Dr. Christina Sebestyen, OBGYN

I worked with Dr. Sebestyen's practice, and Dr. Campaigne (her partner) ultimately was the dr.
there with me when I delivered. I had a WONDERFUL VBAC experience. My first labor was 27 hours, extremely intense back labor for the majority, 3 hours of pushing with no progress, all with a doula and a photographer by my side, and still I had a c-section, reluctantly. My first child was OT/OP and that is a position that made it impossible for him to come out, in my case. I wasn't sure how my second labor and delivery would go, but it was 100% different.
I am SOOOOO glad I switched practices to Dr. Sebestyen's. They do VBACs all the time, and use caution in doing them. I was monitored constantly, but the mobile monitoring allowed me to move, walk, etc. With this (second) delivery, I had light contractions until about 2 hours before giving birth and only pushed for 45 minutes. (What a difference!!!!) I had NO drugs, and the experience was so wonderful, I cannot even describe it! I attribute it to the patience that the doctors and the midwives had with me, my comfort that they were monitoring me and my baby the entire time so I didn't have to worry, and my second child's's position, which was in no one's control.
I know what a big decision it is to choose VBAC or c-section. I had major complications after my c-section (my incision opened and I needed care twice daily to pack my wound. Disgusting, and probably too much info.) But really, c-sections are not without risk- it is major surgery. I felt amazing very soon after my second birth, with no complications and a healthy uterus (no, it did not rupture!). Funny though, I wasn't sure the whole VBAC thing would pan out until my second child was actually coming out. I left the possibility open that I could be whisked in for emergency surgery, if necessary, even up to the last minute. I had to be realistic that there were risks, but that if the doctors were monitoring them, I could focus on relaxing and letting things happen as nature and all else intended.
If you become serious about a VBAC, I would highly recommend you schedule an appt with Dr. Sebestyen or Dr. Campaign so that you can meet with a doctor who truly believes in them. I was given lip service from a lot of doctors, but the underlying message was always that I was taking an enormous risk, and it was an irresponsible choice. I don't believe I did.
I would never have done it if I thought I was. I believe that the doctors who coach you this way are not the ones who feel confident to actually handle this situation, and that maybe, in fact, it would be riskier with them because they are not accustom to handling them. Just my thoughts. I am surrounded by friends who had 2nd c-sections recently (same age
children as mine basically). Most of them feel completely at peace with their decision, and are amazed and excited for me that I was able to have the birth I always wanted. On the other hand, I have many friends who have had successful VBACs (some even at
home- more risk than I wanted to take), but they feel so triumphant about their outcome. I think the basic feeling is that when making our decision, we knew it wasn't totally in our hands, but we wanted a doctor or midwife who would honestly and respectfully listen to us, and give us an honest try at a VBAC.

Posted 12/13/09

I agree with another review posted below...I really wanted to like this place. Dr. Campaign is incredible, as is Lisa however, Kathy Harrison was the most insensitive women I've ever met. My husband and I had several scares that we were going to miscarry, each time the nurses and front office staff insisted that we come in immediately. However, when we were see by Kathy or the woman who does sonograms they were short and rude. The woman who completed our sonograms even complained to me that she had already been working eight hours and was annoyed that we came in.

