Re: Berkeley ObGyn that partners with a midwife
I am using now for the second time around Dr. Hank Streitfeld (510.644.0110) as my OBGYN and I could not be happier. There are not enough good things I can say about Dr. Hank and his super friendly staff. He has 35+ years of experience, and besides being concerned about the baby's well being, he is also VERY concerned about the mom -- something I have not necessarily come across from many doctors. He has excellent bedside manners and goes out of his way to take care of the new mom at the hospital. He listens to my concerns and actually makes me feel HEARD. He never pushes me in any which direction as to what decisions to make regarding birthing methods etc. He gives me all the information I could ask for and makes it clear that it is his job to support me in any which way I decide (his words). For my first pregnancy, we lived on the East Coast and I had a doctor who would wipe all my concerns regarding a medically necessary C-section off the table for the entire time of the pregnancy, I was FREAKED out and felt completely alone, consequently the birthing experience was horrible. I never thought I could do this a second time, but I did, and believe it or not but the second C-section under Dr. Hank's tutelage was FUN! I owe him a lot because without a caring doctor like him I would definitely not have gone for a third one! Happy Mom

Re: OB with great bedside manner
Hank Streitfeld has a very comforting bedside manner. He was very sensitive and caring through my two miscarriages and then came in on his day off so I could have my C- section on the day I preferred. I also like his office staff--easy to contact and kind. anon

Re: Looking for a great OB-GYN
I went through both my pregnancies with Hank Streitfeld, who is with ABMG, and have seen him since for my annual exam, etc. I've posted here about him before, although not recently, and I stand by everything I said before: I just felt as if I was in very good hands. Dr. Streitfeld treats you as if you have a brain, and he also will tell you what he thinks. It works for me. Good luck. Wendy

Re: OB/GYN with fertility expertise
I am sorry to hear about your recent miscarriage. You should check out Dr. Henry ''Hank'' Streitfeld in Berkeley. I think I actually found him through BPN. We went through something similar and he was incredibly kind and warm and took great care of me through the miscarriage, subsequent pregnancy and post-partum. His sense of humor isn't for everyone, but he is an excellent physician and has been helping couples with fertility issues for years. Good luck! anon

Re: OB GYN in Berkeley or North Oakland?
If you are comfortable with a totally open and up front personality, I highly recommend Dr. Hank Streitfeld. He has his own practice with warm office staff. Dr. Streitfeld listens well and seems to genuinely love people and his job. Knowledgeable and skilled at listening, he makes you feel at ease and in deft hands. He wants to know his patients personally and will answer any questions about your body, pregnancy, or sexuality that you may have. He delivered two of our kids and allowed me to have very different birth experiences: one with meds, the other without. He'll support whatever you want, with your health and happiness always at the fore. That reminds me, I need to schedule my annual! Call Dr. Hank! anonymous

Re: OB who will do a vaginal breech delivery
Dr Hank Streitfeld (private practice, delivers at Alta Bates but I don't know if elsewhere). I found him through BPN where he had excellent reviews. He is a veteran OB who is trained in and will do breech deliveries. I had twins and he was willing to even deliver a breech twin. Luckily baby b turned around. He won't make any guarantees but if anyone can do it he can. You can read more about him on the BPN site. (510) 644-0110 ~ Another Dr Hank Fan

In response to the queries re Streitfeld/Fertility oriented ob/gyn: I was pregnant and gave birth in 2005 with Hank Streitfeld and I really like him. As the old posts stated, he is frank and has opinions, but I like that and found it refreshing. He is also warm, unpretentious (he told me it was okay to call him Hank) and avuncular. Was fine with me having a birth plan (which stated that I preferred not to have drugs, intervention, excessive monitoring) and a doula-equivalent, and has had good advice for hubby and me. I was 39 when I went to see him, very much wanting to get pregnant, and he immediately understood/got it that I didn't want to mess around. He mapped out a strategy at the first appointment, which we adhered to. He is one of the few doctors around who will use forceps, which he used after the vacuum aspirator didn't work; otherwise it would've been a c-section. My only complaint is that once he was using these tools, the labor room was full of nurses and chaotic, lots of chatter, nurses telling me what to do, which, along with my unimaginable pain, made it hard to concentrate. I would've liked him to say, ''Cut the chatter, ladies!'' Sperm problems: Be sure to use PreSeed sperm-friendly lubricant. I think it did the trick for us!

I love Hank Strietfeld. When I first met him I was worried that he was too East Coast-y-Too masculine-just not what I would want at my birth or even for a pelvic exam but then I ended up finding him to be very compassionate and sweet. He's a great doctor and a really great person too. s

I chose Hank Streitfeld as my ob (based on BPN recs) and was very pleased.(my baby just turned 1 yr old) He is straightforward, direct, accessible, and seems eminently competent. Also while it must be`tough on him to be in solo pracice (except for a midwife), I think it's great from patients' perspective. My husband also liked him a lot. I really had the feeling Hank was on our side all the way through.

