Hi NYC Bees, I currently go to Downtown Women OB/GYN but am curious about their OB side of things. Any feedback? We are currently TTC. I am open to suggestions/recommendations to other OB's in NYC 
thank you in advance
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@cmbknyc: bumping!
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So I used to work in that same building. I didn't use them, but I had one coworker who used them while pregnant and she seemed to like them. I've lost touch with her or else id reach out for you.
Also, I know SJP went there when she was pregnant with her first (and only).
We would see her in the elevator going to appts. So I figure it can't be too bad!
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i used to see dr. gruss for gyn. she was totally fine, very nice, i just REALLY don't like their receptionists (esp. the male one...) and it was annoying waiting 2 months for an appointment.
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@cmbknyc: I would figure out their hospital affiliation and factor that in too! E.g., I think NYU is known for having specialists in multiple births, and iirc Cornell has one of the best NICUs. (Please validate that information yourself before basing a decision on this information. I may have read it on a random message board since I never seriously considered either hospital.)
Personally, I was glad that my obgyn turned out to be affiliated with St. Luke's/Roosevelt because it has low (for NYC/State) c-section rates and has the only in-hospital birthing center in the city. My doc is supportive of me using the birthing center, her practice has a c-section rate even lower than the hospital's, and she said she performs *maybe* one episiotomy per year. I also like her style, but she is pretty direct and to-the-point so I'm not sure if it had broad appeal. She has sort of mediocre online reviews, and I suspect that's the reason.
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@SweetiePie: hahah thanks! I guess if it's good enough for SJP it's good enough for me
@lioneyes: yeah, the long wait for appointments is very frustrating...if it's like that for the OB's I may be changing practices
@ElbieKay: thank for the advice, I know they are affiliated with NYU. I'll have a lot to think about once I'm pregnant - I definitely know I want a natural unmediated birth so we'll see...would you mind sharing your dr's name and contact info? I'll add her to my list of research if it's ok with you!
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Sure, here's her info. She's at 86th & CPW:
Anna Rhee
2 W 86th St
New York, NY 10024
(212) 603-4173 -
I delivered at St. Luke's Roosevelt, and I'd recommend the L&D nurses there quite highly (I had two during my labor and they were both fantastic; they are really the ones who are with you the whole time). I'd also recommend my OB, as well as the OB who actually delivered my baby - Dr Rutenberg and Dr. Holland. I did have a medicated birth, but it was by choice, and the staff was fully supportive of whatever I wanted to do. I labored naturally for quite a long time before going for the epidural.
There were definitely some times I waited a while for Dr. R for appts, but that's kind of just the way it is. The doctors in that practice give a lot of time to each patient. There are three partners in the practice; the others are Dr. Feder and Dr. Taiawa-Rutherford. Both are quite nice. Dr. Feder was actually on call for most of my labor so I saw her a few times at the hospital.
Dr. Holland is not part of that practice but is one of the people who covers when doctors in the practice aren't available. I was nervous about that, having never met her before, but she was fabulous in the delivery room and has a rather dry wit, which went over really well with both my husband and me.
Good luck!
http://www.nywomenshealth.com/md-kathryn-rutenberg-st-lukes-roosevelt-hospital-new-york.htm
http://www.nywomenshealth.com/md-claudia-holland-st-lukes-roosevelt-hospital-new-york.htm
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I moved to NJ early in my 2nd trimester, so I decided to deliver there, but I LOVED where I went for my 1st trimester (and the 8 years prior). They deliver at Cornell, which I have heard is fabulous.
http://weillcornell.org/practice/obgyn72/index.html -
@tinypiglet: @SeptMomma12: thanks so much for the contacts and feedback! I'll add them to my list...this is all SO helpful
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My coworker went to Downtown for both of her daughters and still does.
I go to CityScape - it's a NYU affiliated practice in midtown. . We're TTC so not sure about OB practice yet.
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I went to them and actually really liked the group. The only doctor who I didn't love was LaJoie. I saw her very early in my pregnancy (I think she was the first I saw on the "rotation," in fact) and she was really rude - just blunt, rushed me through filling out forms, etc. However, she was heavily pregnant at the time and for all I know she was just exhausted/overwhelmed with work.
The other doctors I really liked - esp. Whitehead and Min. Goodstein delivered me and even though I had only met her once she was really great and I was comfortable with her. They are a very capable team and I always felt like I was in good hands.
Oh! And I saw Rachel Maddow in the waiting room once. She is awesome, so that made my day
And last thing... this has nothing to do with Downtown Women, but... if I could do it all over again I would absolutely, positively, 100% pay for the private room at NYU. Because sharing like, 200 square feet with a stranger after all that is not cool at all.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
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@meredithNYC: We got the private room at NYU...and it was sooo worth it. We were also one of the lucky ones to be evacuated so we didn't get to fully enjoy it though hehe.
I go to NYU Midtown OB/GYN. Love every single one of them. My doctor was supposed to deliver me but was so convinced I wouldn't go into labor when I did that she went away for the weekend. Another doc in the practice who I had never met delivered DD and she was amazing. The nurses at NYU are top notch....but it's not like I have anything to compare it to.
