
If you are looking for an obstetrician to truly listen and understand your and your partner’s wishes and concerns around pregnancy and delivery AND an obstetrician who can step up to the highest standard of care in case of an emergency, you can feel confident that Dr Chawla is the right choice.
Here’s my story and without being overly dramatic, how Dr Chawla saved my life and the life of my baby.
I had a high risk pregnancy due to a bicornate uterus, previous classical cesarean (vertical instead of horizontal incision of the uterus) and previous premature birth. We decided to seek private care when I felt that the midwives I saw didn’t understand the risks I was facing and I was referred to the wrong clinic to discuss my birth plan.
I reached out to Dr Chawla after watching her introduction on the UCLH website and a friend who was in her care a year ago recommended her.
As I was already 32 weeks pregnant and facing a high risk of uterine rupture, Dr Chawla made time to see me in less than 24 hours after I reached out to her.
During our initial appointment, she truly listened to me and my husband, understood our concerns, the risks which we were willing to take and the risks which we were not willing to take. She explained the pros and cons of different choices, backed by data. We knew she was the right doctor for us before we walked out of the appointment.
At 34+3 weeks, my uterus did rupture. As soon as I felt any discomfort, I phoned Dr Chawla and she answered on the first ring. She advised me to head to the MFAU at UCLH and keep her posted. Once I was seen at the MFAU, Dr Chawla was able to give instructions to the midwife over the phone and liaise with the team on the labour ward to make sure that my situation was given the urgency it required.
Dr Chawla arrived promptly at UCLH and took me to the operating room. She acted with confidence and coordinated the actions of the whole team swiftly, not wasting any time.
I lost 3.5L of blood due to the rupture. In this situation, I was facing a potential hysterectomy and even death. But Dr Chawla managed to control the bleeding and save my uterus. Her swift actions made sure that our baby girl is taken out as soon as possible, reducing any birth trauma she could have experienced. She’s doing very well while we are at the neonatal unit establishing feeds before going home soon.
Despite the complexity of the surgery, my recovery has been much easier than after my previous c-section. The scar is smaller, it appears thinner and is not painful at all.
Dr Chawla visited me frequently during my 3-day stay in the hospital, showing concern for both my physical and emotional recovery. She also reached out after I was discharged. I know that I can seek her advice anytime in case needed.
Last but not least, it was very obvious to me that Dr Chawla is extremely highly regarded by all her colleagues at UCLH.
Due to the circumstances, we don’t plan for another pregnancy. But if we were to have another baby, I’ll be in Dr Chawla’s care from day 1. I’ll also recommend her to all my family and friends!
Thank you, Shalini - our family will be forever grateful to you!
Seen for:
C-Section (Caesarean Section)