It’s no mystery that you have your pick of qualified obstetricians and gynecologists in the Bellevue area, so what makes us feel the team here at Overlake are “the ones?” Well, only you can actually make that distinction, but we’re sure hoping you’ll give us an opportunity to show you.
What it really boils down to is, “what are you looking for from your OB/GYN?”
Looking for The Best Ob/Gyn?
We offer a tremendous amount of experience, passion and wisdom between our dedicated doctors, midwives, nurses and staff.
We’re proud of the fact that four of our eight MDs have been with us for multiple decades. Even the ‘baby’ of the Overlake MD family has been here for almost six years, and she was hired directly after completing her residency program at Maine Medical Center (where she received the “Resident of the Year” award during her final year). Several of our doctors have been named Seattle Magazine’s Top Docs over the years as well.
Our obstetricians practice in partnership with midwives
Long before medical schools got involved with the natural cycles of female reproduction, midwives were at the proverbial helm. Thousands of years of knowledge and experience have passed down through generations and cultures, and that encyclopedia of learning – combined with modern medicine’s discoveries – yields a powerful wisdom body that we enjoy tapping into whenever our clients request the assistance of midwives.
Our own, licensed nurse midwife is on staff, and our obstetricians are also happy to partner with any of the qualified midwives practicing here in the Bellevue area. If you want a midwife by your side when you give birth, we’ll make sure that happens and our doctors will step into the background, ready to assist in the rare cases that things don’t go quite as planned.
Contrary to what the cultural norm advertises, midwives work with women of all ages – not just pregnant women or those in labor. Midwives know that female well-being depends on a healthy self-image, confidence and an educated foundation when it comes to a woman’s own reproductive system. Our midwives support the development of healthy, happy and empowered women who are informed about their reproductive selves – regardless of whether they choose to have children of their own.
We have a whole-woman approach to female reproductive health
While it’s true that we’re passionate about pregnancy and babies, we’re committed to what we consider as a whole-woman approach.
During the early adolescent and teenage years
That approach begins when young women are just blossoming into the first beginnings of puberty. We prefer to see patients for their first well-woman checkup soon after their first period and/or before they’re sexually active. That way, we can get to know them, perform a very gentle, clothes-on, pelvic exam and teach them about their anatomy, their bodies and puberty in a non-threatening way. Any confusion or anecdotal falsehoods can be cleared up, and we like to have conversations early and often about safe, empowered, informed and consensual sexuality – as well as birth control options.
On through the teenage and early 20s
The lifestyle of women in their later teenage years and into the 20s is much different than that of even a couple decades ago. Women are waiting longer to get married and have children, and that means they have a stronger need for proactive pelvic health, information about birth control, and clear information about the risks and benefits of non-monogamous partnership. We like to screen sexually active patients to catch STDs or pelvic inflammatory disease early on – preventing cumulative harm that could affect future pelvic and reproductive health.
Young women need to know that absolutely everything they feel, fear, question, wonder and choose to experience is completely normal, and they need a place where they can share safely, ask safely, and get accurate information that is compassionately delivered. Our patients find that here at Overlake.
The reproductive years
Whether you choose to have children or not, there is a lot going on in the pelvic area during your reproductive years. Are periods normal or aren’t they? Are you having lots of sex or are you never in the mood the way you want to be? Are you planning on getting pregnant? Are you done getting pregnant? Are you scared to death of getting pregnant?
We’re there to provide answers and field concerns no matter where you stand on the childbearing spectrum. If you are planning to get pregnant – we’ll be here to support you as you get your body in good reproductive shape and to facilitate a healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum experience. Otherwise, we’ll see you each year – or more often if there’s a concern – to keep things moving forward in a healthy direction.
Approaching menopause and beyond
The transition from fertile woman to the wise, post-menopausal version is not always easy. Above and beyond the physical issues that may or may not affect you, there is work to be done in the mental emotional realm too.
Our team is here to ease your transition in every way we can. From natural and hormone-based therapies, to diet and lifestyle recommendations that keep you feeling younger, more vibrant and healthy – we look forward to showing you how great the silver and golden years can truly be.
Looking for an OB/GYN that is on your side and places your health and well-being above all else? Schedule a consultation with the team at Overlake. We look forward to meeting you and showing you what compassionate, women-centric care can look and feel like.