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@Tidybee: You poor thing! You got evacuated?! I was so worried for all the ladies in labor during the hurricane because I could only imagine how scary that would be.
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@LindsayInNY: Thanks for the recommendation and the feedback!
@meredithNYC: really appreciate the details about the practice! And thanks for the private room advice, small space is definitely a city living drawback. I'll definitely let you know if I have more questions
@Tidybee: wow - that must have been awful! Thanks for the recommendation, added to the list
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My husband is on board with spending a stupid amount of money on a private room. I am relieved. I hate having roommates, even when I'm feeling well. I just hope it's available when the time comes, since it's on a first come, first served basis. If I use the SLR birthing center then it will be a non-issue.
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@elbiekay: We paid for the private room at SLR ($900/night!) and I would say that crazy expense was well worth it for our sanity. The semi-private rooms are TINY, with just a curtain between you and the other person, and dealing with someone else's recovery issues, family members, baby crying, etc while dealing with my own as well just did not sound appealing.
We actually weren't sure if we were going to get a post-partum room at all - they were completely full, both private and semi-private, after I gave birth just before 10 in the morning. We stayed in our L&D room until 7:30 that night and then got lucky and got one of the coveted private rooms. Being in the L&D room all day was actually really nice, though, because 1) it's private, and 2) we got to keep our dedicated L&D nurse all day (in post-partum you have a rotating cast of nurses, which is fine, but you rarely see the same person more than a couple of times). Get on the room list asap after you check into L&D and cross your fingers! (Also, if you have a flex spending account, check to see if they will let you pay for the room out of that account - at least then it's pre-tax money instead of post-tax...)
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@tinypiglet: Wow, I can't believe the volume that goes through SLR. I keep hearing that triage is terrible when you get there, so I am bracing myself for that. I wonder if there is a way to skip triage somehow and just check in at L&D. I will ask my ob about strategies for that.
My husband has an HSA that we can use for the private room, or we can plan on flex spending. The problem is that it's a lot of money to put into flex spending given that we may not need to (or be able to) use it.
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@elbiekay: My impression was that it's a rare day when they have no post-partum rooms available at all - certainly seemed like an odd thing to have happen!
Triage is generally annoying...I think if you know what to expect going in, you can tolerate it, though. I was there three times (once for a false alarm a few weeks early, once for strong contractions the night before my water broke, and then again when we actually checked in for real the next day after my water broke). I only saw one person skip triage in all those visits, and that was because she was so far into labor she was already pushing when she arrived. I had just been there 12 hours earlier and it was really obvious my water had broken and this was for real this time, and still they got a urine sample, put me into a bed, monitored me and the baby, checked my cervix, had the on-call doctor talk with me, etc before admitting me. They also put in an IV port and sorted out some paperwork before we went around the corner to an L&D room. Just know that you are likely to wait a long time for a triage bed if they are busy, and once you are in there it will be a couple more hours before you get out. Our avg visit was 3 hours, I think.
HSA would def be better if you have the funds there, since that isn't use it or lose it!
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This thread is so helpful. I've been to Downtown Women and my only experience was with one of the nurses who was great. I loved the vibe of the office as it didn't feel too much like a clinic at all (it felt very calming and natural, homey like a birthing center almost). The staff was really sweet, but I ended up changing practices when I moved.
I'm also looking into an OBGYN (TTC) and would like to deliver at St. Luke's / Roosevelt or Presbyterian / Weill Cornell. I've thought about Dr. Anna Rhee so your post @elbiekay was really helpful.
The other practice I've looked into is of course the one @septmomma12 recommended. My good gfs have all delivered at Cornell but I hear it's difficult to deliver with their OBs as many don't take new patients. Is this true, especially Dr. Kaufman? Anyone recommend an OB affiliated with Cornell?@septmomma12 if you don't mind me asking, where did you end up delivering in NJ and did you like your OB?
@cmbknyc congrats on your big fat
!!!!So sorry for hijacking this thread with all the questions!
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@SupernovaJ: I am with Dr. Alan Kessler who delivers at cornell. My friends are very devoted to him, and I love him thus far. He is always available, has a great demeanor, lots of flexibility with appts, and takes both high and low risk patients. I like that he has high risk experience bc I think it makes him more diligent generally. Our first appt he spent 90 minutes with us but i aldo have never had to wait. I've had to call him on his cell several times (including yesterday) and he is always happy to talk and will call me back the next day to make sure things are okay. The only problem is he doesn't take insurance.
We came from ivf and a rocky start to pregnancy so the extra $ has been worth it.
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@SupernovaJ: thank you!! Still can't believe it
not hijacking at all I'm glad this was helpful to others, as well!!
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@ElbieKay: I see a different doctor (Katrina Bradley) in the same practice! I'm not pregnant yet, but I've really, really liked her for my annuals and such. And the possibility of delivering at the birthing center at SLR was one of the main reasons I chose her when looking for a dr
!!!!
We came from ivf and a rocky start to pregnancy so the extra $ has been worth it.
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