Dr Harracksingh oversaw my pregnancy, attended my (natural, unmedicated) birth, and has taken care of my postpartum care. I would recommend her without hesitation.
If you look at the other reviews here, most - but not all - are commenting on the doctor's office and how it's run. They have a point. More on that later.
Dr. Harracksingh herself was not raised in the US, so she does miss some of the social norms and can come off as very blunt or abrupt. She doesn't always use the ""softeners"" and disclaimers that American women usually pop into conversation. In my book, this is not the same as being dismissive or disrespectful! She is a deeply kind person with an engaging sense of humor. So many of us have encountered OBs who will charm you, agree to everything you say, promise you the moon - and then completely disregard your wishes, fail to keep you informed about your own care, and generally treat you like a cow in a hospital gown once you've signed on with them.
Dr. Harracksingh is the opposite of that. She listened to all of my hopes for how the birth would go and made them her goals as well. She was willing to go much further down the natural birth road than I was, in fact. For example, she has done water births and will let healthy patients go past 42 weeks with close, careful monitoring. However, she comes at medicine from a scientific, evidence-based perspective. She seemed very up to date on research and best practice.
Dr. H talked with me about my general health, not just the pregnancy, and really wanted me to be informed and to respect pregnancy and childbirth as something natural that I could do. It was the perfect approach for me.
On the day I went into labor, Dr. Harracksingh had just lost one of her own parents, literally hours before. She delayed her flight out of town to see me through the birth, even though I was a relatively new patient. My labor was slow to get started, but we had talked about how I wanted to avoid pitocin, and Dr. H did not even bring it up. (I asked, and she gave me a very careful, balanced view of the options. In the end I didn't need it.) She was warm and kind in a no-nonsense, upbeat way throughout my labor and delivery. I am grateful to her from the bottom of my heart.
....And now for the bad:
A good doctor is not always a good manager or a good boss, and Dr. Harracksingh's office has some problems.
First, I never waited less than half an hour on any visit. More than once, I waited close to an hour in the waiting room, and then another half-hour in the exam room.
The receptionists and staff were very dismissive and borderline rude on my first visit, to the point that they had me on the verge of tears (ah, pregnancy hormones). After a few appointments, I got to know them and they got to know me, and we warmed up to each other. They are actually very lovely women, but seemed like they had distanced themselves emotionally from their jobs.
The nurses were also lovely and encouraging and personable in the way that very good nurses are. However, twice I heard Dr. Harracksingh yelling at her nurses - being very harsh - where patients could easily hear. It was unprofessional and awkward. The nurses often seemed demoralized and upset, though they never took it out on patients.
In short, the office is disorganized, and there seems to be a lot of bad blood between the doctor and her employees. It can be frustrating and uncomfortable for patients to be in the middle of that environment, and a waste of their time as well.
To sum up: Dr. Harracksingh is a great doctor, especially if you want a VBAC or a natural childbirth. However, if you are taking time off in the middle of the work day for regular appointments, her office probably just isn't going to work for you.
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