Anchorage Women's Clinic Midwife Reviews?

[buttercups0147]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum. I'm due in December and moving down to Anchorage for the birth. I'll be using Providence as our insurance pays almost 100% if I go there. The same goes for using the Anchorage Women's Clinic. Has anyone used their midwives before or given birth at Providence?

Are the midwives around during labor or do they just check in every once in a while like a doctor? I may be on my own if DH can't get a flight in time, so I just want to know what to expect. Right now, Tanya Kirk is the overseeing midwife, but I've only met her once. I've also met Patti Townsend a couple of times.

Also, the out of town ped for newborns is Dr. Avila - anyone worked with him?

Any insight would be wonderful.

Thanks!

[happyblessedmama]

Hi there!

2 experiences. I birthed at Providence in 2004 and I didn't care for it at all (at that time, the postpartum unit had shared bathrooms between multiple postpartum women, ICK). My daughter was in the NICU and got good care there for the most part.

I went to Anchorage Women's Clinic yesterday for a 2 week post-op on a c-section (i didn't have it with them, we just moved to Anchorage - had the c-section in Bethel) and the doctor I saw was lovely. They seem very "natural friendly" but I could be way off on that. They offer hypnobirthing classes, the doctor mentioned whether or not I'd be nursing "1 or 2 years" with a big smile... I think that'd bode well for the general mindset of their practice.

I've "heard" that Prov L&D is understaffed and that you may benefit from a doula if you deliver there. I'd imagine that if a midwife has a clinic practice she probably isn't going to be hanging out in L&D unless it's at night and/or they're on call... the delivery I had there I was only in the hospital for about 20 minutes before the baby arrived so I don't know what it's like to labor there.

Not sure if any of this helps you

[princessliak]

I know everyone has different experiences.

I had a great birth at providence. My midwife from Geneva Woods was with with me as much as I wanted and needed. She let me have time and space during early labor and didn't leave during active pushing. It was wonderful! I had minimul contact with the Providence staff as she did everything. She helped make my birth plan happen as much as possible.

[happyblessedmama]

another thing I didn't care for at Prov - they didn't like people sleeping with the baby in bed with them. At the hospital I delivered the next 3 babies in, it was ASSUMED that baby would be in bed with the mom.

[roadfamily6now]

another place you can check is www.thebirthsurvey.org.

Good Luck!

I also second the suggestion to get a Doula!
www.anchoragedoulas.info

[boogaloo]

Something to consider would be to see if your insurance will cover the birth at a birth center at a higher rate. My ins when I had my LO covered the birth center 100% and the hospital at 80%. It still saved the ins a ton of money. Just a thought.

[buttercups0147]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I would totally prefer a birth center, but my insurance won't cover it. Providence is the preferred hospital, so they cover everything there. Plus, my husband may not be there and I know he would feel better with me at a hospital. I'm just praying labor will start at just the right time for him to catch a flight down!

Thanks for the link to the doula listing! I'll send out some emails. Some of the prices I'd seen before were really high, especially since I'll be coming in 3 weeks before I'm due and flying home as soon as possible. I really only need someone for delivery. For questions here, my midwife here, a doctor who just had her 3rd, and a nurse all live in my building - I think I'll be good... lol. I would almost stay here except they all advised going out.

Are there any doulas in particular that you would recommend?

Thanks!

[roadfamily6now]

there are a couple of new Doulas that are looking for certifying births and might be really inexpensive. I can put out some feelers and see if they have posted their profiles on the Doula Website yet.

[buttercups0147]

That would be great!

Tammy,

That would be awesome! It's just so hard to justify another big expense when it already costs a fortune to move down there.

I'm due Dec. 11 and head down to Anchorage Nov. 18. I know that's a hard time for people due to the holidays, but that's something I can be flexible with. My husband is flying down for Thanksgiving, so if I go into labor during the Thanksgiving holiday I would totally not expect someone to leave their family.

Let me know what you find out.

