The UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is committed to maintaining excellence in patient care. We take great pride in being able to share some of our patients' stories with you.
Christelle Jorda wore maternity clothes to her chemotherapy sessions at UCLA Health, a sign of the jarring dichotomy at play in her body. As a growing baby kicked in her womb, powerful drugs worked to shrink the aggressive tumor invading her breast. Two years ago, after Jorda was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma during her first trimester of pregnancy, her UCLA Health team of doctors, including Rashmi Rao, MD, assistant clinical professor in the division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Lindsey Kroener, assistant clinical professor in the division of Fertility and Reproductive Health, worked to treat her and safeguard the health of her long-anticipated second child. Mother’s Day 2022, Jorda, 35, celebrated a year of remission since completing breast cancer treatment, as her daughter, who went through nine rounds of chemotherapy in utero, hits milestones of her own.
Read Christelle story >
Marisa Peters, a 38-year-old mom of three, expected the delivery of her third child to be ordinary and uneventful, just like the births of her two other children. But right after her water broke at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Feb. 6, 2019, she became quickly aware that this delivery would be very different. Following a traumatic experience in the delivery room, Peters was referred to the Maternal Outpatient Mental Health Services (MOMS) Clinic, which was launched in 2019 by UCLA Health's OB-GYN and psychiatry departments to provide psychiatric care to women during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Her recovery is going well and she feels grateful for the support.
Read Marisa’s story >
Long before she was ready to start a family, Mary Farah knew exactly how she wanted her pregnancy and delivery to go. A devotee of natural remedies and holistic medicine, she envisioned a home birth, with her husband and a midwife and doula by her side. But Farah hadn’t anticipated expecting her first child during a pandemic. And being she has type 1 diabetes, her pregnancy already was considered high risk. With the expertise of Christina Han, MD, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at UCLA Health, Mary had a successful delivery and says she’s full of gratitude as she celebrates her first Mother’s Day with her husband and baby girl Mabel.
Read Mary’s story >
I just want to express my sincere gratitude for the OB team at UCLA Westwood. Dr. Aparna Sridhar saw me through two pregnancies; while both were fairly uncomplicated, I had severe morning sickness as well as a miscarriage in between those pregnancies, so I had some anxiety about everything going well. What I appreciated the most is that Dr. Sridhar - and her staff - made me feel like we were partners in my medical decision-making. She of course provided all the guidance, but she never short-changed our questions and concerns and despite being in a busy hospital, I never felt rushed.
Read the patient’s story >
I just wanted to start by saying WOW! After having four consecutive miscarriages, I decided to take matters into my own hands and seek help from the best of the best. My husband and I first went to UCLA (over an hour away each direction) to meet Dr. Al-Safi back in January 2020. We had a very in depth consultation regarding my past medical history as well as avenues to take going forward. We chose to run every possible test, blood panel, karyotyping, etc to rule out everything possible. He left absolutely no leaf unturned. I came with a HUGE list of questions (over 30) and he answered them all. He is extremely professional and never made me feel silly or ignorant for asking the questions I had.
Read a happy patient’s story >
If this Father’s Day feels quieter than the last couple, UCLA physician Jason Jalil, MD, is OK with that. On May 22, under the care of Radhika Rible, MD, of UCLA’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Jalil’s wife gave birth to the couple’s second child, a boy. Their first son also was born at UCLA, a little more than two years ago. But this time, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience of fatherhood has been quite different.
Read Dr. Jalil's story >
“I asked my OB, Dr. Aparna Sridhar, what is birth going to look like during COVID-19?” wondered Lakin Saucedo. Lakin gave birth to her daughter Ryan Saucedo, with wife Lindsey Foster, on April 5th, 2020. The first change expectant mothers will notice is fewer visits to the hospital. Lakin enjoyed sending messages via the MyUCLA Health portal, remarking, “Dr. Sridhar never got sick of us asking endless questions, specifically after things started to change with the pandemic.”