Pros: Their philosophy

Cons: Standard of care

Posted 10/20/09

After having a traumatic birth experience that resulted in a c-section at Seton with my 1st child I was nervous when my husband and I decided to have a 2nd. I was afraid of OBGYNs and the apparent belief that birth is ALWAYS a medical event in need of medical intervention. I initially went to the same OBGYN and mentioned that I wanted to try for a VBAC. I was told I could try but scared into thinking I was a bad parent b/c of the risk involved. That is when I started looking for a new OBGYN. I spoke with labor and delivery nurses at all the major hospitals in Austin for recommendations and learned that North Austin Medical Center is the only hospital in Austin that allows midwifes to attend births and that Dr. Sebestyans hard work and belief that birth is a natural process is the reason for this change. Nurse after nurse complimented Dr. Sebestyan, Dr. Champaigne and the 3 midwives that work with them (Lisa, Liane and Kathy). SAFETY WAS MY #1 CONCERN, BUT I ALSO WANTED A NATURAL PEACEFUL DELIVERY. I wanted the best of both worlds which meant I needed to be in a hospital in case of VBAC complications! This office is the only office I found where I could get the best of both worlds. When I went into labor, Lisa (one of the amazing midwifes) was with me throughout the process and we delivered a healthy baby girl 100% naturally (no medical intervention, no epidural, no pressuring me to speed up the process). I felt safe that I was in a hospital, but I also had the support and guidance of a team of professionals that TRULY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY supported my desire for a natural birth. I trusted the women at this practice so much, I would have gladly chosen a repeat c-section if this is what they recommended to me. Instead, they assisted and supported me through a completely natural and successful VBAC. The birth of my 2nd daughter with this practice renewed my faith in the medical profession and in myself as a powerful birthing capable woman!

Pros: YOU CAN HAVE HOME BIRTH EXPERIENCE IN HOSPITAL

Posted 09/17/09

When I found out I was pregnant I did a lot of research on top doctors in Austin, I was given the names of several well known practices in the Austin area and met with them to discuss their philosophy around pregnancy, delivery and labor. After my consultations, I was surprised that Austin had so few doctors that supported my hope of having a natural labor. After meeting Dr. Sebestyen, I felt so releaved to find someone who was open to allowing me to to do what felt right during my labor as long as my baby and I were healthy. I got to know everyone in the practice very well and felt releaved that they all share the same philosophy. Lisa Carlile delivered my baby this past January and I could not have been happier with the labor and delivery. I felt 100% supported and never felt pressured to use interventions, I was actually the one to request an epidural towards the end of the labor and Lisa and the staff at St. Davids North was very supportive of my decision and did not belittle me or make me feel bad about my decision. I am happy to say that this practice is for anyone who wants to feel in control of their bodies during delivery regardless if they are wanting a natural birth or have the help of medical intervetions.

Pros: Knowledgable, Compassionate Staff

Cons: None

Posted 08/20/09

I debated for some time about my prenatal care and could not decide between a birthing center or my OBGYN. I had been to Dr. Sebestyen and Campaigne's office once previously for my annual but saw a midwife, not the doctors. I knew very little about them. When I found out I was pregnant I set up an appointment with them as well as the birthing center. Unexpectedly I had to be seen before my scheduled appointment and unfortunately found out I had lost my pregnancy. I saw Dr. Campaigne the day of the ultrasound and she was AMAZING. She is hands down the most sincere, compassionate, and kind doctor I have every encountered. She also performed my d&c at the hospital and was so kind. I felt like she treated me like a friend, not a patient. I now know that for my next pregnancy there will not be a debate between Dr. Sebestyen and Campaigne and a birthing center - I feel completely comfortable with their practice.

The only complaint I have is the front desk staff. I have noticed they are training someone new, who seems very sweet, but there is a shorter hispanic woman who is SO rude every time I go. I caught her rolling her eyes at me twice the other day and when I asked her a question, she just grunted and never made eye contact. I had JUST signed in and went back up to the clipboard to ask a billing question and she looked at me like she had no clue who I was and just said 'who are you?' very rudely and I pointed to my name on the clip board and cheerfully said 'that's me!' and she looked at me like I had just said something awful? It's just a shame to have something like that ruin your experience at a great practice.

