Hi,

I am having my 2nd child and would like to go to Calvary Private as the nursing staff were so supportive of me, not only the week I was there for my first child's birth, but the two subsequent times I was admitted with post-operative complications - what I DON'T want, is the same obstetrician again.

The list of obstretricians who work out of Calvary Private are as follows: Armellin, Draher, Foote, Hehir, Scott. If anyone has any recommendations or words of caution on the above five (i'd call them the Fab Five - but I'm sure their fashion sense isn't as good as those on TV!!) I'd be very grateful. I'm really nervous after the last bungle up and need to have someone I can trust - both their medical expertise and their patient care.

Thanks everyone and best of health and happiness to everyone and their little treasures.
Georgie-jj

OK I've had dealings with 3 of the 'fab 5' and would definately go with Dr Scott. He's lovely. I did not have a problem with Dr Hehir or Armellin but Dr Scott is a quietly spoken, gentle man who listens to the needs of the mother.

He is non-invasive and non-judgemental. In my case he delivered a lovely placenta but did it in a EXTREMELY gentle way guiding me all the time and explaining what he was doing despite it being my 4th child. The ladies at his rooms are very nice, particularly the midwives he employs. He works out of Calvary and John James with his rooms at John James medical centre but don't let that put you off him.

Dr Foote I hear -don't know personally- has lost his 'spark' and is more politically motivated nowdays.

Good luck with the decision. I LOVE Calvary too. Great work ethic and pastrol care.


Argus<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_20.gif' alt='Wakka Wakka' border=0></a>

This message was edited by argus on Sunday, 21 March 2004 @ 1:54 PM

i liked dr scott & dr hehir, find dr armellin incredibly rude (though you'll hear others say otherwise here), dr foote was ok though very abrupt and straight down the line. never met dr draher (unless he was the ob who didn't introduce himself to me).


Ryan James | 30/5/03 | Pics
edd #2 late aug 04

Dr Hehir is lovely, very traditional...but Dr Foote delivered Lucy. If he was to come near me when I was in labor again I would get up and walk out.
Lucy's head was out for 3 hours and they kept trying to ring him and he says 1 more hour. I was public, so maybe a bit different.
He also delivered the placenta after I had lots of stitches, which I found out later from a midwife is a big NONO

[color=Purple]Bec

DD-Lucy 3yrs
TTC #2 Sept 03
m/c Jan 04

[img]http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ticker/35b0d/ticker.png[img]

As a public patient I just had Dr Foote check on me and come in to possibly deliver my now 4 week old.

I wouldn't have a problem seeing or dealing with him again, he was helpful, on the ball and very supportive during a difficult delivery (baby was posterior, becoming distressed and contractions stopped as her head was being delivered).

I can't comment on the others though...

Hi

I've used Dr Foote twice. I quite like him but I felt, particularly with no. 1 that we were just being processed during our antenatal visits. I got PND with no. 1 and we rang him for a referral to someone but with no. 2, despite him knowing about the PND, he didn't mention it once - where's the holistic approach?!

I had caesars with both (first emergency, second elective) and while I was in theatre waiting for no. 2 to start, he just sat reading a mag. and didn't talk to me at all until his part started. I was bit affronted by that - he could have least have said some assuring words etc. Plus, my second scar isn't even in a straight line and when the midwife called at home (I went home on day 3), she said that she could have guessed it was Foote and that she felt like having a go at him for being so careless on what must be a regular basis.

Dr Dreher shares his rooms with Dr Foote and he looks very nice.

I know people that have gone to Dr Amellin (sp?) and thought he was great.

Debbie

DS Patrick 25/5/01
DD Jessica 28/11/03

Hi,
I can recommend Dr Hehir - he was my Ob for our first baby, although was on holidays when I went into labour, so Dr Armellin delivered her. Armellin was very nice, but was a bit quick to use forceps after a long night delivering four other babies. I think he was keen to call it a night! Dr Hehir seems a bit odd when you first meet him, but as time goes on and you get to know him, he's great. I've heard he is wonderful when he delivers your baby as well.
Hope this helps!
Sharon
Me - 35
DH - 35
DD - 18/7/02
EDD - 20/7/04

Hi

I have only had 1 bub, currently pg with #2 and saw/seeing Dr Armellin for both. I ended up being hospitalised for high blood pressure first time around for a week before being induced. I found Armellin to be very good (although I think he recycles his jokes and one liners quite unmercifully) he explained everything really well, I had a quick (5hr) labour with no drugs, no intervention and no stitches. But DH did tell me later on that he was getting the forceps ready after my 2nd stage labour was bordering on the 2 hr mark.

