• Ob/Gyn Recommendations
• Perinatologists

Ob/Gyn Recommendations

Re: OB GYN in San Fran?

Rebecca Yee is a really good person. She's at CPMC. There's another named Dr. Green (Greene?) who is a woman who also made a very good impression on me. Mom with an M.D.

Re: Ob Gyn for first pregnancy
I absolutely love my OB who practices at CPMC in SF. Her name is Secily Bason-Mitchell and I can't say enough about her. Thorough, attentive, calm, warm- a great professional but also someone you could picture having as a fab girlfriend. When we got pregnant with #1 we lived walking distance to SF but then moved to the East Bay. Neither my husband or I wanted to switch docs and I'm so glad we didnt. We felt the same way when #2 came along, so put up with shlepping to SF for appointments (and fear of giving birth on Bay Bridge) ;-) The nurses at CPMC also said they liked her very much, which is a good sign. I liked CPMC so much that both times, I didn't want to leave to come home! I've recommended her to several women and they have all really liked her. Dr Bason-Mitchell works at Pacific Womens' Ob-gyn(right next door to CPMC on California st) The # is 415-379-9600. The only down-side is it can be hard to get appointments with her so book as soon as possible! Good Luck! Trish

Re: Looking for an OBGYN in San Fran.
I love Laurie Green at CPMC. I go to her both for my regular visits and for my pregnancies. I'm an engineer, I like technical details, and I am also a big believer in modern medicine. This meshed really well with Dr. Green's practicality, adaptability and straightforward approach. On Yelp she has some negative reviews - be sure to read them. If you're looking at using a midwife, having a homebirth, etc. - she's probably not your ideal. Otherwise give her office a call. :) Happy w/ Dr. Green

Re: Looking for an OBGYN in San Fran.
I used to go to frederica lofquist a few years ago - she was great and is affiliated with CPMC anon

Re: Looking for Lesbian-Friendly OB Gyn (TTC)
I delivered two daughters at California Pacific Med in SF. My OB/GYN Katherine Hsiao is an excellent doctor and she is a fertility specialist, I believe. I have her as my regular OB/GYN and do not see her as much since my youngest will be 3 this June. I am sure she can talk to you and your partner. Good luck! Her office number is 415-876-8500 Amy

Re: San Francisco ObGyn/GP
For an OB/GYN in San Francisco, I recommend Dr. Thomas Madland. I've been going to him for almost 8 years and he was my doctor for both my pregnancies, even though I live in the East Bay. Yes, I risked having to brave rush hour traffic when in labor just because I liked Dr. Madland so much. He has a fabulous bedside manner and really makes you feel like he cares about you. His office staff is great too. I never had any complications, so I can't speak to how he handles them (if that's a concern for you). His office is on Post street near Union Square and he is affiliated with CPMC,located at California and Cherry. My experiences with delivering at CPMC have generally been good. Dr. Madland's office number is (415) 781-5333. Happy Mom

Re: My sister is pregnant, looking for SF Ob/Gyn
Hi, I delivered my first child and Dr Lofquist was my OB/GYN. I was happy with her. I had a very uneventful uncomplicated pregnancy, and she seemed to be on top of things. She is not so ''touchy feely'' but very direct and effective I think. Anyway, the delivery was another story. I had my baby at California Pacific which was a less than satisfying experience, but I think I just got really unlucky and got a nurse who was not a good match for me. Usually the Dr. is only there right before the baby comes (or in my case, while the baby is coming out) so it didn't really matter at that point for the delivery who the doctor was. Be sure to tell your sister if she delivers at Cal Pacific that she can request a different nurse if the same thing happens to her. anon

I used to use Dr. Donna Wiggins in San Francisco and really liked her a lot. She has a very sweet demeanor but is very professional and reserved in a way that I always felt comfortable with her. When I became pregnant I realized I needed somebody in the east bay and knew that I wanted a nurse midwife. However, I started to bleed at 8 weeks (before I had even had my first prenatal visit with my midwife) so I went to San Francisco to get checked out. She was great and very reassuring that my pregnancy would be fine. When I told her I wanted to use a nurse midwife she was very supportive. She said ''you know my grandmother had her seven children at home and they were all fine.'' The only disadvantage is that I think she (and her practice) are really popular and I always had to wait (sometimes over an hour). Usually the wait was because she was tied up in a delivery and her schedule was all messed up, but I was always given the option of seeing the nurse practitioner. She sees patients both at 450 Sutter and Cal Pacific on California and Cherry.

