I was scheduled to be induced with my third child on Thursday March 4th, 2010. When we got to Lakeside and got checked in, I was a little nervous, as this was my first time being induced. We met our nurse, Amy R. who stated that she was going to be with us for the whole day. As it turns out, I was already having contractions and in the early stages of labor.
Amy was so wonderful in making both my husband and I feel so comfortable. She was both knowledgeable and caring, understanding exactly what kind of delivery experience I wanted to have and she was committed to making it happen. After spending the better part of the day with us and talking, we all realized that she had been one of our nurses at Immanuel where we had our first son 6 years ago! It was nearing the end of her shift and we were all hoping that the baby would come before she was done for the day at 7 p.m.
At 6:13 p.m., Samuel entered the world in just the manner I had wanted and with a wonderfully supportive nurse helping to make it possible. We were sad to see her go that evening as she had been such a positive influence all day long, I felt so relaxed and at ease. The care we received for the rest of stay was wonderful as well - everyone who came in contact with us was so supportive and caring - almost makes you want to stay longer!
All three of my children were born at Alegent Hospitals, one at Immanuel and now two at Lakeside. I can't compliment you all enough on the level of care and service that was provided. Thank you!
-Elizabeth
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Dr. Taggart with Ava
When I became pregnant again in 2007, there was a lot of emotion: excitement and fear. Having lost two babies in the first trimester prior to this pregnancy, I faced this pregnancy with a lot of trepidation. I was scared but I knew I was in excellent hands. Dr. Heather Taggart is my OBGYN and I felt confident in her plan for me and my baby. After my second miscarriage, Dr. Taggart became my advocate to the insurance company and pushed for genetic testing. Normally, insurance companies don't want to pay for genetic testing until there has been three or more miscarriages. Dr. Taggart did not want to see me go through another tough loss and she wrote letters to the insurance company and they approved the testing. The testing showed that I had a blood clotting disorder, called MTHFR. Dr. Taggart's nurse Diane called me to tell me what the test had found and that I would be on a medicinal course for the rest of my life. However, pregnancy was still possible with these medications.
After a few months on the medications, we conceived. This is where the fear set in, not wanting to experience again the losses we had in the past. The weeks ticked by and I was soon into my 2nd trimester. Those weeks were especially hard as we had ultrasounds to check the baby's progress. In the 2nd trimester, I went to visit Dr. Alfred Fleming of Maternal Fetal Specialists at Bergan. Dr. Fleming even shared that he too had the genetic condition MTHFR. It made me feel a little more normal to know I wasn't alone, even though I was the one pregnant. We soon discovered we were having a baby girl to add to our family. We already had one little girl, whom Dr. Fleming said was a true miracle because most people with MTHFR do not have successful pregnancies without medication to thin the blood. I continued to see Dr. Fleming and Dr. Taggart throughout my pregnancy and they and their nursing staff put me at ease.
On an icy morning in December, the day for my induction finally came. I was again met with the fear that something might go wrong. I was not going to feel better until my baby girl was in my arms. When I arrived at Midlands Hospital on the Family Birth Unit, I was met by a wonderful nurse, Michelle, who took care of me during my induction and labor. Colleen, the operations director of the unit was right there too to ease my fears. She was my baby's nurse and knowing Colleen like I do; I was at ease knowing my baby was in the best hands. Only when my baby girl was laid in my arms did I finally relax for the first time in almost a year. She was here and she was beautiful.
I can never fully express how much the care of all the people involved in that pregnancy meant to me. From Dr. Taggart and Dr. Fleming, Dr. Taggart’s nurse, Diane, all the wonderful nurses at Midlands Family Birth, I am so grateful for them and the care that they gave. Today, my daughter Ava is two years old. She is full of joy and laughter. She and her older sister make my heart melt every time I hear, I love you sissy. I say it often to people when I talk about Dr. Taggart, if it weren't for her, I don't think I would have my little girl here today and for that I will be forever grateful. Born in December 2007, she is the best gift I will ever receive for Christmas.
-Leigh Ann |
 I cannot begin to tell you how pleased we have been with the services provided to our son, daughter-in-law and new grandson during their recent stay at Bergan Mercy Medical Center. The customer service offered within the Labor/Delivery and the NICU was beyond description. I must specifically thank Traci (Delivery/Labor) and Rose, Deanna and Erin in the NICU. They were all fabulous in their attentive care to Brayden and Erin (our daughter-in-law). I even need to mention Kallie and Robin for their incredibly friendly and helpful food service. Even beyond all this there was just an atmosphere of friendly customer service everywhere in the hospital. Even the cafeteria was exceptional and reasonable. The readily available snack foods in the break areas are also a very nice extra touch that was much appreciated. Ben, Erin and Brayden will be forever grateful.