So far he has been OK this pg - can't really say too much cause so far everything has been pretty run of the mill.

Saw Dr Scott very briefly for a post pg complication when he was covering for Armellin and he seemed very nice as well.

Good luck making your decision. Hope this helps.

Cheers

Fiona
DS Jesse 18 months (24/09/02)
EDD #2 21/05/04
Me 28 DH 29
[img]http://preg.fertilityfriend.com/pregticker/fiona_baby2/
[/img]

Hi, I can highly recommend Dr Jakub Dreher - He was the Ob that delivered Jacqueline. I found him to be very nice and very approacable with my never ending questions and was fantastic when I went into early labour at 31wks (stopped and delivered at 39wks). Dr Foote however covers for him if he is on leave. I have never personally spoke to Dr Foote he seems rather nice although he is very busy and his patients seem to be on a conveyor belt and rushed through.

Good luck with your decision.


ME Belinda
DH Alex
DD Jacqueline Lee 6/5/03

Hi

I would second the recommendation with Dr Dreher - he is looking after my pregnancy now - I'm due in about 3 weeks.

He is friendly, attentive and very good with following up with you.

When I saw him before falling pregnant, he even rang me on a Friday night to give me some test results that I hadn't rung for during the day.

Rachel

I had my first child 2 years ago at Calvary Private under the care of Dr Hehir, and am due to have my 2nd there in a week, again under the care of Dr Hehir. As previously mentioned he seems a bit strange at first but is great, happy to answer any questions etc. He was very good at her birth which was induced due to IUGR, and she had the cord around her neck twice. He has been very good at monitoring this pregnancy due to the risk of IUGR again and more than happy to answer as best he can my strange questions. I saw Dr Armellan once in the week I was in hospital after her birth and don't have much to say either way about him.

Me (25)
DD 16 Jan 02
Bubs due 31/3/04

I thought that Dr Armellin was great. He delivered both my babies by caesarian delivery. But after thinking about my care during pregnancy, I realised that I was rushed each visit. His waiting room was always full of ladies waiting to see him.
After having my 2nd caesarian, I had to have a D&C. I've since found out from other specialists that I should not have had to have a D&C after a caesar, because the placenta should have been cleared out during the caesar. He was running late the day that my son was born, and he rushed throughout the whole procedure, leaving some placenta in my uterus, which could have led to septicaema (?sp). I don't think Dr Armellin is great anymore.
My DH and I are considering another addition to our family, and I WILL NOT see Dr Armellin again.
I hope this helps! Good luck!

Kathi
Mum to Izabella (6 years old) and Matthew (11 months old)

Dear Everyone,

Thank you so much for your honest and very helpful advice. Some of it confirmed the limited first impressions I had of a couple of the OBs based on encounters during my stay with my first child

Based on this advice I'll probably narrow it down to 2 and go and see them both and make a decision, I know it will cost me a bit extra, but it is really important to me to feel comfortable and to trust them and that's money I am willing to forego for that peace of mind.

Thanks again to everyone for helping me out with this -its only through hearing the experiences of other mums that you can get a feel for how a doctor really performs both medically and 'emotionally'.

Georgie

This message was edited by ~deb~ on Friday, 29 April 2005 @ 7:35 PM

Hi, this was a great post. I have just logged on for the first time after doing a search for Dr Hehir. I was not sure how I felt about him (am nearly 2 weeks) and was looking at perhaps changing to Armellin or Foote, but after reading your posts, am thinking maybe I will just stick with Hehir.

Thanks, I will be back!

I highly recommend Dr Dreher, he was wonderful throughout my pregnancy and birth. He made me feel very comfortable and never rushed me and was happy to answer all my questions. I haven't told anyone else yet, but I am six weeks pregnant (OMG OMG) with my second and have already booked in with Dr Dreher!

best wishes

Di