familiar with pregnancy and childbirth.) I would certainly trust her with any aspect of a high-risk pregnancy. The only con, depending on your personality: She's not ''warm,'' per se. She's very businesslike in an efficient, professional New Yorker-type way, although plenty pleasant. Hope this helps!

I saw Dr. Janet Goldman a few times towards the end of my pregnancy. She is incredibly bright, articulate, and caring. As a doctor, I felt good being in her hands. However, the office is a VERY busy office and there is always, always, always a long wait with tons of people. The other downside is that Dr. Goldman only works aprt time so it is sifficult to get in to see her.

I can recommend Dr. Goldman from personal experience. I would not say she is the warmest practitioner, but in my experience she was the most competent among the several perinatologists I saw when I had the need. She was not a cold fish, and did not in any way turn me off, but she just wasn't the warm and fuzzy type. This was quite a number of years ago, and she has since become a parent herself, which may have warmed her a bit. But truly, she knows her stuff and I would not hesitate to steer my best friend her way. Louise

Oct 2001

I recently had an amnio performed by Dr. Goldman at Alta Bates Perinatal Center. Although I have no specific information about her level of experience, she struck me as being extremely competent -- the procedure was over very quickly and was not painful in the least. (Easier than a blood draw.) For me, the worst part was the anticipation. I came in feeling very nervous, but Dr. Goldman did an excellent job of distracting me while she got the job done. I was worried because the baby was moving around so actively (I kept envisioning him squirming towards the needle), but she showed me how much space there really was to work with, and that helped calm me down.

Also, the genetic counseling session beforehand was quite reassuring -- there are some misleading stats out there about amnio & miscarriage, and it was good to get a little more perspective on those numbers. Sara

I had an amniocentesis under the care of Dr. Goldman. My understanding is that the rate of complications at the Alta Bates Perinatal Center is quite low -- much lower than the "1% - 5%" you often see in literature about the procedure in general. Also, I spent a lot of time at Alta Bates Perinatal in general (I had gestational diabetes) and really liked all the people I dealt with there. It is quite busy, but I rarely had long waits, and found most everyone there really competent and cheerful. Karen

I had Dr. Eric Spitzberg and he was very friendly, engaging and sincerely kind. I remember he came into the room making jokes that made me laugh which broke the tension. I don't remember his complication rate anymore, but I did do the research and I remember his was much-much lower than the national average. I seem to recall that Alta Bates Imaging had a very low rate overall. Most of the docs there have done a couple a thousand Amnios. I was really glad that I had the amnio. It enabled me to completely relax and enjoy the remainder of my pregnancy. Good luck to you. Mariannef

Aug 2001

regarding recurrent miscarriages:
I'd like to recommend Dr. Mickie Adams (I think her first name is Michelle but she goes by Mickie) She is with the Alta Bates Perinatal Group. (I don't know if that is the actual name of the practice but you should be able to find her through Alta Bates. If you can't locate her please email me back.) She only does OB (not GYN - so for ongoing postpartum GYN care you will need another doctor.) She is very compassionate, knowledgeable and willing to take as much time as you need to answer questions. I also have a history of miscarriages (4) and am considered high risk for this reason. Her practice is for high risk pregnancies. My miscarriages were caused by antibodies in my system which killed the fetus. This condition was treated by simply taking a baby aspirin every day throughout my pregnancy up until about 36 weeks of gestation. My antibody condition was detected through blood testing. Good Luck. If you can't find Dr. Adams # or you need anymore info.

Alta Bates Perinatal:
5730 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609-1710
Phone: (510)204-1507
Heidi

The perinatology group (called East Bay Perinatology, I think) is outstanding -- they really listen and really care, and are extremely knowledgeable about what they do. They are located at 57th and Telegraph. Louisa

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