Pros: Incredibly compassionate and caring

Cons: Rude front desk staff

Posted 07/28/09

This was my 2nd delivery, the first delivery with this group. My first labor I didn't know what to expect, and was much less educated about what was happening, and trusted my doctor completely to make the best decisions for me. The first labor was very long and I had lots of pitocin and consequently, had to have an epidural very early. I was not given a chance for my body to labor on its own, but I did not know better. I also had an episiotomy, which I did not want (and looking back did not need.) I was with another group (who is highly regarded and rated on here) who believes in a lot of "medical" intervention. They induce and use pitocin too freely and think that a woman heals better from an episiotomy, than a tear. Let me tell you, I switched to Dr. Sebestyens office for these reasons. They will listen to you, they know their facts about medical intervention, and when it is neccesary, and they believe and support a woman's ability to allow her body to do what it was meant to do, with as little medical intervention as possible. My labor was a third (length of time) of what it was the first time, I had a small tear, that I healed beautifully and quickly from. And, they did not push anything on me. It was a wonderful experience and this group is the reason why. They truly understand what a woman's body is capable of, and what is the best for it. I would recommend them to anyone. I truly felt like they cared about my birth plan and they made me feel confident going into the labor and delivery.

Pros: Great doctors and midwives

Posted 06/02/09

I went to Dr. Thompson when she owned the practice and decided to stay when I heard that midwives would deliver babies now. During my pregnancy I was shocked at how bad the front office was, rude, argumentive, and then some creeping guy that works there gets involved and pretends to solve what ever problem. I have to admire the effort to get midwives in hospitals, but a hospital is still a hospital. . They encourage "natural" childbirth, but what they really mean is no pain medication.There's nothing natural about having an IV and constant fetal monitoring. I expressed concerns about natural childbirth at every single visit and towards the very end of my pregnancy they told me all of the standard interventions that they "have" to do because they deliver with midwives, doesn't that defeat the whole point? Declining any testing or procedures was met with great resistance and I can't stand being bullied into something. At the end of it all, I decided being hooked up to a bunch of machines in a hospital wasn't for me and I decided I didn't trust them enough to deliver my baby. I wish the practice great success, but I hope it becomes less about their careers and more about the care of women. All women have the right to make informed decisions about your healthcare and the birth of your child. You have the right to say no, don't let a hurried doctor tell you otherwise.

Pros: Some of the staff is great....

Cons: terrible front office, more med-wife than mid-wife

Posted 05/26/09

What made this pregnancy different from my first was the way Dr. Sebestyen, Dr. Campaigne, and the Nurse Midwives; Miller,Harrison-Short, and Carlie, communicated.

Communication and answering patients' questions completely is the key to a great Doctor/Patient relationship and OBGYN North did that.

Thank you very much for making me feel comfortable and able to trust you.

Posted 05/26/09

I have been going to this practice for a while. I have seen both doctors. They are knowledgeable, kind doctors and I love that they incorporate midwives in their practice.

Their staff, however, is often impatient, condescending, patronizing, and inefficient. Unfortunately, you see and deal with the staff far more than the doctors.

I have tried to talk to Dr. Sebestyen about this, but little seems to have changed.

I have a couple of colleagues that also went to this practice and had the same experience.There has been a pervasive lack of compassion and understanding with many members of the support staff. While I wish it didn't matter, it sets a tone for the visits that is unprofessional and uncaring. I wish these great doctors the best of luck in their practice, but until they seriously address their staff issues I am afraid these concerns will continue to be an issue.

Pros: Kind, smart doctors

Cons: Disorganized staff that seems to always be too busy to help

Posted 05/22/09

Here's a rundown of my experience at this practice...

April-June of 2008: Came in for a pre-conception consult/exam. Due to some concerns in my cycle, was sent for labwork. It took one week to get a return phonecall with my lab results, after repeated calls. I needed to repeat the labwork to confirm the results the following month, and, again, it took days to receive a phonecall regarding the results. Was given a possible diagnosis based on the labwork and referred to a fertility clinic.

July of 2008: Got Pregnant on our own before even seeing the fertility specialist! Based on the probable diagnosis from Dr Sebestyen, this should have not been possible. Requested labwork to confirm pregnancy was progressing as expected (HCG *AND* Progesterone).
Round one: It turned out the nurse forgot to order the progesterone, so I only got HCG results.
Round two: To see progress, I needed to return 48 hours later for the same test. This time the nurse forgot to fax the lab order to the lab. On the plus side, she remembered to order progesterone.
Round Three: I went back again 48 hours later for another draw. This time it was on a Friday. I made sure to call and remind the nurse to fax over the lab slip before I drove over.

