Dr. Christina Sebestyen, OBGYN North

OBGYN north is not what I expected from a midwife practice! I am a new doula to town and my client recently delivered with Dr. Sebestyen's practice. I had heard great things about Dr. Sebastyen, but in fact neither I, nor my client actually ever met with her throughout the pregnancy. The most alarming was the way the office staff treated my patient while she was in labor before being admitted to labor and delivery. We came into the clinic during busy buisness hours to get a labor check, and the office staff was extremely non attentive, seemed annoyed in fact! My client was contracting every 4-5 minutes, having to breathe through contractions and experiencing back pain. The office staff told us we would have to sit in the waiting room until an exam room opened up. My client, unable to sit in the small chairs due to her discomfort, began using the side of the front desk and walls to lean over and breathe through each contraction. The receptionist quickly asked me to take her out in the hall as we were disturbing the waiting area. After waiting for 45 minutes to be seen, I asked the receptionist how soon we could get back into a room. She sharply said they were ""very busy"" and she was a first time mom so ""we have all day"". Although it is common for first time mothers to have longer labors, the wait created anxiety and stress in my patient. She began to cry saying she did not feel she was being made a priority. We were finally seen by one of the midwives an hour and a half after arriving. I strongly feel that the office staff is the first impression of a practice, and their attitude reflects the overall philosophy of the group. The care was not warm nor compassionate and felt much more like an OBGYN practice than a midwife group. I felt my patient was treated more like a number than a person! more

Delete your WHOLE facebook page so people couldn't see your filthy act? GUILTYGUILTYGUILTYGUILTY. more

I am due in two weeks. more

I love the doctors at OBGYN North but I'm not a fan of the front office staff. Every time I call no matter what time a day I'm always put on hold immediately & not for a couple minutes I'm talking at least 5min+. Several times I've had to hang up & call back later that day only to have it happen again. There is always a long wait so be prepared to wait long after your appointment time. My previous doctor's office ran like clockwork & was very organized so it's especially frustrating dealing with the disorganization of this office. It seems chaotic every time I'm there and since I'm pregnant I'm there very often unfortunately. Great doctors- Poor Service more

Horrible experience, will never go back. I was a few minutes late, the woman at the front desk said, ""its OK, she's running 'a few' minutes late."" I WAITED AN HOUR. And then left. How completely disrespectful. Horrible. more

I delivered both of my children under the care of OBGYN North. First, let me preface by saying that I was very close to choosing to birth my babies at home under the care of a midwife, but my husband and I decided it would be in our best interest to have a hospital birth. We chose OBGYN North because midwives are allowed to assist in births at NAMC, and also because this practice is known for taking a natural approach to childbirth. I had a great experience under their care for the pregnancy and birth of my first child. I delivered my first baby within 15 minutes of arriving at the hospital. However, I was disappointed when I went in for my 6 week follow up and the midwife who DELIVERED my first child asked me who assisted at the delivery. Ummm....you!?!? Remember, I'm the one that nearly had my baby on Mopac?? It always seemed like the midwives would take as long as needed to talk during my first pregnancy. I fondly remember a certain midwife asking my husband if he wanted to find the baby's heartbeat. She also rubbed body butter on my stomach instead of that white goo that is typically used. I also remember I was having a bad day and my blood pressure was much higher than normal at my appointment. Dr. Campaign took the time to talk to me, make sure everything was going okay in my world, and give me a hug Unfortunately, I did not get the same impression during my second pregnancy and appointments usually felt rushed. Their was even one time that I was left in a room (in a hospital gown!) for close to an hour because the midwife did not know I was in there. During the last trimester of my second pregnancy, I brought my birth plan to an appointment and discussed it with Dr. Sebestyen. I was told that I would be allowed to eat and drink freely during labor and that I would not be rushed with any artificial procedures. I also reminded her that I had a very fast labor and delivery with my first child. When I went into labor, I arrived at the hospital with contractions 3 minutes apart and 6 cm dilated. Dr. Sebestyen was the physician on call during that time. She came in to check on me twice during labor, and both times she pressured me to break the bag of waters and rupture the membranes. I never understood why because labor was progressing fairly quickly. I was also told that I was only allowed cleared liquids during labor. After she left the room, labor progressed very quickly and I was ready to push within a couple hours. The nurse was not able to get a hold of her! Dr. Sebestyen was in a file room somewhere in the hospital and Lisa (another midwife at the practice) had to run across the street from OBGYN North to deliver my baby. Nothing makes a laboring woman more upset than being told to wait when she is ready to push! I found that to be unprofessional. But I was actually pretty happy to see Lisa's face! She is so sweet and even though I knew she was in a hurry to get back (because she wasn't supposed to be there!), she stayed for a bit and let me take pictures of her with my son. My 6 week up check up was with her, and she was great. I do like the face that I was allowed a heploc instead of an IV, so that I was able to freely move around and get in the shower during labor. I'm not sure if that is the hospital's doing or OBGYN North. On a side note, the sonographer is terrible! She is impatient and basically ignored my questions each time I saw her. I would always walk out of the sonography room with high blood pressure. more

