We as women are often overlooked and ignored, and I like being there to listen to my patients when they feel like no one else will. Obstetrics and gynecology are so personal. Whether discussing birth control, the treatment of ovarian cysts, or the effects of menopause on mental health, I want my patients to feel comfortable and confident when they are in my care.
I developed a special interest in obstetrics when I became pregnant in medical school. My daughter taught me true love—the kind that is truly unconditional. Loving a child is like finding the piece to a jigsaw puzzle you didn’t even know was incomplete.
But I almost didn’t get to see the puzzle completed with my daughter, because when she was born, she almost died and had a harrowing stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The summer she was born I spent a lot of time thinking about the role of the physician in changing lives, and even in saving them.
I knew then that helping new moms bring babies safely into the world— seeing them complete their own jigsaw puzzles—was something I would look forward to for the rest of my life.
After completing my ob-gyn residency in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I’d spent my entire life, the next question was where I would practice.
Florida appealed to me because of the weather and recreational opportunities. I am thrilled to call Lee County home now along with my family, which now includes two children, who will have so much to enjoy with the beach, our dog, and all that this beautiful community has to offer.
But most importantly, Premier Women’s Care of Southwest Florida attracted me because the physicians and staff seemed genuinely happy. It was very telling to me that many had been here for a long time, because low turnover is a sign of a healthy work environment, which is exactly what I wanted.
After starting out in nursing, today I can’t imagine myself doing anything different than being an ob-gyn. Here I am—the first doctor in my family—and I can’t wait to get to know my new patients.
When it comes to birth control, women have many choices today, including various types of long-acting reversible contraceptives. Dr. Anita Del Bianco explains the pros and cons of IUDs and the Nexplanon implant.
Like obstetrics and gynecology physicians, certified nurse midwives provide a full spectrum of pre-conceptual care for women, including family planning, as well as labor, delivery and postpartum care.
In-office procedures offer the advantages of avoiding hospital visits and general anesthesia, along with a quicker recovery, less post-operative pain and more reasonable costs to patients and insurance companies.
The Obstetrics & Gynecology division of Physicians’ Primary Care became Premier Women's Care of Southwest Florida Jan. 1, 2019.