Monday came and went without a call from the nurse. I left a voicemail requesting someone to call with the lab results but didn't hear back. That evening I began to miscarry.

Tuesday I called first thing, and the nurse apologetically explained that they thought someone had already contacted me to let me know I was going to miscarry. Nope! I came in that day in tears (hormones) and had to wait for about 20 minutes in the waiting room, crying. The nurse midwife who saw me seemed somewhat clueless and awkward. She ordered more labwork, which happened to be very time-critical, since depending on the result, I might need to receive a Rhogam injection. She promised I would be called ASAP with the results to let me know if I needed to return.

Guess what? NO PHONE CALL! I had to call them to ask if it had come in. We had to rush over to get the injection before the office closed.

Two weeks later I had a question for the nurse and called in. She asked if I had been seen for my two-week followup appointment. As a matter of fact, no, I hadn't, because I was never told I needed to schedule it. !!! They were able to fit me in the next day. sigh.

This time, I saw a different nurse midwife who was very compassionate, knowledgeable and professional.

My time using this practice was done, though. There was no way I was going to trust another pregnancy to such incompetent staff.

I found another doctor, a solo practice. I was able to schedule an appointment right away. He took one look at my chart and said that there's no indication that I had the infertility condition Dr Sebestyen suspected. He found no signs of it in my labwork or basal body temperature records I had been keeping. I could tell he was baffled at why she thought I had that condition.

I'm now pregnant again, and my new doctor's nursing staff calls me promptly with all lab results. I know that if I leave them a message by 4 PM I'll receive a call back the same day.

Dr Sebestyen is doing admirable work to promote natural labor and delivery in a hospital setting and advocating for nurse midwives attending hospital births. I give her credit for this. However, I believe she might be pulled in too many directions. She can't keep appointments on schedule, I would assume, because she takes on too many patients. She doesn't monitor the quality of care and performance of her nurses closely enough. She doesn't have a roadmap of standard care published for her nurses and nurse midwives to follow to ensure that no scheduled treatments are missed along the way, like my followup exam almost was. Before taking on the world, it's a good idea to first make sure your house is in order. When I was her patient, it was not.

Pros: Natural Childbirth and midwife delivery options

Cons: Horribly run practice, incompetent nursing staff

Posted 05/18/09

if you're looking for a place to have a natural child birth experience, where they are open to allowing you to birth almost as naturally as you would at home. this office is AWESOME. you'll love Dr. Sebestyen and Dr. Campaign. The staff is friendly and so are all the mid-wives. I had my second child here. and it was a totally different experience. wouldn't go anywhere else.

Pros: friendly staff, doctors are awesome,

Cons: didn't do good job of explaining cash payments

Posted 05/08/09

All the research indicates midwifery is the best model of care for healthy pregnant mothers and their babies. Finally Austin has the perfect combination of care for those who choose to birth in the hospital setting. My experience with this group as a birth doula has been fantastic. Every client has been treated with the greatest respect, and their wishes for their birth has been honored as fully as possible. Women are treated kindly, as individuals, and are included in their treatment and care decisions. What a breath of fresh air in Austin!

Pros: The only midwifery care in Austin hospitals!

Posted 04/24/09

Dr. Campaign the "other" doctor in Dr. Sebestyen's practice delivered our baby, as well as having many appointments with us. She, along with the entire staff at this office, are amazing. Dr. Campaign has the best bedside manner, was supportive of all of the pieces of our birthing plan (based on our learning from Bradley and Hypnobirthing classes) and advocated for us to have exactly the birth we wanted at the North Austin Medical Center. Having Dr. Campaign help me with the birth of my baby was like having my big sister at the end of my bed helping me along! She is amazing and i can't imagine a better practice ANYWHERE!

