I first visited Dr. Khilnani on the recommendation of a friend. I'll admit: I was not sold immediately; I sort of look for an "authority figure" type in a doctor and she has more of a "girlfriend" bedside manner. But as my pregnancy progressed it became apparent that she knows her stuff, that she will knock heads together at the hospital to get your needs met, and that she is totally, personally invested in your and your baby's health. Once I trusted her with everything, we could speak in shorthand, she would chew me out if I didn't do something I was supposed to and I had total confidence she would get us through.
I'm pretty nutty-crunchy and leery of having some kind of thalidomide baby, and she is sympathetic and can talk the hippie talk with me but she will also spell out the pros and cons of medication versus being a martyr unnecessarily (e.g. if you're puking too much to gain weight, you're not actually doing your baby any favors) and changed my heartburny life.
[Edited to add: I've read the negative reviews, and, without knowing anything about what happened, I get a sense of the dynamic. Look, we all take the birthing class that scares us with tales of doctors who are eager to medicate, induce, cut you open. That is not Dr. K. She calls herself "a midwife who can perform surgery," and, sure enough, she got both my babies out with no tearing despite my almost total failure to perform any of the recommended massage regimen. And she is a true professional. My first child was born with the cord wrapped around her neck and my husband started freaking out. Dr. K never changed her poker face, just shwpppt, pulled it over and continued with business, no drama, no harm.
But yes, she has definite opinions about some of the more extreme attempts by women to stick to a birth plan at all costs, for example, and will express herself if she thinks your woo-woo ideas could threaten the health or safety of you or your child. But isn't that what you want? You go to a birthing class and read a bunch of books or worse, the internet. She went to medical school. Sure, we all see the video with the orgasmic birth experience, and wouldn't that be great if that's how it goes for you, but if you insist (true example) on laboring for FIVE DAYS after your water breaks she would probably slap some sense into you. If she errs on the side of being too conservative I can't see that as a flaw. She steered me away from jogging in the first trimester, for example, but as far as I'm concerned, I've got eighteen plus years to ruin my kids' lives. She's just not going to let me do it under her watch.]
Anyway, she was the second person I called after I saw the pee stick second time around, and I will definitely be on the Khilnani train for any future kids.
Also, her staff (Evette) is incredibly friendly, discreet and professional. The office is easy to get to, but beware taking 101 at around 4 pm. Traffic is murder. read more