Elliott/Lashgari vs. Rossi/Crowther/Masel

[Anonymous]

I just found out I am pregnant with #2. I want to change OB/GYN practices and deliver at Virginia Hospital Center. (Delivered at Inova Fairfax last time.)

I have had several recommendations for two practices - Elliott/Lashgari and also Rossi/Crowther/Masel. I have looked through the archives, but would appreciate any more information on either of these practices so that I can make an informed decision.

I want to have a doctor who is not going to push a c-section and who will be supportive of not necessarily pushing tons of interventions right away. That is why I am leaving my old practice. One of the doctors seemed so ready to just push me into an induction and wasn't very patient with letting me labor. He was the same one who was extolling the virtues of elective c-section (even for first births)... I am not a no-epidural person (had one last time), but I don't want to end up getting sliced open for the convenience of a doctor's schedule.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Have you considered Jane Piness at VHC? She was part of the Rossi/Crowther, etc practice and started her own practice about a year ago.

[Anonymous]

pp- do you know why they split?

[Anonymous]

You should also check out Patricia Bannon at VHC. I love her! She practices with Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Lawson in McLean. She's been very supportive of my plan to use a doula and give natural childbirth a shot. (We'll see how it goes in a few weeks!)

[Anonymous]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I just had my first child a couple of weeks ago at VHC. My OB practice was Dr. Rossi's office, but I honestly did not like the way my labor & delivery was handled and have decided to switch practices. I went into labor around 12pm on a weekday. Over the course of the entire afternoon, I did not get visited once by anyone from my OB's office. I exclusively saw the nurse, even when it was determined that I had meconium in the amniotic fluid, when my epidural stopped working, and when my labor was not progressing. I ended up having a c-section in the middle of the night by the attending doctor - still not even a quick drop-by from any of my doctors before they left for the day. Because of the meconium, my child was intubated in the delivery room to the horror of my husband - no one had bothered explaining to us that they may have to do that. It honestly was a terrible experience. I could have gone to any random hospital in the country to have my child and I would have had the same experience. So, my doctors did not push a c-section on me, but they were completely non-existent when I needed someone the most.

I called Dr. Lashgari's office and am setting up a consultation meeting with them. I do plan on getting pregnant again within a year and I want a Dr. who will bother showing up on game day. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My DD is a little over 2 and I am now 8 wks pg. I am staying with Elliott/Lashgari for the 2nd pg. I had a wonderful experience with the 1st. I really love Dr Elliott, but I have some issues with Dr Lashgari. I went into the hospital at 3am and they both stopped by at least once during the day and at the end of their work day. The dr on call delivered our DD at 730 the next morning and both Elliott & Lashgari came running into the room the sec the on-call dr held up my DD. They both said we heard you were pushing when we got in the office and ran right over. Dr Elliott "finished" up with me and they both stayed a while and held the baby and talked to me. The next day Lashgari came by my recovery room to check on me and then Elliott came by the 3rd day to check on me and release me.

Elliott is compassionate and takes his time during your appts to really listen to you. As for Lashgari, I think she is a competant dr and somewhat understanding, but she is still a fairly young dr and seemed to want to "prepare me" for the possibility for a c-sec at the very end of my pg. My DD was sized at 7.5lbs 4wks before my due date and estimated to be almost 10lbs at birth. They were right - she was 9-14, but she kind of stressed me out b/c I really wanted to try for a natural or at least a vaginal birth. In recovery, she did make the comment that she would have given me a c-sec if she had been on call that night b/c I was in labor for about 30hrs with my water broken. She has since mentioned to me at my last annual and now at my 1st pg visit, that i should really consider a c-sec due to the "damage" that was done to my pelvic floor with my 1st pg. However, based on my small amount of research, I'm conviced that some or a lot of the "damage" was caused by carrying around a large baby during the end of pg. However, I think over the past few yrs Lashgari has gained a more soft and understanding bedside manner, so we'll see how this one goes.

So, I have an appt with Elliott soon and I will be discussing my concerns. All in all, though I really like this practice and plan to stay for the pg.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if you knew this or not but both practices share on call meaning that just because you go to one practice and see those doctors, the other practice could end up delivering you. I chose the Rossi practice and had a great experience but ended up getting delivered by Lashgari whom I had a bad experience with. She really did not seem to care for me as a patient since I was not part of her practice and since my Dr was coming on shortly. It ended up that she did have to deliver my baby. While she did a good job in the delivery her bedside manner was a little lacking. Anyways just to let you know that you may be delivered by either practice even though you chose one over the other.

[Anonymous]

This seems like a naive question, but isn't the ob that you have supposed to be there during the delivery, or does the on-call dr. typically handle it from the hospital?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a naive question, but isn't the ob that you have supposed to be there during the delivery, or does the on-call dr. typically handle it from the hospital?

20:16 poster here - I didn't know this answer until we had out 1st with Lashgari/Elliott. I believe their are a few practices there that share "on-call". I called after hours once with my 1st pg and just the other day with my 2nd and both times got calls back from dr's other than Lashgari/Elliott - it was whoever was on call. As far as delivery, if you deliver during "workign hrs" I think "your" dr would deliver you, but after hours it will be the dr on call.

Our DD was delivered by Dr. Kilmer (in 06) who was GREAT. We actually had met her a few weeks earlier because I was admitted for an evening with dehydration issues and she was on call at that time also.

I'm not sure how many practices are included with Lashgari/Elliott in terms of on-call rotations. Anyone know?

[Anonymous]

OP here - really appreciate the feedback. It is such a hard decision, but I know at most practices, there is call sharing. I am just hoping to find some doctors who will be easier to work with during these next several months. Any other feedback is greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

OP here - really appreciate the feedback. It is such a hard decision, but I know at most practices, there is call sharing. I am just hoping to find some doctors who will be easier to work with during these next several months. Any other feedback is greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

I beleive that both practices share on call with a total of 15 doctors. I think that there are 4 practices involved. If you call after hours it is the on call doctor that does the delivery and returns any calls. Not sure what happens during office hours. I know you call the primary office first but not sure who actually does the delivery. I delivered on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

I am a patient of the Rossi practice and was never pushed to have a c-section. They also have a midwife who is great. I think you chose whoever you are most comfortable with as a practice to see for your appointments. That is what matters most since you will see all the doctors all the time. If you were interested in a practice at VHC that does not share on call I think you would want to pick Piness or the Cobbs practice.