Pros: Great support of natural birthing; best beside manner

Cons: NONE

Posted 04/18/09

I transferred to Dr Sebestyen midway through my second pregnancy. I was looking for a naturalistic birth experience and was excited by the prospect of a midwife-assisted birth. Dr. Sebestyen was nice and supportive, as were the midwives in the practice. I delivered my daughter, unmedicated, and with very little intervention. The birth was everything I wanted. My overall experience was so frustrating, however, that I will not be returning to her office for my routine care.

Over the 14 weeks that I was her patient I had two appointments "lost." I showed up at the time I was told and was mysteriously not scheduled on that day ... or any other day that week. I never had this problem with my previous doctor and I do know how to make and keep an appointment. As I had left work to drive to far North Austin, I was quite frustrated. This was exacerbated by the fact that the administrative staff was rude and unhelpful.

Standard pregnancy-related tests (glucose tolerance and group B strep) were overlooked, forgotten, and/or late. On one appointment I was reprimanded by a nurse because I had not taken my glucose screen test. I had not been told I NEEDED to take the test! She said, "Oh. Well this is the last day you can take it so you need to go right now!" Well, it's a good thing my job was so understanding, because I ended up spending 4 hours running all over Austin to get to my appointment and then tested.

I went for my 6-week, post-delivery checkup with the delivering midwife. She and I chatted for a few minutes and then she asked who had performed the delivery and how the experience was. I looked at her for a moment and responded that SHE had, and I thought the experience was fine. Now I don't expect someone to remember every person in their practice, but at least glance at your patient's chart before walking in the exam room. Talk about lack of customer service. I know this is their job and delivering babies is mundane to them, but it was a pretty big deal to me and it would have been nice if she at least pretended to remember.

The fact that I generally had to wait 20-30 minutes past my appointment time to be seen was the final deciding factor. I will not be returning to Dr Sebestyen or her associates. I had virtually the same birth experience with my first daughter and I used a "mainstream" practice - Women Partners in Health. The key difference their is that my doctor knew me by name, on sight, and the office was a well-oiled machine. I felt like a valued patient as opposed to a cog in the wheel.

Pros: Doctor committed to naturalistic birth options

Cons: Staff - rude, disorganized, scattered

Posted 03/31/09

My wife choose Dr. Sebestyen for her OB through the pregnancy of our twins, and her office was phenomenal. Her practice has recently been supplemented by a wonderful new OBGYN, Dr. Campaigne, and the two of them make the office a true pleasure to visit. My wife had complications in her pregnancy, and Dr. Sebestyen did such a good job in not panicking us that we didn't even know it was an emergency until the next day and the babies were safe!

My only gripe with the office is the HORRIBLE front end staff. There's one front end clerk that is rude, abrasive, and complains about the scheduling every time my wife is trying to schedule her next appointments. Since she was a multiple birth and it was a high risk pregnancy, the doctors always wanted her to see only the doctors, not the midwives, and this person complained each time with rude comments supplementing her complains. When my wife scheduled her birth control procedure, the associate didn't schedule it correctly and my wife had to reschedule.

Aside from her front end staff, Dr. Sebestyen is one of the best doctors around! Highly recommended.

Pros: Very skilled doctor with great bedside manner and a welcoming environment in the office

Cons: Horrible individual working in the front of her office. Hopefully this will be resolved in the future!

Posted 03/11/09

I went to this office based on some recommendations from a local group. I had recently given birth and had a bad experience w/ my doctor trying to force medical interventions during my birth that ended up not being needed and it was very stressful. For my 2nd pregnancy I knew I want natural/drug free again without the fight. I saw Dr. S as well as her midwives and everyone was fabulous. I ended seeing the newest doctor--Dr. Campaign who I do not have enough positive words to review her. She is nothing short of amazing--she worked w/ me through some stressful points in my pregnancy and so I was thrilled when she showed up to delivery my child. She not only showed up to check on me, but she stayed after to make sure I did not have any complications that I did with my first delivery.

