Seeking an ObGyn in Walnut Creek
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Feb 2009
I'm looking for an OBGYN in the Walnut Creek, John Muir Network. I'm into the idea of having a doula and want to know if any one has worked with a certain OBGYN that's very open to Doula's. I'd like to have this baby naturally but am open to pain medications (if I really can't stand the pain).
Dr. Stephen Weinstein in Walnut Creek is great! He's located right next to John Muir Hospital @ 240 La Casa Via (925-932-2565). I highly recommend him; he delivered both of my children via c-section. He's got tons of experience, a great personality and is very accessible. His staff is always great; really friendly and helpful. I never had to wait when I went for my check-ups - they are always on schedule and can always fit you in if you are having any problems. He also specializes in infertility. He was the first male Ob/GYN I had, and I highly recommend him. Melissa Wilk
Jan 2009
We just moved to Walnut Creek and I just learned that I am pregnant (!). So I am in search for a new OB in short order. My own bias is toward natural labor (unmedicated if possible) and delivery (i.e. no forceps, episiotomies, inductions, etc.). I would also like someone (doesn't everyone?) who is smart and caring and has a friendly staff. thank you so much!! naturally-leaning
I can highly recommend Dr. Christine Riley in Walnut Creek. She is a caring, smart and nice doctor. She was great under pressure when my delivery ran into a few problems. Her office staff is very friendly and competent(Which I think is an important part in selecting a doctor). Jennifer
August 2005
I am looking for current feedback about either Stephen Wells or Christine Riley in Walnut Creek. I am nearly 40 and am more anxious about this pregnancy than the last. I want to find a doctor that is friendly and smart. All comments are welcome. Thanks! nervous, but picky
Dear nervous but picky, Dr. Wells is AWESOME. I have had 4 pregnancy's all with prenatal care from DR. Wells. 2 ended with miscarriages - his office was so supportive I couldn't believe it! One pregnancy was riddled with preterm contractions & they (everyone in his office) were wonderful. That pregnancy ended with a C-section due to failure to dilate. My last pregnancy was a VBAC (vaginal birth after ceasarian) all through my pregnancy everyone including nurses at ultrasounds, womens health center etc kept singing Dr. Wells praises saying that he's the best etc etc and he is! Great bedside manner & his office staff are great too, especially his nurse Jennifer. Amber
I am a nurse in the birth center at John Muir where both Dr. Wells and Dr. Riley attend deliveries. Both are nice and their patients seem to like them (Wells is a little more easy going). However, both do not hesitate AT ALL to use interventions (often unnecessary), and Dr. Wells in particular induces a HUGE proportion of his patients. It isn't clear from your post what your criteria are for choosing a provider. If it is personality, then you might as well just set up appointments to meet both of them and see if you click with them. If their medical practices are important to you, it would be good to do some homework with regard to how they manage pregnancy and labor. If you have to or just want to deliver at John Muir, you might check out Dr. Janine Senior. I would probably choose her over others who deliver there. Of course, you have to be prepared to be seen by the others in her practice (Walker and Hartman), and I'm not as enthusiastic about them. My own bias is toward natural labor (unmedicated if possible) and delivery (i.e. no forceps, episiotomies, inductions for convenience, etc.) and that is a real rarity at John Muir. If you want that, you would probably do well to broaden your search. If avoiding interventions is not so important, then Wells or Riley might be fine. Anon
May 2004
I'm thinking about switching to Dr. Jenine Senior & Dr Hartman, OB/GYN in Walnut Creek. Any feedback or experience with either of these doctors would be helpful. Also your experience with them on the OB side would also be appreciated.
Dr. Janine Senior is fantastic!! She is supportive, knowledgable, and very personable. When she switched from Hill Physicians to John Muir/Mt. Diablo, I changed my primary care physician to follow her. She delivered my daughter (almost 1 year old!!) and it was a great experience -- I highly recommend her. The other two doctors in her group are Dr. Hartman and Dr. Walker. I've only seen Dr. Hartman once -- she seemed a bit quiet, but nice. I've seen Dr. Walker a few times, and I like her more each time. Also, the other folks in their office (especially Heather) are wonderful. Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. Beth
They are both terrific. Dr. Senior delivered my first baby and Dr. Hartman delivered my second child. Dr. Senior is generally considered a little more 'warm and fuzzy', if that's of concern to you. I have found them to be equally responsive and competent. anon
Dr. Janine Senior is an incredible doctor. SHe is warm, caring and has supported me in every way. Her partners are nice and the nurse practioners are terrific too. She was supportive when I wanted a child after the age of 40 when a former Doctor told me I was old and needed to get over it. The office staff isn't as good and you often are placed on hold when calling the office...but I feel it is a small price to pay for someone that cares so much.
Jan. 2004
Hi there! I live in Walnut Creek and am a nurse at John Muir. I'm very picky with choosing a doctor and I have found an OB/ GYN practice that fits my style. I switched from an all-woman's practice which I was terribly disappointed in to Dr. Klein and Dr. Friedman (recommended to me by other nurses I work with). They are personable and a great blend of personalities. Dr. Klein is rather excentric and humorous and Dr. Friedman is younger and professional and both are knowledgable. The icing on the cake for them is their support staff! Their office is always calm and Nora (the nurse) is fabulous! I highly recommend. Now if you are a high risk patient, I would see Dr. Paula Melone. She's amazing and I've witnessed her caring and dedicated bedside manner as a patient and as a nurse. She is a star. I hope this helps you. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Roxanne
August 2003
I used to go to Muir Ob/Gyn right across the street from John Muir. However, their practice became HUGE and my favorite OB, Christine Riley, took off to start her own practice down the road, so I left with her. She is WONDERFUL! She has delivered 2 of my kids and also performed a couple of ovarian surgeries on me. She is incredibly skilled, very personable, and takes all of her own appts. She shares call with a male OB in Danville, Dr. Anderson, but I have never met him. The downside is that she only takes PPOs, so check your insurance. Dr. Janine Senior is also very good and has an office with a couple of other OBs in the same bldg. Dr. Riley's phone # is 932-0390. Good luck!