Read Lakin’s story >
I was very fortunate to have seen Dr. Molly Quinn for my reproductive endocrinology consult and fertility journey. On my initial visit she was incredibly thorough and detailed and I felt so confident is continuing my care with her.
Read Lindsay’s story >
“We’re really excited about the ‘magic hour’ our midwife will be helping us create right after I give birth,” says Natalie Smith, who is expecting her first baby in October. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, once our midwife delivers the baby, she’ll step back so we can have some intimate, uninterrupted family time. She’ll take care of anything medical that can’t wait, but she knows our priority is skin-to-skin time as a new family.
Read Natalie’s story >
I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July 2018. I will never forget the first phone call I received and the feeling of my heart sinking to the ground as the news was given. We had to act fast, it was go time... ready or not. I know god was looking out for me because he sent angel my way. This angels name was Dr. Josh Cohen.
Read a happy patient’s story >
“While you’re in labor, it’s like you’re in a cocoon with your family and nurse-midwife. You’re charting your own course in your own world, comfortably and naturally,” says Carliegh Garcia, who is expecting her fourth child in December. “The birth process for my first three – all delivered by UCLA nurse midwives – was very straightforward. I hope that will be the case for this baby, too.
Read Carleigh’s story >
My gynocology Oncologist (Dr Joshua Cohen) is awesome. The day I first visited his office I was upset and thought I was going to die a terrible death. He spent over an hour with me explaining my diagnosis and proposed treatment plan. He answered all my questions, and I left his office with hope and a feeling I was going to be ok. I had no problems with my surgery and he guided me to my Oncologist for chemo and Radiologist for radiation treatments.
Read MaryJane’s story >
Dr. Amy Stoddard is the poster doctor for CICARE. She makes patients feel like patients and not like another number in her schedule. She always goes above and beyond for not only her patients but for her staff. the clinic, and the department. Dr. Stoddard never says no to any patient, and even though she's always extremely busy, since she is a very popular doctor, she always makes anything happen for her patients.
Read Fatima’s story >
Dr. Tina Nguyen was assigned as my high risk OB when I was admitted to the hospital over 2 months ahead of my daughter's due date after my water broke. In the week leading up to my daughter's birth, Dr. Tina was a regular presence, checking in frequently to answer our questions and ensure we understood the possible outcomes. All my reservations about not having chosen Dr. Tina and meeting her under such stressful circumstances quickly vanished - she reassured me with her calm and confident demeanor.
Read Lindsay’s story >
Dr. Brennan worked long and hard with me to help us to conceive the most wonderful child in the world. She didn't give up on us, even when all the odds were against us!
Read Tricia’s story >
Professor, Doctor Sanaz Memarzadeh, MD, PhD saved our mother’s life! It all started from my mom’s bleeding and our immediate visit to the nearest Hospital Emergency Room, almost 3 years ago. We came to see Doctor Memarzadeh, seeking urgent critical second opinion almost 3 years ago.
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Pelvic-organ prolapse is a fairly common condition that affects some 50 percent of all women in the United States as they age. For Pam McFarlane, the feeling was like “your internal organs are about to fall out onto the sidewalk.” To correct the condition, Pam underwent a laparoscopic, robotic procedure to sew in thin mesh straps to secure the anatomy in its proper place.
Read Pam’s story >
In her late teenage years Heather was told that she had PCOS. Although she had not gone through a formal evaluation process, her doctor said that she most likely had PCOS because of her irregular menstrual cycles as well as her twin sister being diagnosed with it. At the time, Heather did not know the complexities of PCOS.
Read Heather’s story >
Lakin’s Story >
Lindsay's Story >
Natalie's Story > 
Patient Story >
Carleigh's Story >
MaryJane's Story >
Fatima's Story >
Lindsay's Story >
Tricia's Story >
Patient Story >
Pam's Story >
Heather's Story >