It was a night and day birthing experience and so relaxing to not have to write a birth plan or even think about one since they do it all naturally as policy. My labor was very short and recovery was super quick since they just let my body lead the process. I can go on and on but I love, love, love this office and you can't go wrong no matter who you see because I thought they were all fabulous.

The office staff seems a little disorganized and scheduling is backed up so I do recommend getting the first appts of the day to avoid a wait. It has improved a great deal since I first started going. I think the medical care you receive is top notch and the office staff is now average and not worse than you see at any other office.

Pros: Doctors and Midwives are top notch!

Cons: office staff and wait time.

Posted 12/17/08

I came to Dr. S after I decided I wanted a different experience in the event that my husband and I do have a second child, since my first labor left something to be desired. Her office staff was warm and welcoming, and my time with her (much longer than I've ever had with any gynecologist) was the best time I have ever spent on my health. She listened to my concerns and gave me recommendations to prepare me in case I do become pregnant again. She's proactive and smart and cares a lot about improving women's choices. Go to her if you are looking for the best.

Pros: Promotes choice in labor, midwives, not judgmental

Cons: None whatsoever

Posted 12/12/08

After a less than perfect birth experience with my first child, I decided midway thru my second pregnancy that I needed to find an OB that would better suit my needs and preferences. Wow! I loved every practitioner I saw and had an amazing birth. With my first pregnancy I felt like my OB and the nurses in L&D thought I was kidding when I said I wanted to have a natural birth and avoid all pain meds. I kept getting the patronizing "We've heard that before" type treatment. The first time I met Dr. Sebestyen I explained to her my previous experience and that I had managed to fight off the doctors and nurses and had an unmedicated birth, but that it had been a struggle to do so. She was supportive off the bat, and after meeting Dr. Campaigne and the midwives, I felt very comfortable that no matter who was on call when I went into labor I was going to get the type of birth I wanted. The front office was a little bit shaky when I first when in, but they have definitely ironed out all the wrinkles and operate with ease now! As I mentioned in the title, I felt compelled to not only give the midwife who delivered my son a gift, but also made fudge to take to them at my postpartum visit last week. I had never felt like taking a gift to any doctor I had seen before (and usually dread going), but these ladies go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and it shows. I have an appointment to go in next month for an IUD and I will be baking something for them then too!

Pros: Friendly, supportive professional staff.

Cons: Parking can sometimes be tough.

Posted 12/09/08

During my first pregnancy I changed from my existing OBGYN to Dr. Sebestyen's office after doing some research on the internet and finding that she supports natural childbirth, and used hypnobirthing herself. Dr. Sebestyen, her nurses, and the midwives employed by her office were all fabulous! I felt completely comfortable with each one and loved that my appointments were scheduled so that I would get to meet each person who may be attending my birth. Everyone in the office has a great bedside manner and operates with the highest level of professionalism. It turned out that my little one decided to come early and was in the breech position. Dr. Campaign performed my cesearan section with the highest level of skill and during her follow up visit with me in the hospital impressed me even further with her passion for her work. I have already recommended this practice to several people and my sister who is expecting her first child in April also has had very good experiences with Dr. Sebestyen's office as well!

Pros: support of natural childbirth, skilled professionals, midwifes attending births at hospital

Cons: waiting room time is unpredictable

Posted 10/27/08

Dr Sebestyn is a phenomenal doctor. She takes more time to listen to her patients, than any other doctor I have ever seen. She is thorough, intelligent and welcomes patient questions with thorough answers. I was not surprised to learn she attended Princeton - her ability to field questions shows how well trained and smart she is. This woman is a professional whom you would expect to find in a larger city like Houston or Dallas....she is a world class OB GYN right here in Austin.

I was so blown away by her, that I changed my OB GYN and now drive all the way from South Austin to her office in North Austin. I used to be with Women Partners in Health, which is a great outfit....however, after two serious goofs and oversights by the nurses and doctor....I had to switch. I don't expect those kids of problems with Dr. Sebestyn. This woman is pretty outstanding, and I look forward to delivering my second baby with her.