I have been going to this office for 10 years and I am really disappointed. I have lived in the same house, with the same phone number and yet the staff can't seem to hold on to my health information. The biggest trouble is my prescription. I have been taking the same prescription for 8 years and yet they cannot give the pharmacist the proper directions for dispensing refills. Every time I go to my pharmacist, the same pharmacist for 10 years, he says that they will have to fax my provider before they can dispense a refill. This has happened at least four times and I am feeling very put out. Each time this occurs I talk to the pharmacists asst. first, then the pharmacist, then the Dr. Sebastian's pharmacy voice mail, then Dr. Sebestyen's appointment scheduler, then Dr. Sebestyen's nurses assistant, then the nurse and later, Dr. Sebestyen or her RN in person. They always assure me that there will be no trouble getting my prescription refilled this time and yet, again and again and again no prescription, no apologies, no resolution. If they can't get an 8 year old prescription right, what else are they getting wrong? If they can't hold on to my medication information, what other health information are they losing track of? I am very discouraged with this group of providers. more

They got my expected delivery date wrong. Dr. Darby's paperwork said the 25th, and they kept saying the 26th! Be careful, too, because even though your insurance may change, they will still use companies and labs that your insurance may not cover. With them, it's up to you to keep up with who they're using for your labs, etc. *As an aside, the possessive form of ""its""does not have an apostrophe.* more

OBGYN North is a wonderful medical practice. I have been a patient with this group for almost 4 years, including appointments for routine exams and, recently, the birth of my second child. The OBs, midwives, nurses, and front desk staff are all professional, warm, and friendly. I look forward to each appointment and always have positive exchanges with each person I talk to. I love the collaborative model used by this practice ? it eliminates any concern about who will be at the birth of your child because you are familiar with each provider and know that they all follow the same practice standards and share the same philosophy regarding labor and birth. My 4-year-old was with me for most of my prenatal appointments and they always made him feel welcome and involved at each visit ? a wonderful thing as he was getting used to the idea of becoming a big brother. This is one of the most on-time medical practices I have been to. During the past 9 months of prenatal appointments, I was only kept waiting very long one time (on that occasion, everyone was aware of and very apologetic for the delay) and I was actually seen a few minutes early for many of my appointments. I became a patient at OBGYN North because of it?s reputation as being supportive of natural birth. Their Labor and Delivery Practices and their monthly c-section rates are posted on their website ? both are refreshing to read and encouraging for any woman hoping to give birth without medical intervention in a hospital. They definitely lived up to their reputation! Thanks to OBGYN North, I gave birth to my son without drugs or other interventions. I felt supported and encouraged to trust my body throughout my pregnancy, labor, and birth ? I believe that this supportive attitude was crucial to me having such a perfect labor and birth. more

Overall, I will say this practice is awesome. I've had a great experience with both of my pregnancies thanks to the obs and midwives here, and with this pregnancy, I hope to have a VBAC. Luckily, this practice is very VBAC-friendly and I know my odds are very good here vs. many traditional OB offices. My only complaints would have to be about the front desk customer service and the sonographer. After I found out the morning of my ultrasound that the sonographer didn't do this type of ultrasound, I decided to do all future ultrasounds upstairs in Dr. Darby's office. I couldn't believe that scheduling didn't let me know until the morning of, when I had already arranged for a babysitter and my husband had taken off work. Anyway, I still think overall this is a great office. Yes, there are some long wait times, but that's to be expected with an OB's office. I've never had any of the providers make me feel poorly for asking questions and wanting to be involved in my pregnancy. They have all been supportive. more

