Can anybody reccomend a good OBGYN from Brigham and Womens? (An intro, horror story, and question all in one)

Colleen - posted on 01/26/2009 ( 8 moms have responded )

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Hey guys, just a short intro and question to introduce myself to this community. My name is Colleen and I'm a pretty recent first time mom, my daughter Laurelyn is 16 months and is absolutely wonderful. She has yet to give me any major problems so far as sleeping, breast feeding, weaning, or anything else is concerned really. So I count myself REALLY lucky.





The only major problem we ever hit was when it came down to delivery. I had one of the worst experiences ever at south shore hospital with crown obgyn. At 39 weeks I started having crazy high blood pressure, which they attributed to nerves but I really wasnt nervous. It was actually preeclampsia but they didn't bother to test me thoroughly for it. So when I was down to 41 weeks and started the early stages of labor, I went to the hospital and was seen by an anesthesiologist who told me that I couldnt deliver normally and that I was going to have to have a c-section. So after I finally delivered my baby, beautiful healthy and wide eyed, I wasnt able to truly enjoy what should have been the greatest moment in my life. Because my blood pressure was sky high, I could see my hands and face swelling right in front of my eyes, I couldnt see because my head felt like it was going to explode and my vision got all blurry and messed up. I had post partum eclampsia and they didnt notice it.



AND THEY WERE GOING TO SEND ME HOME!



Two minutes before we left the room to be discharged, another doctor (they had been bouncing me around so many doctors during my stay that I couldnt keep them straight) asked me how I was doing, after telling him how I felt (which I had been telling everybody else who would listen but who did nothing) he ran a blood test and asked that I stay in the hospital until they could figure it out. They continued to chalk up my symptoms to crazy things that they kept freaking me out with, life threatening things like a blood clot in my lung, in my heart, a blood clot in my brain, maybe the spinal tap went wrong, so finally after about a week in the hospital they figured it out and I was finally treated for it. And then they still sent me home with high blood pressure which once i saw a regular ob for my checkup a week or so later, he flipped out and sent me to another hospial because apparently it was dangerously high. It finally went down after they put me on blood pressure medication, which they should have done in the first place, and went away completely three months after my daughter was born. Needless to say this whole ordeal had me completely stressed out and depressed and just a major wreck for the duration of it. My husband was terrified that he was going to lose me and weve never been so scared in our lives.



There really was no need for us to have gone through what we did if they had followed up on me and not let me slip through the cracks. So now that I'm thinking about trying for another baby in the summer, I really need to find a good obgyn and since I know im more than likely to have complications, I would really like a doctor that goes to brigham and womens. Anybody have any good suggestions?



Thanks, and its nice to meet you all :o)

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8 Comments

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Taryn - posted on 02/10/2010

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Might i suggest new England Medical Center? Me all of my friends went there for the births of our children. we all had a great experience there. my sister in law was pregnant with twins and they were both were high risk due to the fact that they had twin to twin transfusion. and a friend of mine had a child with a knot in the cord all of these kids came out healthy as a clam. so this is where i would suggest to go. we all had diff dr's and we all had a good experience.

Cheryl - posted on 01/05/2010

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Hi Colleen!

I had my daughter at the Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center on Longwood and it was the most AMAZING birth ever! I've been going to the Beth Israel for all my medical needs since 1999, which is why I gave birth to my daughter in Boston. I myself, live in the shore and could've very easily gone to SSH. But I've heard so many horror stories from there, I would never have considered it (their LC's are fantastic though). My OBGYN is part of Boston Obstetrics & Gynecology: http://www.bostonobgyn.org/ My OBGYN is Jackie Croopnick, she is absolutely amazing. I've been seeing her for years and I would always tell her "Jackie? If I ever move away and get pregnant, I'm flying back to Boston so you can deliver me" :) Everyone in her practice is amazing! Their staff is soooo down to earth, I still keep in touch with them. They love to see my baby and hear updates on her. It's like walking into family there, I highly HIGHLY recommend them! Please feel free to send me a note and I can tell you more. So sorry to hear of your nightmare that you had to endure and could've totally been avoided :(

- Cheryl

Julia - posted on 07/22/2009

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I go to Lisa Lampert @ New England OBGYN. I Love her! She and the other Drs at the practice are great. and affiliated with Brigham.

