Dr. James Robert Shields, MD

I am not sure why my Dr. Office refers to Dr. Shields as a perinatologist. I had an awful experience for my first trimester screening. The ultrasound tech began the ultrasound with a "gasp" for no reason. I asked if the baby was alright and she did not respond. It wasn't until I saw the baby moving myself that I felt relieved. Then during the ultrasound she kept saying how the baby was not in a good position to measure the neck - which made me doubt she ever got an accurate measurement since the baby never changed positions. The office also told me my lab work could not be found - which caused unnecessary stress for me. If they had just called my Dr. office to get their questions resolved (rather than burdening me with questions on processes I don't handle on a daily basis), then none of that mix up would have happened. Furthermore, they didn't even give me pictures of the baby during after the appointment. It was just a very cold environment... and it's not one I would recommend if… you are actually excited to see your baby! Oh- and they schedule you for "genetic counseling" for the first trimester screening, but they did not explain this over the phone as being optional or an additional expense. This would have been nice to know because we ended up declining this counseling when we learned what it was. It wasted 45 minutes of our time for no reason (my husband missing work that entire time). Genetic counseling should be offered after the screening once you have an idea if you are at risk, etc. Again, it is a personal choice of whether you would like this screening - but it would have been professional for the office to explain what this is and that it is optional when booking the appointment. I seriously considered switching doctor's for the second ultrasound, but I told myself to give them another shot. Well, I showed up for the 2nd trimester appointment early and received a call about 15 minutes before the appointment saying they had to cancel and that they couldn't fit me for another 2.5 weeks because they were already triple booked. Unprofessional and unorganized. Trust me, find someone else if you want a pleasant experience!!

Have seen this doctor twice and no problems. Hardly a wait time, and the ultrasound tech is very cool, she really makes you feel at ease. The doctor is very thorough and he doesn't seem like he is in a rush to get to the next patient. Recommend!

I would definately reccommend Dr. Shields! His office staff is great and he is compasionate, very thorough. After seeing Dr.Shields, I felt a lot better about my preganancy and the health of my baby. I look forward to my appointment and get some free 4D pictures of my little girl! I can't wait, really....

Dr. Shields is one of the best, most thorough doctors I have ever run into. I recommend him with absolutely no qualifications or reservations. I went to him for my first two high risk pregnancies. We went to him even though there were perinatologists in our community and Dr. Shields was a 2 hour drive. Our OB highly recommended him and said he was worth the drive and dealing with LA traffic. Several friends stayed with the local doctors and after hearing their experiences, I am so glad we drove to see Dr. Shields.I will start by saying that Dr. Shields is not a warm, fuzzy, hugging kind of guy. He is quiet and reserved and has a VERY dry sense of humor. Sometimes, you can barely hear him talk. But, he will spend as much time as you want explaining anything you want. On one of our visits where a potential problem was found, he spent over an hour with us. It eventually turned out to be nothing but we still appreciated all the time he spent with us to explain what was going on and… what the next steps were. He kept something that could have been terrifying much more manageable. Sometimes, Dr. Shields can give too much explanation, once he gave us the history of the ultrasound, but his point was that over time the way it is used has changed and that has changed how certain conditions are detected. That part was useful because a rare condition runs in our families and he was explaining to us how he was looking for it. His staff is all excellent and they also spend a tremendous amount of time with you.Our wait was almost always under 10 minutes. However, one time, we were there right after he found a major problem with another patient. The receptionist informed us as soon as we arrived that it would be about an hour wait. She knew we were from out of town so she suggested we go get a bite of lunch or some coffee so we weren't in the waiting room for an hour. She offered to call our cell phones if it looked like it would go faster. I thought that was tremendously nice since most doctors in CA just leave you sitting there wondering what was going on. We have since moved out of state but are in another relatively small community. I am pregnant again and my husband and I have decided we are going to fly to LA to see Dr. Shields. That is how happy we are with him.