Pros: Thoughtful, caring, and smart

Cons: Admin staff does not put customer service first

Posted 09/04/08

She recently purchased the practice she's in now from the previous doctor, Dr. Thompson. She's in over her head. She's lost or fired most of her staff and nurses and the new ones are FAR too unsure of themselves to be concerned with the patients they're supposed to be caring for. We were brushed off, ignored, and generally forgotten by her staff for many weeks. When we approached Dr. Sebestyen about this she told us we'd "probably be better off going to another practice" and proceeded to complain for 5-10 minutes to us about her trials and tribulations of the past several months ... when all we did was say that her office staff was starting to overlook things.

Yep, one more time: we mentioned that the office staff was going to start bringing down the office and she told us to go to another doctor if that's how we felt. No apologies. No offers to fix it or even look into it. No acknowledgements. Just "go away".

We did. Couldn't be happier now. We also couldn't help but notice the waiting room was "thinning" over time with fewer and fewer patients showing up. No doubt due to her wonderful bedside manner and competent staff.

Pros: Natural birth and midwives; progressive care

Cons: Everything else. Office staff, bedside manner, excessive wait times, bad experience overall

Posted 08/14/08

I adore Dr. Sebestyen. She is the first ob/gyn I have had that has given me her utmost attention during our appointments. She is personable, friendly, calm, and and an absolute joy to talk to. She is young, has a child of her own, and supports the mother's birthing plans. I love the fact that she has made snacks and water available to pregnant moms. For one appt, I had my 5 yr old daughter with me, and Dr. S went out of her way to talk to her about the baby and we even did an impromptu ultrasound so that my daughter could see the baby. She was instrumental in working with the hospital to allow midwifes again and she has beefed up her staff so that someone from her office will be available 24/7 at the hospital for deliveries. I can't wait to have my baby in september!

Posted 08/13/08

Okay i had shown up to the hospital about two times with false labor when in walks the on call doctor who I now know god sent my way im not trying to sound corny but after not being able to find a ins company that would take a pre-existing preg, i had to take emergemcy medicaid. well as soon as i confessed that my appointed doc was horrible and barely knew my name she told me to switch to her because she wanted to help. well just to have a doc who didnt talk down to me and took time to get to know me was just shocking. soon after i had to leave her because my ins changed. well know i had the oppurtunity to go to her again when i switched jobs and i cant believe im this excited about something most women dread.(pap smear). and believe me ive done reseach and shes the best !!!!!!

Posted 07/21/08

I had the most horrible experience with her. She was unprofessional, was completely off with diagnosing me and scared me unnecessarily. Then she went on with her mis-diagnosis and caused unnecessary and possibly irreversible damage to my uterus lining through overly aggressive surgical procedure.
If you want to be certain you are getting the best care - don't go there. She is relatively young and probably inexperienced with surgery. I am still paying the price for letting her perform surgery on me and may never restore my fertility - be warned.

Cons: ruined my life

Posted 07/15/08

Dr. Sebestyn is the only OBGYN in town to see if you are a thinking woman who has some opinions of her own about child birth. I've found that since Austin lost midwives in hospitals, the four OBGYNs I visited with before meeting Dr. Sebestyn truly believe you need medical intervention to have a baby.

After complications with my last childbirth, I was startled at the complete lack of support and COMPASSION of the doctors in this profession UNTIL I met Christina Sebestyen. She supports a woman through the entire experience. She came to my aid as an ally and friend from our very first visit.

She is in a league of her own; this is what it is like to have a doctor who is truly a PARTNER and not a DICTATOR in YOUR health and welfare.

