LOOKING FOR MR. RIGHT OB/GYN FOR MOM TO BE RELOCATING FROM HAWAII

[kary_garza]

Anonymous wrote:You have some disturbing notions of women docs, OP, which I'm assuming comes from your personal experience with women physicians in the past. I can't tell you to re-think your whole world-view, or even your conceptions of women in the workplace more specifically, but you may want to keep an open mind and try a woman again. There are some great practitioners in this area who happen to be female, and it would be a shame to narrow your options.

I do agree with you, I am not being open minded about this at all.
Well if you happen to know someone that will make me shift gears about my woman notion, I'm willing to interview this person and give her a chance.
How about that?
Indeed I have had bad experiences with woman practitioner, not only OBGYN but two other specialities, so perhaps it was just my luck. I feel they tend to be emotional creatures, just like me, and I don't care for another ME at this very moment, it is hard enough.
Thanks for your words,
Kary

[Anonymous]

OP, just relax, dance hula, play your ukelele, smell a plumeria, eat a mahi mahi sandwich and soon you'll find a great practicioner, maybe at GWU.

[kary_garza]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just relax, dance hula, play your ukelele, smell a plumeria, eat a mahi mahi sandwich and soon you'll find a great practicioner, maybe at GWU.

HAHAHAHA thanks you just made my day!!!!
Mahalo

[Anonymous]

I'm the "give women a chance" PP, and I'm at Reiter, Hill, which is one of those mega-practices where they rotate you through over 10 docs. Obviously, it's a total crapshoot who delivers you, so it's good to be exposed to all of them, and it's pretty much split down the middle in terms of docs' gender.

I came in with the opposite prejudice -- assuming I'd feel more comfortable with a woman -- and was surprised to find that my fave was a man. (I've scheduled an induction on his night just in case!) That said, my least favorite two were also men...both just seemed somewhat brusque and dismissive of my questions, and one fixated on my weight (which, BTW, is normal for someone this pregnant) in a way that made me uncomfortable.

Several of the women have been cool, professional, and informative, and I've found that I like that no-nonsense attitude, which might be more associated with "maleness" in our minds. Not that I'm there to make friends, but none of the women have struck me as especially emotional or dramatic, except for the one who told me that I'd want to get the veins on my legs lasered off immediately after birth. (Guess she was more invested in her sense of beauty than I am, 'cause I kinda don't care how my legs look when I've just had a baby!) Because I've had some embarrassing questions over the months (about my sex life, my bowel function, etc.), I've preferred to share those with women.

I'm not recommending this practice for you, just because it sounds like you want one practitioner, but trying both men and women actually opened my eyes to the range of positive qualities both can bring to the job. Now, seeing a doctor who's younger than I am is a whole other story...

[Anonymous]

I second the recommendation for Dr. Brendan Burke. I LOVE him!
He delivered all 3 of my children. The third was born after we moved to VA, but I continued commuting to Chevy Chase to see him and I delivered all 3 at Sibley.

[Anonymous]

Dear "give woman a chance"
My whole idea of looking for a solo practitioner was to avoid what you are experiencing right now. I do not think there can be any type of connection between ten doctors and myself... I would be just another file, just another number, just another no name patience... no a mom on an amazing journey like I know I am.
Lucky enough, I found that type of care here in Hawaii, where my doctor (a well respected one) shares "offices" with other four doctors, not his practice or patients.
I have thought about an induction thinking about working around a doctor's schedule that I potentially would like... then I think to myself: what about my baby? what about the natural way to let my body and my baby to be ready for this world? Don't take me wrong, I'm pro hospital, pro medicines, pro technology, pro epidural... but to also control the day my baby will be born, just because it is convenient for "the doctor" so I don't just get any of the other 9 will not do it for me. I respect and understand your point of view...I DO.
And I wish you the best of luck with your baby.
All the best
Kary

[Anonymous]

FWIW. These male sole practitioners have times when others cover for them. Dr. Burke (Mr Right??) has various females who cover for him which you may or may not like.
Best of luck on your move to VA. It is a great place to raise children.

[Anonymous]

I second the recommendation of Dr. Tchabo. You should know, however, that most of the doctors in this area who are solo practitioners have others who cover for them. They have to. I had my first with Dr. William Cooper (solo in DC/Chevy Chase who is no longer doing OB) and was shocked to learn 2 weeks before my due date that I might not ever have met the doctor who was to deliver my baby. Once I calmed down, I realized that it would be impossible for a doctor not to have that type of arrangement - what if he was performing an emergency c-section when I needed to push? What if he was on vacation (doctors have lives too)? He shares duty with 3 others who are not in the same practice, and unless you have an induction or a c-section, it is a crapshoot regarding whether you even will have MET the doctor - male or female - who delivers you. I ended up with a c-section because my baby was breech, and was able to schedule with him, so it didn't matter to me, but one of the others assisted with my surgery and I did see the other docs for post-partum visits and I have to say that the thought of having had one of them actually deliver my baby sort of freaked me out since I'd never laid eyes on them before. For my second pregnancy, I've moved to a practice with 4 doctors, where I don't yet feel like a file number and will meet all of them, so that if I decide to attempt a VBAC I will at least know the doctor who will attend my birth. They are all women, and I'm not pushing THAT idea on you since everyone has their preferences, but just suggesting that maybe a 2-4 doctor practice could have some benefits over a solo practitioner who most likely will share duty with doctors you've never seen before. Good luck with your decision, finding an OB is not an easy task but I do think that we are blessed here to have many good doctors to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Bump