About Annelise Swigert:
“I’ve wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember,” says Dr. Annelise Swigert. “But it wasn’t until I arrived at medical school that I realized my passion for Obstetrics. What I love about the specialty is not only the miracle of birth and profound joy around delivering a baby, but the complexity of the human body as a new life develops. At Northwestern University I had the opportunity to work closely with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist as she researched HIV transmission in pregnancy during the early 1990’s. It helped me realize that we are always caring for, and making decisions about 2 patients – mom and baby, and that we have the power change lives”.
Prenatal & Childbirth
Dr. Swigert is especially interested in medically complicated pregnancies. “Everyone expects a healthy baby and for some women, diagnosis and management of medical conditions becomes imperative. Obstetrics is about making pregnancy a safe and healthy time of your life.”
Gynecological
Contraceptive and hormonal management from the teen years through peri-menopause is also of great interest to Dr. Swigert. Counseling women of all ages about safe options for both pregnancy prevention and treatment of hormonally based symptoms is an integral part of her practice.
Surgical
Surgery can be overwhelming and stressful for women. Over the years as minimally invasive and same day procedures have evolved, surgery such as a hysterectomy can now be safely done as an outpatient. Many options exist to manage gynecological conditions and Dr. Swigert and her partners are able to perform all of these. “I want to reassure patients that we are not only exceptionally prepared, but understand our patients fears. We are there to not only focus on the surgical procedure, but to be a comfort to as well.”
Personal
Fluent in French, Dr. Swigert enjoys having the opportunity to use this skill in the office and abroad. She was recently able to use it on a medical mission trip to Haiti, where she was involved in caring for young women and performing surgical procedures. “It was truly an amazing experience” she said. “I realized that what we do here every day, can be a miracle in a developing country. You don’t always need fancy equipment to do your job, and changing even one life can be enough.”
When not in the office or hospital Dr. Swigert loves travel, trying innovative food and wine, and most of all spending time her two teenage children.