Thanks again,

Amber

[JosieAK]

I had a transfer to Providence after an attempted homebirth with the dreaded "failure to progress". Anyway, I had a good experience at Providence. I had a HORRIBLE doctor, but he was on call in the middle of the night on Sunday AM and didn't know me from Eve. He threatened me with a C-section when I walked in the door, insisted on internal monitors on the baby and I, and nearly gave me an episiotomy without asking, but I did birth vaginally and he was very concerned about the baby, and we all survived. But I would pick a different doctor if I were you.

The nurses were wonderful, however. They were super supportive, allowed my midwife to act as my doula and participate in guiding me through the birth, and followed my wishes explicitly in reguards to the baby. I actually had a night nurse show me how to nurse laying down and encouraged me to sleep with my newborn. I had lactation consultants whenever I needed.

I didn't like the pediatrician they sent us either. She acted like we were stupid and actually tried to show us up by calming our baby when we were struggling to. That might seem nice, but she was not.

And then the whole feeling like getting out of jail while trying to get out of the hospital. So much hassel! But I think that is common to all hospitals.

Oh, and they are the only place locally that charges for the infant hearing test, so you might want to go find another place that will do that for free if you want that done.

So, if you can pick your own drs. and have a doula with you, I think I would pick Prov over Regional. At least, that's where my midwife took me, and it seemed very natural friendly!

[roadfamily6now]

As a Doula, I have done 4 births at Prov and 3 of them were great with good OB's and Good Nurses. One was not so good, with terrible and so-so nurses and an OB I would NOT recommend.

It can really just be luck of the draw.

[buttercups0147]

Josie - I'm glad to hear that the nurses were really good when you were there. Since I'll be dealing mostly with them, I'm hoping to get someone good. I had to call about getting a pediatrician the other day and the nurse I spoke to was really nice and helpful.

The lactation consultants will be helpful. We don't really have anyone up here, so I'm hoping to get the hang of things before I go home. Were they open to letting you labor and deliver in different positions? I'd really like to deliver in more of a sitting position, but I don't know if their beds convert for that. My first day in Anchorage I'm heading straight over for the tour of the maternity center since I've never been able to be in town on a day they were doing it before.

Tammy - Definitely. Luckily, at my practice, there's always a midwife and the doctor she works with on call. So, even if it's not my midwife on call, I can expect someone from the clinic. All the OB's there are women (except one specialist who I'm not sure is even on call), and I've heard good things about most of them. I'm hoping when I move down, I'll be able to get the on call schedule, so I'll know who to expect before they show up. And, I'm hoping to meet most of the providers once I get there.

[JosieAK]

I just ran across this again. :)  I don't know if you've had your baby yet, but best wishes on a terrific birth! 

A quick answer, yes, they were very receptive to different positions while laboring.  I'm not so sure about birthing, but there are birth balls in most rooms (ask, they maybe in the cupboards).  I think there are also squat bars.  I don't know if was my midwife or the nurses, but I pushed while on hands and knees and lying on my side. 

I hope you'll post updates when your bunchkin is born!

[roadfamily6now]

UPdates?

[alaskannurse]

Its actually state law that they have to cover it; if you need the statue I could have someone look it up but basically if they would pay for a MD to do it they have to pay for another licensed professional as well. I had Atena and they tried to tell me I couldn't have a home birth or center birth and my midwife faxed them the AK statue and then they said ok we will pay for that and they did.

[alaskannurse]

Its actually state law that they have to cover it; if you need the statue I could have someone look it up but basically if they would pay for a MD to do it they have to pay for another licensed professional as well. I had Atena and they tried to tell me I couldn't have a home birth or center birth and my midwife faxed them the AK statue and then they said ok we will pay for that and they did.

[Millicent]

I'd love to know where that is in statute. That would be wonderful if you could post it for us!

[roadfamily6now]

Originally Posted by Millicent 

I'd love to know where that is in statute. That would be wonderful if you could post it for us!

Yeah! That's great stuff to have onfile for all us Birth Professionals!