Hi! We just found out we are expecting our 2nd! We are looking for recommendations on OB/GYNs and practices (and delivery hospitals) in the Oakland/Berkeley area. For my first delivery (March ‘23), we were provided care through Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation / Alta Bates for the delivery. We did not have a good experience (very impersonal, doctor left practice with no notice and assigned patients to midwives, did not know a single provider on the day of delivery, etc.). We have Anthem PPO but are looking for suggestions in any network. Thank you!
Congratulations! We highly recommend Millie Clinic in Berkeley. The level of service, attention, and care is truly what all care providers should aim for. They never rushed us out of appointments, were communicative, ans helpful whenever we had questions. They offer additional classes you can take, which we found to be helpful & informative (though you may not need them since this is your second). Millie provides something called a Millie Guide, who you meet with 3x throughout your pregnancy to answer questions and walk you through current trimesters. (Again, may not be as relevant for you with this being your second, but we really loved this particular offering/resource as first time parents.) We had the same midwives throughout our whole journey, got to know the office as a whole, and when it came time to delivering, both of our midwives were with us at the birth to deliver. The delivery itself is done at Alta Bates, but your midwives are the ones who deliver - the hospital more so offers the resources.
I have heard really wonderful things about Millie clinic. My cousin used them and loved them. If you are able to swing it, Golden Oak midwives is also great.
I worked with the Millie clinic for my second birth, which was on December 30, 2023. I had a very positive experience with them—super personal attention and very responsive to my needs. I delivered at Alta Bates. I had my first kid at UCSF, so I was concerned about making a change, but it ended up being a very positive experience and I think it’s worth checking out.
I liked Millie Clinic, you are seen by a team of midwives (you can stick with one or see them all until you click with someone, which I loved the option of doing), you are paired with a birth worker/doula for casual questions, resources, and creating a birth plan, and there’s ability to escalate to an OB-GYN if needed. I felt cared for as a whole person. I liked the after-birth in-home visit. They are in network with many insurances.
Dr.Gupta is a ray of sunshine: https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-doctor/dr-deepti-gupta