-Steve
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My wife, Becca, and I moved to the Council Bluffs/Omaha area about a year ago. Shortly after moving, we found out we were pregnant. My wife found Dr. Sotolongo at Metro OB at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs and instantly knew he was our doctor. Through the entire pregnancy, he was very warm, helpful and shared in our concerns - always easing the mind. When it came time to deliver (Due Jan 1, 2010), he decided to keep us after our appointment on the December 23rd because of the winter storm moving in. Glad he did. Dr. Sotolongo said early on in the pregnancy that he would deliver our baby and there was no need to meet the other doctors in the hospital. He was so true to his word. He was not the on-call doctor the night of the 23rd, but he stayed by our sides waiting.
Our Daughter, Meliah, was born at Mercy Hospital Christmas Eve at 3:49 a.m. The entire staff, with special recognition to Laurie and Fran, was incredible and a joy to be around. I could not have asked for a better crew that night. Even with having a c-section delivery, everything went very smoothly. Mom was doing great, baby was in wonderful hands (and Dad was tired). Laurie was one of the main reasons why we chose Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Her knowledge, warm heart and great thoughtfulness really pushed us over the edge. The undivided attention that we received from the staff was awesome. Fran is another nurse that really stood out to us. Her concern for our well-being and the health of our baby was her top priority. She was very informative and helpful. The entire staff, while we were there, even with the terrible weather blowing in, was a warm welcome.
Dr. Sotolongo, Laurie and Fran will always have a place in our hearts (and baby book!). We can hardly wait to get pregnant again because we know exactly where we will be coming and know that the staff at Mercy Labor and Delivery will be ready for us! I just want everyone to know what an incredible experience we had, both with the hospital and with the staff. We both feel that Mercy Labor and Delivery is one of the "best kept secrets" in Council Bluffs.
-Brian
September 22, 2007, was a day that changed our lives forever! Upon awaking I noticed that my water had broke, I called my physician and he advised me to head on into Bergan Mercy Medical Center to confirm my suspicions.
That morning at around 10 a.m. I walked into the hospital extremely unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions I was about to face. I was greeted with open arms by the labor and delivery nurses. I have never felt such warmth from strangers in my life; little did I know, that was just the beginning to a start of “top notch”, warm hearted people at Bergan.
As much as I thought I had readied myself for this day, I clearly was not mentally ready to go from one child to four in three minutes! I was assured that everything was going to be fine, that the best doctors and nurses would be taking care of me and my precious new bundles that would soon be arriving, whether I was ready for them or not! They explained every step that would take place before and after the delivery. I was asked many times if I needed anything or if there was anything anyone could do. The only thing that I needed was reassurance. I was so scared, terrified to be exact!! I mean, what mother would not be! I was about to give birth to triplets at 31 weeks gestation. I had no idea how small they would be - would they breathe on their own, would they survive…these were questions running through my head. As I waited through what seemed to be hours until the 11:30 a.m. scheduled start time, I was visited by NICU staff members, doctors, nurses and everyone in between letting me know that my babies and I would be just fine. They were prepared for this day as my doctor, Dr. Barsoom had given warning to them and they were more than ready for us!
As I took the long walk down the “hallway” to the OR hand in hand with my L&D nurse. I felt her strength and support leading me into a day I will never forget! As I entered the OR I was again greeted by the nurses that would soon be rushing around in a whirlwind to stabilize my new baby boys. One by one they came and told me who what child they would be taking care of, it seemed as if they had done this a thousand times before. As we got started and the babies started getting swooped away to the NICU staff, I kept hearing them yell out to me the lengths, weights and “mom they look so good” or “mom they are doing fine.” Words such as those, even among the other craziness, meant the world to me. With as much noise as there was in the OR at that time - with all of the people in there - that is all I heard.
Soon one by one, like the circus leaving town, they left the OR and headed to the NICU with my babies. I was scared, worried, and I could not hear what was going on at this point. I became panicked as I lay there wondering about all the unknowns not sure what to expect. A nurse, a liaison if you will, came to tell me they were doing well. All the babies were surprisingly well.
Over the next hour or so I waited in recovery for the moment when I would get to see my boys. I was given updates on the conditions of the babies about every 10 minutes. Finally I was wheeled into the NICU, this wonderful place made just for the babies. Everything is designed to make it feel like home. Again, I was greeted with words of encouragement, congratulations, and introductions from the wonderful nurses that would soon become my friends. I had placed every ounce of trust into them and I was never let down. Every single time I walked in there and someone new was taking care of them, I immediately I learned their name, who they were taking care (baby A,B or C) and how they were doing. I never had to ask! I was comforted in every way possible through words, kind smiles and compassion.
We had our ups and downs just like any preemie would. Along every hill, they explained what they will do to work through the problem. I just knew in the end I would be taking them home with me! I was shown ways to hold, bond, feed and burp them. Whoever new smaller babies could be so different?
To this day, nearly two years later, I still get that warm and fuzzy feeling when I think about how incredible our time at Bergan was. In a way, I miss my friends, the people I trusted with my life and the lives of my children for over a month.
If I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing or ask for anything to be different. I would recommend the NICU and Bergan to anyone.
Thank you Bergan - you gave my babies a tremendous start!
—Jessee
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Alegent Health is a faith-based health ministry sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives and Immanuel.
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