Private practice pediatrician and OB recommendations?
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in June and are looking for recommendations for pediatricians who are in private practice in the East Bay or even SF. Also hoping to switch my OB care from Sutter at some point as well so if anyone has any good OB recommendations, I would welcome those. We are in Albany, but are willing to travel for good doctors. We are really looking for providers who take time to answer questions and who we can contact if needed with questions between appointments. Thanks for any leads!
Apr 15, 2021
Parent Replies
We have a 2 month old and are loving Kiwi Pediatrics in Albany! Congratulations to you and best of luck finding the right care!
Hi! Congratulations on your forthcoming little one! I cannot recommend Lizellen LaFollette highly enough. She delivered all three of my children, as well as performed a major myomectomy prior to my pregnancies. She has always taken my concerns and questions seriously, and closely follows all of the new literature on advancements in gynecological health. She is a powerhouse of a person! Her office is in Greenbrae (Marin), but she is worth the drive. If I moved out of state, I'd consider flying back for appointments. She is that competent.
Good luck!
My OB is Dr. Suman Veeragandham in Castro Valley. She has delivered both my babies at Eden. She is gentile and intelligent and experienced. I cant recommend her enough if you want down to earth care.
In the same office as her is my son's pediatrician, Dr. Melinda Ragins. She is great too.
I can't say enough good things about Dr. Lisa Kalar at Berkeley Pediatrics. She is patient, empathetic, and communicative. One of my children has serious long-term medical issues and Dr. Kalar has been a godsend in helping us navigate the world of specialists and ever-evolving treatment protocols. She always takes the time to make sure we understand what's happening, and helps us think through the options. Both of my children love her and continue to see her even though they're over 18 now.
We have had a good experience with all of the pediatricians at Sutter on Milvia. We have never felt rushed in any of our pediatrician appointments, and when I've had to email outside of office hours I have gotten a response pretty quickly. I also want to offer the advice to find someone close to home - there are a lot of good pediatricians in the East Bay, so there is no reason to go to SF or really more than a couple of miles from home. When you have an urgent situation with your kid, you do not want to have to go far. And even for well visits, there are so many in that first year, and life with a newborn is really hard, no need to add the stress of a long car trip with a baby who may or may not scream every time you put them in a car seat. We picked a pediatrician we can walk to and it is SO valuable. One time our kid hit his head at the playground and spent the whole drive to urgent care asking if he was going to die, and I was so thankful that it was a very short drive (he was fine, heads just bleed a lot so he was scared).