Need OB Referrals: Support VBAC, Deliver at Cedars or Hospital with Tubs

Hello J.!!

I had a successful VBAC with my ob/gyn, Dr. Scott Serden, ###-###-####. He's awesome!!!!! He delivers at Cedars!

Also we love our pediatrician!!! My ob/gyn actually referred us to him (his sister goes to him too!) - his name is Dr. Andrew Krasnoff and he has full access to Cedars too! He is based out of Encino.

Good luck and good for you on going for your VBAC! If you want to send me a note I would be HAPPY to talk to about my experience! I had a WONDERFUL labor!!!!!

A.~

Hi J.

Dr. Ohad Ben-Yehuda has his practice in Encino, but he delivers at both Cedars and at Tarzana. He is well known as having the lowest C-section rate in the valley, and does a lot of VBACs. I don't know about the military insurance. Best of luck to you!

MS

I absolutely LOVE Dr. Ed Liu. He works out of the Cedars towards and he delivered both of my children at Cedars. I was living in Reseda at the time and loved him so much that I didn't mind the drive for visits or when in labor. I have gone to other doctors specializing in other things that work out of Cedars and talked with numerous staff members at Cedars and they all have the highest regard for Dr. Liu.

I believe you pay him and submit to insurance yourself but you could ask his manager, Cathy Morgan, who is a close friend of mine. He's at 9631 West Third Street, Suite 1040E, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Phone is ###-###-####. If you call, tell them D. Sleezer referred you, they know me well.

As for pediatricians, I used Dr. Laura Bruckner. She's in Encino but she went to Cedars when I delivered. She is also a friend of mine so I am not sure if she made the trip over there because of that or if she typically goes there. I am not sure about the insurance situation with her office.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

Hi J.,

I can't help you with the insurance part, but my OB is at Cedars and I had a VBAC with her 4 years ago. She is a dream doctor! Kind, patient, funny and an exceptional clinician. She's in her 30s and has two little girls of her own, so she gets all the issues we moms come in with. Here's her info:

Ann Hofstadter
###-###-####

Good luck!!

My OB's office is in Beverly Hills and they only deliver at Cedars. The two OB's in the office that saw me through my pregnancy are Dr. Weiss (male) and Dr. Brown (female). Weiss is my regular doc but Brown was on call and delivered my baby. I really like both but Brown is my favorite. They're at 421 N Rodeo Dr., Penthouse One, Beverly Hills 90210. Phone is ###-###-####. Weiss has been featured as one of the top OB's in the country. Not sure about your insurance so give them a call. Debbie G. handles Weiss' billing so you could call and ask for her. She's a super sweet lady.
I live in Burbank so the pediatrician I chose doesn't work with Cedars. When I delivered, the hospital had another pediatrician check my baby. Her name is Dr. Nourmand (very nice, young woman). Her office is in the Cedars Medical Office Towers and the number is ###-###-####. Good luck with your delivery!

It's a little late for this now, but for anyone else (like me) looking for a doctor that will do VBACs, I came across this fantastic site from the International Cesarean Awareness Network: http://ican-online.org/
They have lists of doctors and hospitals around the country that are VBAC-friendly, and they also have a list of hospitals that ban VBACs.

I can recommend a great doctor who was still vbac friendly 3 years ago when I was having my son at cedars. His name is Stuart Fischbein and he is in beverly hills/century city area. He is great. He doesn't take insurance at all, though, in his beverly hills office. He works with another doctor named Jason Rothbart who ended up delivering my second child because dr. Fischbein was on his way back from vacation, and I really liked him. He still takes insurance I think. Here is the problem though - cedars may claim to be vbac friendly but I do not think they truly are. I tried for a vbac with my secod. They insisted that I be strapped to the monitor because of the rupture risk. And there are not necessarily tubs in each room - it's the luck of the draw, and with my first there was no tub, only a shower. With the second, I can't remember anymore! Also, once your water breaks they won't let you near a tub, and my labor started with my water breaking both times. I'm not sure how far Granada Hills is from Camarillo, but dr. Fischbein has a practice out there, too, and he works with some midwives there, and as I recall he was still taking insurance out there. I would call him, but as far as Cedars, I think they talk a good talk but in the end the labor and delivery nurses are not very enlightened. Good Samaritan downtown has a great reputation for being open to all types of labors and deliveries, but I don't know any docs who deliver there off the top of my head.

Hi J.,
I love Jay Goldberg at Cedars and I know he does VBACs. Cedars doesn't really have labor tubs, they have very small bathtubs in the inner rooms and showers in the rooms with windows. Good Sam has labor tubs and I believe Dr. Dwight does VBACs. Also, UCLA midwives are great! They definetly do VBACs - although there are no good tubs (like Cedars). I'm not sure what insurance they all take. All three hospitals are close enough to Granada Hills.

Regarding the pediatrician - they have resident pediatrics on staff, so if your pediatrician doesn't have privileges there, you will still be seen by one the residents. That's usually just fine. Many peds that don't have privileges have a colleague they refer to that does have privileges.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your VBAC!

Cedars is very strict when it comes to VBAC so my advise is to go with UCLA midwife team or Dr. Hill, Bohn and Park at Good Samaritan. Trust me, i did not get my VBAC at cedars. I have researched this like crazy. Lastly Cedars has tubs but not all rooms do. They also will not let you labor in them and give birth in them.

Good Luck!