Your lucky to find her. :)

Posted 07/07/08

Dr. Sebestyen is absolutely amazing! Somehow the moons aligned for me, moving to texas in my 2nd trimester I thought it would be impossible to find a supportive of natural child birth OBGYN, then I met Dr. S - immediatly both my husband and I fell in love with her and had the most amazing pregnancy. Every meeting she took her time, listened, it was easy to forget she was a doctor and not a friend because of her sincerity and deep caring she gives to her patients. Then the magical day happened when I had my first baby - Dr. S. was truly a gift! She worked with us during our roller coaster ride of labor and gave constant support and encouragement. She is not a doctor to just come in and 'catch' - she stayed with us for HOURS!!! Althought my memory of the day is fuzzy I remember her coming around 4:00 (after being in and out all day) and stayed till 3 am!!! What doctor does that these days!? AMAZING! And we had a succesful completly natural child birth with the help of Dr. S and our equally amazing doula. If you are wonderfing who to go with feel confident with Dr. S - all you have to do is meet her 1 time and know that she is the doctor you want to go to and you would want ANYONE in your family to go to.

Pros: Like having a midwife with an Ivy League Degree

Cons: having an amazing doctor!!! (no cons here)

Posted 04/03/08

Dr. Sebestyen provides the kind of compassionate medical care that is rare these days. After we learned that our baby had passed away in utero we were DENIED treatment by other doctors in town because we had been in the care of a midwife. When we spoke with Dr. Sebestyen she immediately offered her assistance and was willing to listen to our concerns, worries, and heartbreak. I would highly recommend her to women needing OB care.

Posted 02/20/08

Dr. Sebestyen is an absolute breath of fresh air! After having met her, I wondered if she was really too good to be true. Now, after having referred numerous friends and clients to her for OB care, I have to admit I am absolutely blown away by the quality of care that her patients receive. Dr. Sebestyen takes time to listen her to her patients and really understand their wishes. She treats each woman as an individual and knows them each on a personal level, rather than by their due date or file number. I have attended several births as a doula with Dr. Sebestyen and her patience, gentle nature, and knowledge of her craft are second to none. Seriously, this woman is one of a kind in this city. I urge anyone seeking OB care to put Dr. Sebestyen at the top of your list.

Pros: She takes her time & listens, treats each patient as an individual

Cons: None!

Posted 02/20/08

I saw Dr. Sebestyen today for a follow up after complications during labor. I saw a midwife my entire pregnancy and had a planned homebirth. I was transferred to the hospital after complications and ended up giving birth in the hospital. I received a fourth degree episiotomy and am still experiencing complications from that procedure (not done by Dr. Sebestyen). I decided to go to Dr. Sebestyen after reading that she is supportive of midwifery and natural birthing practices. She was extremely personable and patient in listening to my tale of labor and complications. She supported my decision in using a midwife, instead of patronizing me as other doctors have. She explained my complications in terms that were easy to understand and was very reassuring that regardless of where those complications took me, she would be there to help. She is extremely supportive of breastfeeding and is conscientious in her use of and prescribing of medications. I cannot recommend her highly enough - she is the doctor we have been needing for many years here in Austin - knowledgeable, understanding, and truly supportive of women's rights to the best treatment available.

Pros: openness, knowledgeability, listening skills

Posted 02/18/08

Dr Sebestyen was very supportive as the covering OB for my VBAC ( birth after cesarean) delivery. She met me at the hospital and she was a wonderful presence the whole night. She listened to my wishes with minimal intervention and everything went smoothly. I had a healthy boy and the delivery I so wanted to experience.

Posted 01/17/08

I have worked on a professional level with Dr. Christina Sebestyen. I can assure you that her medical qualifications and expertise are without question. Dr. Sebestyen completed her OB/GYN residency at Harvard's Women's Hospital......you can't get any better than that. She is committed to providing the very best care for all her patients, obstetrics and gynecology alike. Dr. Sebestyen gives the women of Austin a fresh and needed OB/GYN option. Plus....she is a a lovely, compassionate, nice person. You can feel safe and secure with your medical health decision when choosing Dr. Sebestyen as your Obstetrician and/or Gynecologist. You will not be disappointed.

Posted 01/06/08

Dr Sebestyen delivered my first baby this May. she's extremely supportive of natural childbirth and of her patient's wishes. Great doctor, I highly recommend!

Posted 10/21/07