I'm not one to complain much, but I tell you - these people take for granted that they're the only obgyn practice with midwives allowed to birth in hospitals because their customer service stinks. They are snarky and condescending and laugh at their clients. Pretty much all of the staff that I saw, I witnessed talking down to other customers or they talked down to me. Instead of taking complaining clients into another or back room, they argue with them out in the open for those in the waiting room to hear. Listening to it made me uncomfortable. Not everyone enjoys drama.. Allowing clients to vent and voice their concerns with an open ear and not take it personally is an important part of running a business. They ALL (except Dr. Sebestyen) need a seminar in customer service skills, most especially the blond-haired woman who works up front as office manager possibly or in billing & insurance (unsure). Needless to say, I wasn't blown away. They're too big for their britches in attitude and ability to see clients in a timely manner. (Their wait-times can be as long as almost an hour.) And I believe the only reason they are as popular as they are is because the midwives are allowed to birth at North Austin Medical Center more

The staff is so rude and condescending that I almost walked out before my first appointment. I mean they were rolling their eyes to my questions and huffing when I simply asked which blood tests will be taken on my first visit. The front staff also left me sitting for about 45 minutes at an 8a.m. appointment without stating the doctor will see you in a bit or we are all done with your paper work you can sit over there- nothing! just let's take your photo now sit down so we can discuss our group trip to San Antonio. I felt as if I was interfering with their personal conversations. When I had my blood pressure checked it was higher than it had been my entire life! I see other negative comments about the staff and I don't understand in this job market why they can't find friendly employees who are excited to work in such a dynamic practice. It's sad to see the reputation of the business decline due to staffing issues after all Dr. Sebestyen has worked for in Austin. more

If there was a zero star that would be more appropriate. This is a practice that is doomed to fail due their unqualified and rude staff. more

I'm a long time patient here coming to this practice for many years. Dr. Sebestyen and Lisa are absolutely wonderful and professional, but not other providers at this place. Dr. Campaign is inexperienced. Other midwives are just OK, not very interested in listening to patients problems or explaining. Among them all, the sonogram specialist is the worst that we ever seen, impatient, unprofessional, not detailed, careless and rude. Glad to find out that I'm not the first and the only one had a serious problem with the sonogram lady. more

I had my first child with another, very popular practice in Austin. What I didn't know before the birth was that this practice is widely known for having a very high c-section rate, and low and behold, that is what I ended up with. I had a difficult recovery, and when this practice denied me the chance for a VBAC with my second pregnancy, I found OBGYN North. I loved everyone there, but especially clicked with Dr. Campaigne. They were always willing to listen to my questions and give me honest answers. I was able to labor without an IV, using a mobile continuous monitoring system, and with as much movement as I needed. My VBAC was an amazing experience, and I recommend OBGYN North to all of my friends! Pros: Supportive doctors and midwives more

Obviously the group gets rave reviews by some women, I guess it depends on what you consider ""natural"". Pros: some of the staff is very nice.... Cons: rude ultrasound tech, pushy about procedures more

I moved to Austin a little over ago & was looking for an all female staff. I found that at OB/GYN north. Pros: Dr. Sebestyen!! Cons: Lack of professionalism among staff more

After searching around town for the best OBGYN with midwives, we chose this practice, and we are certainly glad we did! The first impression when entering the office was that the practice was geared toward younger moms (with the upbeat music and laid back atmosphere). All that aside, our experience with Dr. Sebestyen and team was absolutely perfect. From the very beginning, we were given all the information needed to assure a stress-free pregnancy. But the main plus about this team is their bedside manner. Every single woman in this practice is knowledgeable, kind, and definitely goes out of her way to make mom feel cared for. We were lucky enough to have Dr. Sebastyen during delivery. What a blessing! She was patient, energetic, and loving throughout the final stages of labor. I couldn't imagine having a better doctor by your side. She was calm and collected when labor became drawn out and suction was required to bring our little girl into the world. All I can say is -- If you are looking for an all-woman practice that doesn't just treat you like another number, you won't be disappointed. Everyone, including front staff, is always courteous and kind. I really don't understand the bad reviews on this site. I suppose some people are unrealistically idealistic. We are idealistic as well, and nonetheless were extremely happy with OBGYN North. Pros: Knowledgable, kind, caring, attentive, short office waits more

