Okay, I need some Fairview suggestions ladies!!!

Em&Josh99

I am looking for any and all recommendations as far as Fairview facilities/providers go. I am bouncing back and forth between Riverside and Southdale as they are both basically the same distance from my home. Any selling points towards one or the other? I don't have a very extensive birth plan in mind, i'm leaning towards getting an epidural, but want minimal interventions and only a csection if ABSOLUTELY positively medically necessary. Any opinions or stellar recommendations for specific OB's or midwives?  (I'm open to either) ANY help is greatly greatly appreciated. I'm currently 16 weeks and am seeing a doctor through my local Allina clinic but she is not Fairview affiliated so I will be needing to make the switch sooner than later! Thank you in advance!!

AKB090609

I delivered at Fairview in 2012, and will again in July. I had a good experience, I did end up with a csection, but I felt like the OB gave me options. Even after the vacuum failed she said that I could continue to try pushing if I wanted (by that point it was clear to me that a csection was the best choice for me).

I saw doctors at obgyn west, my main doctor was not at my delivery. They did not push for an induction and DD was born at 41 weeks.

EEVZ2013

BabyLove just put out her "Guide to Twin Cities Birth Place Options" (https://www.babylovemn.com/ - register for her newsletter to get access to the ebook) for this year, and it's a nice overview of all the hospitals and birth centers in the area. Fairview unfortunately doesn't always have the best reputation for supporting natural birth, though Riverside is probably the best out of the options you have with them. Southdale's c-section rates are now the highest in the Twin Cities, even higher than other hospitals in the area who regularly handle more high risk births and have higher level NICUs - Abbott, and HCMC for example. HCMC's CS rate is an amazing 20.5%, and it has an epidural rate of 30% as opposed to Southdale, which didn't report their epi rates, but they are reputed to be well over 90%. Riverside offers midwife options and waterbirth - and even if you don't plan on using either, the presence of such options says a lot about the "culture" of birth at Riverside as opposed to Southdale, which offers neither.
I've heard good things about the group prenatal care offered by the midwives at Fairview Riverside. If you are really hoping for a lower intervention birth, I think Riverside generally will be your best option!

EEVZ2013

She also said this: "minimal interventions and only a csection if ABSOLUTELY positively medically necessary." And that is what I was basing my info on. Nothing wrong with having a an epi at all (I, for the record, have had two c-sections), but if you want a better chance at a low intervention birth, Southdale is actually the biggest hospital to avoid in the Twin Cities. That is very well established in the birth community. I know many doulas, and you will get that perspective from just about any of them. Just fact.

MesmrEwe

IMO - go on a tour of both, talk to some of the staff, not just the tour guide, in the L&D and PP areas, find out what their policies and practices are, and go with your instincts...  Are you stuck with Fairview because of insurance or ???  If you've got a good OB ask them for recommendations!  They know many of their colleagues across hospitals.  IMO, the c/s and epi rates are misnomers because each L&D is unique on a case by case basis to the individual Mom and you never know when circumstances will change "the plans".  And as my college Developmental Psych professor once put it "Unless the baby comes out of your mouth, it's a NATURAL delivery!"...  With my first I white-knuckled it to go natural and needed enough meds to sedate a horse for L&D & PP to keep pain under control with a long recovery, with DS I said "DRUGS - STAT!" and enjoyed the experience of the angel choir singing when my epidural fully kicked in and was back to normal in days PP..

Also a friend had a complication post-partum that was missed by Woodwinds that could have killed her (which honestly could have happened anywhere including a birth center or one of the more "high risk" accepting hospitals - she just was the unlucky one in however many normal deliveries), OTOH, I've heard TONS of positive reviews about Woodwinds... 

Em&Josh99

Thank you all SO MUCH for your recommendations, I feel at this point to be leaning towards the midwife group at Riverside. And yes, my hands are pretty tied to Fairview due to insurance

anndamour

I highly recommend Dr. Amanda Olson at Riverside.  She performed two laparoscopic surgeries for me as well as delivered my baby.  She is an excellent listener, has a fantastic personality, and is extremely skilled at her job.  Good Luck!

JSS1002

FV SD in March of 2013 and will go back in Sept of 2014!  I go to Dr. Goodman at Associates in Women's HEalth.  They don't practice at Riverside, which is too bad because it is closer to our home, but I grew up in Edina so very comfy with FVSD!  

I had an epidural after dilating to about 6 inches. I did end up having an emergency c/s after 12 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing but that has everyting to do with my body and nothing to do with the doctors.  They gave me the choice and I said "cut me!"  I healed wonderfully and will have a routine c/s this time.  FVSD has wireless monitors so you can walk while laboring, bathtubs in some rooms, balance balls for labor positions, and awesome food.  And in-room massage by Bavia for your recovery. :-)

Kate_C

I delivered both my kids at UMMC Riverside with the Fairview Riverside OBs. I saw Elizabeth Eckhardt for prenatal care and love, love, love her. Unfortunately she didn't deliver either of my kids, but the OBs who did were great (they work on a rotating on call basis for deliveries). I had an epidural with the first and pushed for 3 hours with the OB there before she finally did an episiotomy. Dr. Turner was amazing. Second time labor was too quick for an epi and I only pushed 15 minutes before the OB (different doc) did an episiotomy.

I loved the nurses in L&D and the maternity ward. Very supportive with nursing. The food wasn't great, but there are lots of delivery options. Overall I would not hesitate to deliver again there if I planned more kids, or recommend it to others. Good luck!!

mlangblom

If you are leaning toward the Midwives at UMMC Riverside, go for it! I am 21 weeks into my second pregnancy with them and totally trust their practice. My last birth was an induction at 37 weeks for leaking amniotic, completely outside our plan, but we still ended up having a safe and relatively uneventful birth! 

I have run into a few Midwives I did not like there, however. As a heads up I would start with a couple of my favorites: Lisa Bowmen and Carrie Neerland. Both are great providers who help you really guide your own pregnancy and birth.

The rooms at UMMC aren't as fancy as some of the suburban hospitals, but the medical care is top notch. And Amplatz is attached if, god forbid, anything were to go wrong.

schmood

I used the Riverside Womens Clinic Midwives.  I also dealt with a few of the OBs in the office as well. I had really good experiences with almost all of them.  Drs Eckhardt, Olson and Ou-Yang were all wonderful and I like all of the midwives.  I saw them all throughout my pregnancy and ended up with John there for my delivery (yes, there is a male midwife!)

I liked that Riverside is connected to Amplatz Childrens Hospital, just in case something was wrong with the baby.  DS was born needing a vacuum assist, so there was a NICU team in the room in case they were needed.

Some of the rooms aren't all that fancy, but I lucked out with a big room.  The food was good and most of the nurses were excellent.