Arlington Women's Center

AmericnJewl · June 2010

Any comments about Arlington Women's Center? A newly-pregnant friend is thinking about using them.

Useonfire · June 2010

Depends on the doc. My primary OB is Dr. Crowther who is great, but I honestly wouldn't necessarily recommend any of the others.

DelRayMom2Be · June 2010

I really liked Dr. Masel. She really explained things to me and answered all my questions without making me feel like I was taking to long for my appointment. Karen ended up delivering our baby and she was fantastic. We had only seen Karen once, but I would highly recommend her.

Globug5179 · June 2010

I'm the friend she's asking for, I was actually thinking of seeing Karen King because I'd rather go with a midwife. Any opinions?

DelRayMom2Be · June 2010

We saw Karen for a regular appointment and I thought she was very brusque and kind of rude. That being said, she ended up delivering our daughter and I loved her! She was patient, calming, gentle, everything you imagine a midwife to be. I would have her deliver my next child in a heartbeat.

Useonfire · June 2010

Karen is good, but she is a little rough around the edges during regular appts - that is - if you don't know her.

I can say a lot of good things about Karen, but I have a big negative. It's a personal experience, and it certainly won't happen to everyone. I had PPD after my son was born, and tried to get help/meds but Karen INSISTED I wait until I was 6 weeks postpartum just to "make sure." That was not a good move. I should have trusted myself more to find someone else to take me seriously. That being said, Dr. Crowther was unavailable as well. I had persistent mastitis on top of all that too, which was diagnosed incorrectly at first.

I have lots of good things to say about AWC, but I've also had some life changing experiences as a result. Not saying they wouldn't have happened at another practice, but it might have been different. I was told I actually set a precedent at AWC in terms of PPD screening. Thank goodness. But, I was a casualty for sure.

ceresvillebride · June 2010

Wow, reading these responses reinforces how different people's experience can be with the same provider!

Karen delivered my son in late 2008 and I can't imagine what I would have done without her. She was patient and comforting throughout the whole labor/delivery process. My labor/delivery experience was rather uneventful, but I can tell you that it was the most calming experience. I joked with DH at the time, that I've had dental appts that were more painful.

DH and I are moving out of Arlington next month and one of the saddest parts is that I know I won't be able to use her for my next labor/delivery.

vml14 · June 2010

I really like the practice. I LOVE Karen. She was an absolute godsend after the loss of our first child, providing the right mix of both comforting and medical advice. I know a lot of people find her to be off-putting, but I find her nothing but kind, caring and understanding. She also held my hand through the entire 2nd pregnancy, and was completely accessible via phone whenever I was freaking out. I also really like Dr. Masel and Dr. Crowther. Not a huge fan of Dr. Born, but she has grown on me over time. Don't care for Dr. Rossi that much. I ended up being delivered by Dr. Lashgari (from another practice) since it was after hours and she as the one on call. I actually really liked her as well.

A big plus of this place -- I VERY rarely had to wait for appointments, when I have heard that long waits are the norm elsewhere. I think once I had to wait about 30 min when they had lots of moms delivering that day, other than that, I was usually in-and-out within 10-15 min.

A big negative -- you do feel a bit like a number. I have a great relationship with Karen, and she knows me well. But with the rest of them, they often barely look at your chart before coming in, and they definitely don't know if they've seen you before most of the time. But, I think that's the case with most big practices.

sassy1357 · June 2010

I really like the practice so far. And I think Dr. Born is great.

spanella1 · August 2010

I just moved to the area and have a couple of appts there and overall, I have to say I'm not too impressed. My first appt was with Dr. Born and, although she was nice, we waited and waited even though the waiting room was empty. The second appt we waited again. There was a woman next to me sobbing and the whole 45 minutes I was waiting, she sat there and none of the staff paid her any attention at all! My second appt was with Dr. Crowther and she was simultaneously cheery and dismissive. When I explained that it was hard moving to a new area mid-pregnancy for my husband's job, she embarked on a litany ranging from her repeated moves from to country for her husband's career to how American women are encouraged to get fat during pregnancy. I was actually concerned because I've only gained 5 lbs and am 25+ weeks, but I was sort offended on behalf of all the American women who DO gain the recommended 25-35 pounds with pregnancy. Anyway, when she suggested I might switch to a closer practice or risk induction on account of living too far a way, I wholeheartedly agreed!