August 2003
I saw Dr. Stephen Weinstein on La Casa Via in Walnut Creek for infertility treatments and general OB/GYN for 3 years. I highly recommend him. I don't currently see him because I switched to Kaiser this past year or I would still be seeing him. He has always been kind and caring and actually apologized to me for not being able to help me get pregnant when my third attempt at artificial insemination failed. Barbara
August 2003
You might want to talk with Dr. Margaret Craig. She delivered my daughter at John Muir 2 1/2 years ago. She has a solo practice (although she shares office space/staff with another doc), which means you don't ''rotate'' among doctors in a group. She shares call with four other docs, all female, in the event that she is unable to attend your birth (say, she was up all night the previous night with another birth... in which case you really don't want her at yours!). Anyway, this is all background info.
She is very knowledgeable and she explains things well. She is also, I think, an excellent surgeon - I had to have a c-section and already the scar is nearly invisible. (I'm not kidding when I say I have to search for it). When I was still in the hospital after the birth, LITERALLY four or five nurses commented on what an excellent job she did sewing me up.... It always started with ''wow!'' (or something like that) when they saw how neatly it was done.
She is not a very warm and fuzzy person -- or perhaps I should say she is not a really friendly person. Nice, sure, but not really warm and outgoing. However, what I find more important is that she clearly knows what she is doing, she communicates well (she was great talking me through options when the c- section looked inevitable) and I feel like I'm getting very good care with her. Her office is inviting, too - real cloth gowns for exams (not the paper kind), snacks for pregnant moms, and toys for kids.
August 2003
Well, coming from a male perspective, I must throw in my 2 cents for Dr. Rosemary Delgado. She is the greatest! We are in the John Muir Hospital network via Healthnet and I have no regrets. Our neighbor who is a nurse has been going to her for years. My wife was a Kaiser baby, and change was very hard for her. Although I don't know what to look for in an OB/GYN, but I do know that she takes the time to talk with you - not to you. She even stayed late for us past 5:00 PM to talk about our concerns (we just had our 1st child last month). She even answered all my questions without sounding patronizing - she made me feel good about being a concerned father. I went to many of the checkups and felt very comfortable with her - not like I was intruding. I don't know what else to say but you should consider Dr. Rosemary Delgado (I hope she is still taking new patients).
I feel this is very important to new parents and parent to be. In a time where HMO & PPO are measured by the quantity not quality - Dr. Delgado is the greatest and I think worth it!!! My wife does too..... cory
August 2003
I strongly suggest my OB/GYN Dr. Louis Klein- he and his staff are wonderful, thoughtful, professional and he's right across from John Muir Hospital. Dr. Klein delivered our little girl, and he shall be doing the honors for Baby #2! (We just found out 2 days ago- yeah!) Dr. Klein's number is: 925.937.0995. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Congratulations! Marian
August 2003
I LOVE my Ob/Gyn. His name is Robert Cole, and he is located in Walnut Creek. He delivered my second son at John Muir, and I was continually impressed with his thoughtfulness, professionalism, and his warmth. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a good doctor in the area. His office is located right down the street from John Muir, and his office staff are as professional and warm as he is. Hope that helps. Good luck! kristin
August 2003
I used the Muir OB/GYN Medical Group for both of my pregnancies/ deliveries. There are three OBs in the office (Katz, Hughes, and Hannah); you are seen by all three throughout your pregnancy, so you have met the doctor who is on-call at the time of your labor/delivery. At first I was concerned about this approach, but fell in love with my nurse practitioner, Patti Gerady (sp?). I happened to have the same doctor deliver both babies. Their # is 925-937-4747. jackie
Perinatal Group
May 2008
Re: High risk OB in John Muir net. -cerclage
I would reccommend Dr.Jeffrey Traynor at the John Muir Perinatal group. He successfully managed my recent high risk pregnancy, I needed a cerclage too. Not only is he very competent, he is a great person . All the staff at the office are wonderful. They got us through a very stressful pregnancy. s.
Oct 2001
In response to the person inquiring about MDs who do prenatal testing, I have had 2 children. With the first, there were some concerns about the baby's size vs. gestational age and I was referred to Dr. Melone in Walnut Creek for an amniocentesis. She was beyond wonderful -- told us EVERYTHING we wanted to know, put our minds at ease, and had a terrific bedside manner. When I got pregnant with my 2nd, we chose to go to her for our relgular ultrasound because we trusted her expertise and we had heard and experienced such wonderful things. I cannot say enough! And her technicians are just as professional and pleasant as she. Trish
Highly recommend working with Golden Oak Midwives. They deliver at Alta Bates in Berkeley.
I’m seeing Dr Rose Monardo through John Muir and really like her so far. She has offices in Orinda and maybe also Walnut Creek.
Decision may be driven by what insurance provider you have - Kaiser Versus non-Kaiser. We are Kaiser members and had our son at KP Walnut Creek, and had very positive experience with both the MD and midwife teams.