I have been going to this practice for over 7 years. Dr. Sebesteyn delivered my first child and everything went great!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Lisa!!!! I wouldn't go anywhere else for the pure fact Lisa and Dr. Sebesteyn are amazing! I even had a great expierence with my ultrasound. I read several reviews that were very unhappy with her but I found her to very sweet and professional. HOWEVER........... the front desk staff is so rude! I have talked with a couple of the nurses about it and hope this problem can be fixed. It's really just the two front girls. When you sign in and when you sign out. I lucked out the other day because the girl that usually checks me out was using the restroom so I got this very sweet blonde to help me. She was great! I wish that she was there all of the time! I love this practice and will NEVER change but I just wish that they would change some things with the front. Pros: Love the Doctors and Nurses Cons: Front staff is rude more

I had so many problems with this place that there is not enough room to write about each one. OBGYN North is not for everyone. If you have bad experiences from the get go, run the other direction. It will get worse. I chose Austin Area Birthing Center for my first child but was transferred to St. David's during labor. With my second child I chose OBGYN North because I wanted to experience the care of midwives practicing under a physician in case I had complications. I was hoping to find the same warmth and compassion of AABC, but this was not the case. If you are looking for a special and personalized experience and want a natural birth, stick with AABC or have a home birth. If you want a hospital birth that will respect your wishes for a natural labor, find a different physician. There are plenty of savvy OB's that will value your birth plan and provide you with a caring environment. I will say however, that I did like their method of induction, using a foley catheter. I am also grateful for the safe delivery of my baby. My daughter was face up and had her chord looped twice around her neck so I had a difficult time pushing her out. Her heart rate dropped and spiked and I was scared. Dr. Sebestyen's bedside manner during delivery left much to desire and at times she came off as rude and annoyed instead of caring and concerned. I had to work very hard to not let her behavior drag me down when pushing. As soon as she stitched up my episiotomy, she scurried out of the room. I had to stop her in her tracks just to thank her. While my family was celebrating and thanking her, she was rude, sour faced and pouty. She ran off in a hurry but took the time to play hall monitor and kick my family members out of the hall way. It was all very odd. I understand she is busy but at least a smile and some eye contact would have been nice. On top of all that, her stitch job is lop sided and I now affectionately refer to my vagina as the ""Lauren Hutton"" because the opening looks like a gap tooth smile. I received a mediolateral episiotomy which has been extremely painful and difficult to heal from. I still am not sure why she chose that type of cut. Was it because I complained about her staff? I joke. I feel certain Dr. Sebestyen gave me such a deep cut in order to deliver my baby safely. I am lucky I did not have a c-section, and am truly grateful Dr. Sebestyen worked so hard to make sure our daughter made it into this world. Any doctor would make that their number one priority, so for that I give her credit. But, there are plenty of physicians that take their care to the next level and that is what makes a physician truly special. I never returned to OBGYN North for post partum care. Every time I walked into that office I'd feel sick to my stomach wondering what was going to go wrong next. So, I have avoided returning and was considering finding a new physician. I had not made up my mind, but yesterday I received a certified letter in the mail stating that Sebestyen has discharged me as a patient due to an altercation I had with her office manager back in February. I guess she made up my mind for me. How petty. It was hurtful and unnecessary to receive that letter. All it did was show me that my instincts were right, and Christina Sebestyen has some serious issues. If you do continue as a patient under her care, learn from my experience and NEVER complain about her staff or she will discharge you as a patient before delivery. Or, as in my case, she'll take your money with a smile then send you the letter after delivering your baby. Long term relationships with patients must not be a priority for her. All in all, this place is NOT for everyone and if you have a hunch you can do better with another provider then you can and will do better in someone else's care. This whole discharging of patients is a lazy way of dealing with conflict. more