I highly recommend Dr. Hank Streitfeld. He was my ob/gyn for our son born Sept 05. I started with him when I was 8 weeks pregnant and 39 yrs old. I felt like he spent as much time as we needed with him, has a great sense of humor and is very no-nonsense and not at all alarmist. I always felt like everything was normal, he always said not to worry. He was recommended to me by my acupuncturist, Leslie Oldershaw. He's a solo practitioner with a nurse practitioner also in the office (I like her a lot, too). He was supportive of our using a doula and wanting a natural childbirth. I would trust his decisions if there were any problems. good luck. susan

Re: RN for Ob/Gyn
Dr. Hank Streitfeld is a wonderful OB/Gyn in Berkeley (across the street from Alta Bates, and he has a great Nurse Practitioner, Kitty Gilbert. I saw Kitty several times during my pregnancy, and she was always friendly, gentle, and thorough. She takes plenty of time and makes sure your questions are answered. You can reach the office at 644-0110, and request appointments with Kitty. Gayle

Regarding recommendations for a woman ObGyn ... I had a woman OB/GYN for my first child and currently have a male OB/GYN who has just delivered my second child. He is Hank Streitfeld; he went into solo practice about a year ago and some of the remarks I made to this list a few years ago no longer pertain. He has two daughters himself and really cares about women. I also believe he fits your description of someone who is very experienced with difficult pregnancies. I am certain that if you consider him and were to speak to him about your history he would give you an honest answer about his capabilities. As far as dealing with the fears and stresses that go with difficult pregnancies, I know from experience that he can be very compassionate when it's called for. Fran

[regarding recurrent miscarriages] ... I've seen Dr. Streitfeld, and sometimes I like him (obviously very smart, and he does seem to care, and I can usually get him on the phone if needed, and his nurse is great), but sometimes I feel like he's just too disorganized for my comfort (always late for appointments, sometimes forgetting what we've already looked into). I've lost two pregnancies in the last four months, and I'd just like to talk to some other Drs. to find out how they'd approach the problem....

Recommendations from Omni Medical Group (pre 2000)

I too wish to recommend Hank Streitfeld, who is a (senior) partner of Amy Huibonhoa at Omni OB/Gyn. He has a great respect for women as well as the most gentle touch of any doctor I've been to (including my own female internist). I've seen Amy as well, and agree with Natasha Hudson that she has a wonderful manner and is very competent. But I value Hank's long experience, his great expertise in the field, and his dedication to it (among other things, he writes frequent columns for Parents' Press). As Wendy Woolpert said, he listens carefully to questions and gives very complete answers.

It's only fair to mention that at times Hank can come across as somewhat brusque. He works very hard; sometimes his schedule is packed way too full (for example, he may have to do a delivery in the middle of the day) and he is very harried; sometimes he is tired from being up all night. Also, he can sometimes go on verbal tirades on things he feels strongly about, and this can be disconcerting if you've just met him. But I feel this is far outweighed by all his positives. I had a woman OB/Gyn at Omni for my first pregnancy. When she left, Hank became my OB/Gyn because Amy's arrival date was too far in the future. By the time she came, I was completely satisfied with Hank and saw no reason to switch.

I'd like to put in a few words about Omni OB/Gyn also. My experience was similar to Fran's - I saw a woman at Omni for my first pregnancy and loved her. She moved at the start of a later pregnancy, so I saw Hank Streitfeld. He was wonderful throughout and I agree with all of the good things that have been said about him, but I want to warn you that the wait to see him can be horrible. No matter what time of day I have the appt, I have to sit in the waiting room for a long time - often more than an hour. I'm even thinking about seeing my family practitioner instead for the annual exam.

Streitfeld's main concern is the health of his patients. You would think that this should be the case, but in this day and age of managed health care, that is not always true. Doc. Streitfeld does not cut corners. If you need various tests he will have you take them. On the other hand, he does not push for tests or procedures if they are unnecessary. This is especially heartening to know where births are concerned. If you need a c-section, he will perform one, but only if it is medically necessary. He is a strong believer in allowing his patients to deliver vaginally if possible. I am told that he is one of a few doctors able and willing to deliver certain types of breech births. Not all breech births necessitate a c-section. But, most doctors shy away from vaginal deliveries since it is easier and less prone to complications.

My pregnancy was not an easy one. I suffered from hyperemesis for 7.5 months, severe headaches, and I needed constant monitoring because of my hypothyroidism. I strongly believe that my baby is healthy because of the care I received. Doc. Streitfeld was very patient with me answering all of my questions, returning my phone calls, and allaying my concerns. He even calmly listened to me as I presented alternative treatments for my hyperemesis that I read about on Medline. And in the end, my delivery was much like my pregnancy--not without its problems. Labor was induced because an AFT ultrasound indicated the amniotic fluid was low and the baby was at risk. Rather than waiting to see if the problem would correct itself, Doc. Streitfeld chose not to risk the health of my baby.

As far as I'm concerned, tolerating Streitfeld's occasional brusqueness is well worth it. Streitfeld is very competant, he has extensive experience and his credentails are impeccable. He is board certified which indicates that he had to undergo more training beyond the medical school requirements. But, I especially think the brusqueness tolerable because I know that Doc. Streitfeld truly puts the welfare of his patients first.

I hope this helps you in making a decision on which OB/GYN to see. Jeanette