First off, my personal opinion is that, unfortunately, anonymous Internet reviews of any professional are pretty near useless.

Most people who have good experiences do not leave anonymous reviews. There is no system set up to ensure that a single disgruntled patient (or, heck, who's to say-- ex-husband, resentful former roommate, neighbor) cannot leave multiple bad reviews. I think it's TERRIBLE. And yes, maybe I sound like a doctor with bad reviews, but I'm not. I think OBs are esp. vulnerable to such attacks for various reasons, but I do think it's also important to remember that bedside manner does not equal competency, and to have low expectations about how much time with you ANY doctor will be able to spend, and to expect a rather brisk and efficient move-em-through attitude as long as everything is normal (I've gotten this with my midwives, too).

Of course, there should be accountability, but the best advice I can give for any doctor is to ask acquaintances, relatives, friends whom you trust. If you go for your first visit between 8-12 weeks (and many women go earlier), you have plenty of time to switch practitioners. I did around 22 weeks with pregnancy #2. Because the fact is, no one can tell you exactly how a certain practice is going to make YOU feel.

Finally: all other things being equal, just start off at the practice you find most convenient to your home/work. Because you will be spending a LOT of time going to appointments. One other factor for me was being able to do all sonos/bloodwork in office.

Mud wives are generally not as safe

You really can't predict a c section it depends on your birth. Reading rates are meaningless because certain practices may take higher risk persons.

I never encountered rite office staff in my time with Nova Group for Women. It also wasn't too hard to find acceptable appointment times as they let you schedule about 6 appointments at a time.

Agree that you will drive yourself nuts if you try to rely on unverified online reviews.

The most important factors are that the practice not have an ideology that you don't share -- so don't sign up with a militant natural birth outfit like Wisdom at GW. After that is convenience. You are going to be going to a LOT of appointments, so you need a place you can get to easily from home and work. After that, it's worthwhile checking online to see if there are giant red flags, like overwhelming negative feedback. Even that you have to take with a huge grain of salt. Eg, so many online complaints about Reiter Hill, but when you probe further, you find many perfectly happy patients who just aren't motivated to post online.

Anyway, if I had it to do over again, I'd pick a non-ideolgical hospital based midwife practice with a doula. I do think the midwife model of care has some advantages for prenatal and maximizing chances for a vaginal birth, but I'd also want to be in a setting where they were not hesitant to intervene as needed and gave no pushback on pain meds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you have been to multiple MD's so far and have found fault with all of them?
Maybe try some anxiety management as well, I am wondering if you have posted about this before on here and been kindly advised to try some personal health managemt too

No haven't gone to all just 1. No haven't been advised for anxiety. I'm not anxious really just want to make a smart decision

What did you mean by your experiences so far have been bad and you are running out of time?

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you have been to multiple MD's so far and have found fault with all of them?
Maybe try some anxiety management as well, I am wondering if you have posted about this before on here and been kindly advised to try some personal health managemt too

No haven't gone to all just 1. No haven't been advised for anxiety. I'm not anxious really just want to make a smart decision

The Internet, especially a board like this, means that you will find negative things about any practice and any doctor.

There is really no reason your list should be that long. Why would you look at GW and WHC if you live in Fairfax? Look at the two or three practices closest to you, ask your friends who have been there, make an appointment with a doctor and see if you like him or her.

PS, every single practice has people who complain about post-partum care.

No practice is going to perfect, there will always be someone who is unhappy with it. For the most part, those practices all have different cons listed with them, so rank them in your order of priority and figure out which practice is likely to be best suited to you.

Sounds like you have been to multiple MD's so far and have found fault with all of them?
Maybe try some anxiety management as well, I am wondering if you have posted about this before on here and been kindly advised to try some personal health managemt too

Anonymous wrote:Is this your summary of things you have read on this board?
Call, make appointments with your top 3, and make a decision.
You will get the same responses here that you have gotten before, or read before.

Here and elsewhere yelp, google, ratemd

You are never going to find a practice that has exactly what you're looking for. I say this as someone who also has anxiety and needed to have an unmedicated birth due to medical condition. The fact that you're not necessarily looking for an unmedicated birth and just want to avoid a section doesn't make what you're seeking all that difficult to find. If I were you, I'd go with GWMFA and hire a doula. No, you won't know who is delivering you, but that's pretty much the situation everywhere so you need to just accept that. At least at GW, the entire practice shares a philosophy that skews toward vaginal birth. I know lots of women who were very happy there. If you go with GW, I think you'll be in a place where you can trust that if a c-section happens, it is completely necessary and no one is jumping too quickly to interventions. I'd get the doula bc of your anxiety. The doula will talk through options with you and help you understand what is going on while it's happening. The doctor will be in and out until the end, the doula will stay with you throughout.

Ffs, just pick a practice and go. No one here can tell you all you want to know. Any of these practices will be fine.

Is this your summary of things you have read on this board?
Call, make appointments with your top 3, and make a decision.
You will get the same responses here that you have gotten before, or read before.

I live in Fairfax, I'd love a vaginal birth, maybe natural but not married to it, really want to avoid a csection. I have searched the boards exhaustingly and everything has caveats.

GWU - MFA- low intervention but seems like office is disorganized, PP is bad, too many doctors rotate and no clue who would deliver.

NOVA group for women - baby factory, Fairfax has high csections, good docs but they are short a doc and they have a 5th doc on call that I'd never meet but could deliver (that doc Alfreda Jones has super high csection rates and bad reviews). Staff is very rude, getting spots is tough due to them being so short staffed. They get a new doc straight from residency later this year.

Scott and Allen - great docs at Fairfax but they also rotate on call w other docs that I wouldn't know and 1/2 have high csections.

Arlington Womens Care - they have midwives, but reviews on them vary, some find Karen King to be very abrasive. Two new docs I know nothing about.

Fairfax OBGYN - great midwives, terrible reviews for their doctors

Fair Ridge OBGYN - 2 great docs, two so so docs,

WHC - midwives, very far great reviews on the midwives but if they risk you out, not sure about the doctors.

I just want a nice practice that will help me deliver w/o c section (unless necessary) w capable doctors that have a decent bed side manner. I know I probably sound picky but my experiences so far haven't been great and I am running out of time to find an OB.

Did you go to these practices? What was your experience like? Please advice,