Paul Michael J MD

This is the review that I wish I had read when I was researching obstetricians. Dr. Paul is a self-​proclaimed interventionist. The guiding principle of the interventionists is «Saving babies from their mothers.» I would not recommend this practice if you are self-​referring. If your regular OB recommends you be seen by Dr. Paul, then you will probably be in the right place.
If you like to wait and wait and wait and wait then this is the place for you. By that I mean there were a few times when we waited well over an hour. The average wait time was about 30 minutes. Twice I almost passed out from having to wait so long to see the doctor. Do you and your partner have half a day to set aside for each appointment?
I disagree with the way this practice relies so heavily on nurses. I felt uncomfortable having so much of my care directed by the nurses especially in the final month of my pregnancy. I had difficulty getting questions answered directly by the doctor between appointments. I had concerns about the tests that were ordered as they did not seem relevant to my specific condition. I was put off and told that I would be allowed to speak with the doctor before a test was performed. That didn’t happen. When I tried to mediate the communication issues with the nursing staff through the office manager, my concerns were dismissed.
Before you self-​refer, you should also know that this is a high stress triage environment. So if your case is more extreme such as a diabetic mother with triplets, then you will probably have no problem getting your needs met. There is a sign near the scale that says patients have the right to request to be seen by the doctor if they are uncomfortable with the way the practice relies so heavily on nurses. That didn’t work out for me either.
The nurse practitioner came to see me in the hospital for rounds instead of the doctor after I had a c section with complications. She interrupted my session with a lactation consultant and intially refused to leave the room after both my husband and I asked her to leave. The previous day when our pediatrician from Esse came during the lactation consultation, he patiently waited his turn until we were finished. The lactation consultant had to physically turn Ms. Bradlo and push her toward the door to get her to leave. Because of this incident and also the fact that Dr. Paul made a slave whipping gesture over the foot of my bed when discussing the rigorous schedule of breastfeeding, I would say that this practice is not supportive of women who choose to breastfeed.
When we asked the NP for medical information about circumcision, we instead got social pressure to have the procedure done. The two discussions we had with real doctors were more focused on medical evidence. It is our understanding that Dr. Paul is in demand for this procedure. Which is great if you want it, but not so great if he is so busy performing circumcisions that he cannot do rounds with his OB patients.
Furthermore, on the night of my baby’s birth things were extremely hectic. Dr. Paul came to see me and said, «The sh*t really hit the fan.» I had to be the mature one and correct him by saying that we had noticed it got busy. I did not like profanity especially to describe my baby’s birth. Dr. Paul openly scoffs at women who seek a certain «experience» from child birth. Most women I know aren’t having babies to get any type of experience. They simply want to be respected as human beings.
The best test for any OB is whether a patient would return to the practice for another delivery. I would choose another doctor who shares a practice with other doctors. If you are already a patient with Dr. Paul and would like the best chance at vaginal delivery and breastfeeding, I would recommend hiring a doula ASAP. You can write up a birth plan and discuss your preferences with the doctor, but your concerns will be easily brushed aside unless you have a doula in the room.

I went to Dr. Michael for a pre-​pregnancy consultation. I chose him because he specializes in high risk pregnancies. I am so grateful I found him. He is very caring and personable. I highly recommend him!