I would recommend Elizabeth Moy, who practices at Cal Pacific Medical Ctr; she guided me through a very uneventful pregnancy & delivery in March. She's totally competant, very compassionate, and although she can be a little brisk sometimes, I felt like we could always slow her down -- she took her time to respond to our questions & concerns thoughtfully. The few times I had questions between appointments she was quick to call back, and her office staff is really friendly (a benefit that's not to be underestimated!) Caroline

Perinatologists

Re: CVS - Recommendations?
I had CVS with my second pregnancy (I was 37) at CPMC with Dr. Carl Otto and was very happy with the entire procedure. He was very kind and straightforward and helped me relax about the whole thing!

FWIW, I had another prenatal test (ultrasound) with Dr. Jim Goldberg at his new clinic (he used to be CPMC). He is also very experienced and popular for CVS. While he was fantastic and informative and also very kind, I was less than impressed with his support staff, who were all somewhat impatient and unfriendly.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! anon

Re: Need recommendations for amnio

I reccomend either amnio or CVS if you might terminate a pregnancy if a problem is found. I say ''if'' because some people are not sure if they would terminate. We ended two pregnancies for T21 - Down syndrome - when I was 37 (no family history). If you do not want to raise a child with this issue, or some of the other more common trisomies (T18, Y13), have the amnio. CPMC would be my choice for docs/experience. good luck

Over four years ago, I had a CVS by Dr. Main. I was the unlucky one in 100 who had a miscarriage because of it. I remember the nurse at the time of the procedure saying ''Wow, you got a big piece (of the placenta)!'' Frightening. I understand that these things happen, but I would recommend going to Dr. Norton. I became pregnant with twins last year, and I went to her to get a CVS, even though I was terrified. At UCSF, they recommended having an NT procedure first. Based on my good results from that test, they recommended foregoing the CVS procedure. Good Luck anon

I had my CVS done at Cal Pacific, not UCSF, but I think they are probably pretty similar--both very advanced, experienced and safe. I was a month shy of 40 when I delivered (a healthy boy) so I can relate to your trepidation. My experience with CVS was so positive that I would highly recommend it. It was fast and simple and as painless as a pap smear. They go in either vaginally or abdominally, depending on the position of the fetus, so you probably won't know ahead of time which way they'll do it. Mine was vaginal which seemed less scary to me, but I have friends who've had it done abdominally with no problems also. The biggest surprise for me was that it gave me an absolutely amazing view of my baby--I didn't realize that I'd be able to see anything so I didn't even tell my husband to come, and in hindsight that is my biggest regret. It was far better than the later ultrasound images because at that early stage the baby is so tiny that he fits in one frame so you get a really great picture. My little guy was gulping water and waving his arm, and that's when I fell in love! And I had the results in less than two weeks, so I knew by week 13 that all was okay (except I think spina bifida, which I believe is the one thing it can't test for--I decided not to worry about that one because I was very good about taking folic acid). I did not bother having an amnio, which was a big relief, so I was really able to enjoy my pregnancy instead of worrying (like I know I would have) for the 18 weeks or whatever it is until you can have an amnio.

Anyway, what I thought might be a scary experience turned out to be one of the highlights of my pregnancy, so try to relax, bring your partner, and hopefully enjoy the show.

best of luck! anon

Re: Doctors who do CVS
I had my CVS done at CPMC in the City last year after talking to several knowledgeable folks about who did the most procedures/had the lowest rate of complications. Everything was covered by my HMO and went well.