Dr. Joanna Duane Twombly, MD

Dr. Twombly was the attending during my stillbirth delivery. She was not the reassuring kind of professional we needed during this heartbreaking event. She made an inappropriate comment when the baby was stuck saying “I just want to reach up there and pull her out by her ears.” Since our baby was deceased, I would have expected professional and respectful words. She seemed unsure about other positions to try during labor and voiced this to the room, when what she should have done was to ask one of the nurses to call in another doctor to assist. She wasn’t aware of the policy for epidurals at the hospital I was in and had to be reminded by a nurse. This is a common medication and, even though she was a traveling doctor, I would have expected her to know the hospital's policies. Then, towards the end, she abruptly left for an appointment. Another doctor came in and took over. It would have been good to be informed of her schedule earlier instead of her leaving during a critical time.

I’m going to start off by saying that I never write a review on how bad someone is, but I take this as an exception. Worth the read if you plan on having her deliver your child. From the start Joanna never saw me in her office, it was always the APRN. I met her twice before my sons birth. The first time was to introduce herself (short lived) and the second time when I was 4 days overdue and yelled in my face because I was overdue (due to the receptionist fault for not calling me on a day to come in and beating around the bush with me everyday I callled) and she told me that she was going to have to possibly do a C-section that she didn’t want to do. I went to Labor and delivery the night before this because I was leaking fluid and had been contracting for a week but no active labor. She decided to have the nurse send me home that night (1hr and a half a way) and tell me to come to the office the “next morning” at the time was only 4 hours away with no reason why. The next day she yelled in my face and actually CURSED AT ME, purposely hurt me checking my dilation(nurses were gentler) She told me I was going to be a bad mother since I didn’t come in before this, Was very snide and cursing me etc. I was worked up in there cursing back at her and yelling back from hormones I walked to the receptionist and made her tell Twombly I had tried to come in and told her to get a new Fn staff, and she set me an induction the next morning, and slammed the door on her way out. Forward to my delivery the next day from this she comes in and apologizes and said she’s got hormones herself. I accept the apology in fear she’d do something to me or my baby out of anger. I complain to her that I felt knees moving in my belly on the outside as if he wasn’t face down. I also pointed out that the nurses couldn’t get a heart beat because I was lead to believe he was face up. She told me there’s no way he could have been and went on which I knew better. She breaks my water with her hand and as I’m in a very uncomfortable amount of pain during a contraction she leaves her hand IN ME and says I like feeling his hair. My son pooped in me and she never ran any tests on him. 20hrs of excruciating back labor and front she decides FINALLY that I wasn’t going to dilate anymore from a 5 and sets a C-section up. She cuts me open and says “oh he’s looking right at me!” So my assumption of him being sunny side up was right. His cord was also around his neck TWO TIMES and across his chest. My son could have not been here today due to her idiocity. I believe this woman is very unprofessional. She cusses, she has no sympathy or bedside manners. She yelled in my face and made my first birth traumatic. I suffer ptsd from my sons birth and don’t want another child in fear of birth. I would recommend doing a birth by yourself in your home before going to her.

Loved her as my OB through 2 pregnancies. I wished she was in another group because who she was with from 2008-2011 were not good at all. If you can specifically request her you won't be disappointed!

Dr Twombly delivered my son and made me feel comfortable and at ease.

Dr. Twombly delivered my son and she was absolutely amazing. It was my first baby and she put me completely at ease and made it an enjoyable experience. If possible I'd like her to deliver any other children I have. She's also very patient and understanding in the appointments leading up to birth when I had more questions than I can even count. Best doctor I've ever had.