Katryna - posted on 02/27/2009

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I went to south shore and had a great experience. I go to atrius women's health in weymouth. There are a couple of drs there and my dr is dr kotch. She is the best. But everyone likes her so sometimes it takes a while to get an appointment with her.

Jamie - posted on 02/16/2009

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I dont know about the Brigham, but I had my daughter at Mass General and it was a good experience. I had preeclampsia as well. I had 1:1 nursing care, and was on the L&D floor 24 hours after her birth so I could get the pre-e medicine. The nurse was really nice and helped my husband with the baby all day. The doctors were all great too. My labor was very fast and no one checked me until i was 10cm and she was almost out, but im sure every hospital/doctor/labor has their up's and downs. good luck!

Carrie - posted on 02/02/2009

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Hi Colleen as for the brigham I am not sure who there is good but my  sister had 2 high risk ppregnancies and she went to an OB at Brockton hospital that a friend of mine had recommended his name is Harold Michlewitz. They both recomend him very highly and the office was right on top of things and ready to annswer questiosn whenever you had any. Hope this helps and good luck.



 



P.S. I have heard several horror stories about south shore hospital



 



 

Jenni - posted on 01/28/2009

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We just moved here from Texas so I don't have any specific OB/GYN to recommend.  I do, however, recommend having a birthplan (you can make one here: http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/ib...).  It got us through a very challenging hospital birth.  It was critical that we had our OB/GYN's signature on it, so be sure to find someone willing to sign it.   Anytime someone tried to do something that we didn't want, or not do something that we did want, we could refer to that. 



Also, if you are really concerned, I would recommend seeking out a doula who can advocate for your needs/health.  She can probably advise you regarding doctors/midwives as well.  Perhaps someone on this list can recommend a particular doula?

Katie - posted on 01/27/2009

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Honestly, It really doesn't matter what anyone recommends, every birth, every experiance and day to day experiences change in ALL the hospitals and usually you don't even get your OB/Midwife etc to deliver.  I delivered at Brigham and Womens and had a HORRIFIC experiance.  My sister was there 3 months prior and loved it.  I wrote them a 2 page letter after the birth of my son.  Short and sweet as I can get it .



1-I went to the hospital 6 cm and 80% effaced and they sent me home b/c they didn't have a bed and "my face wasn't showing enough pain or discomfort", sorry I have a high tolernace to pain! A few hours later I return making with a (fake) painful look on my face and was admitted.



 



2-the nurse started my Iv and I had to tell her to put GLOVES ON! Then she got blood all over the sheets, table, chair, and just left it there. 



 



3-they changed my room 3 times, even though I was only there for a total of 5 hours from being admitted to his birth. 



 



4-they twisted my son's shoulder during delivery, which I understand may have been neccessary to get him out....BUT THEY NEVER TOLD ME!  When we got home, he wouldn't breast fed on one side and screamed when you changed his clothes,  I mention that his arm seemed hurt and my mother (who was in the deliver room explained how they twisted him )  We immeditely went to South SHore and had an xray...he had a broken collar bone and Brigham never even checked before we left, let alone explain what happen during deliver.  (all of which they noted in our chart!)



5- I also had to ask 4 times for a Rhogam Injection because I have negative blood and my son has postive, I shouldn't have had to remind them at all!



6-Last but not least there was NO Security (which did change after my letter) I had people walk in my room at 1030 pm to visit, anyone could get on/off the elevators, and they didn't have the "baby low-jack" anklets like South Shore. 



With that being said I do think that the team of Doctor OB and MidWifes at Harvard Vangaurd in Braintree/Quincy are very good, which is where I went for all of my prenatal care for my 2 children....my second was born at south shore and it was absolutley wonderful.



I think you should just focus on a good primary care OB and just be hard on them, so they don't let anything slide,  and they prepare you for the differant complications that may arise during delivery because of your condition.  You might even want to see a Cardiologist and have them recommend what to do if you want another baby and have them recommend an OB.



GOOD LUCK