Geneva Woods Birth Center

I had a bad experience with this place in 2015/2016, and I left a review about it. I just read my review and it gave me the chills. Cannot believe how I was treated at this place. My review didn’t even include the fact that during my last appointment at this place, I over heard the office manager bad mouth me to the midwife while I was there. I could hear them outside the door saying how “ridiculous” I was because I thought I should be able to call if I had any questions 24/7. Yes, I did expect there to be an on-call service for emergencies, which is what I was experiencing when I used their on-call service at the time. I was having heavy bleeding. The midwife reprimanded me at my appointment for calling the on-call line when it wasn’t an emergency. She said on-call was for emergencies like bleeding or labor. I said: I was bleeding. She didn’t think my heavy bleeding was eligible for emergency, though. Stay away from this place. It’s the lowest rated birth center/ midwife center in anchorage for a reason.

Geneva Woods delivered top-notch care across the board – midwives, physical therapists, and lactation consultants – a stellar team! Their personalized care demonstrated a profound understanding of my needs. They surpassed all of my expectations. My heartfelt thanks for the outstanding care that made my prenatal and birthing experience genuinely special.

I am SO grateful we chose these midwives and this midwifery. I had personally never had any experience with a midwife before, and, admittedly I was a little skeptical at first, given that i was raised in a family of doctors, dentists, and lawyers. We had a chance to meet all of the midwives during our process, who were all stellar, and we were lucky enough to have our labor and delivery undertaken with Molly and Camille. Molly and Camille made the right decisions every step of the way. They kept us informed, and their availability was outstanding! Due to the nature of our pregnancy, we had to make important decisions quickly at the last minute, and having professionals who were so well trained and who had so much experience made all the difference. I have a happy, healthy, little baby girl, and Im so happy I chose these professionals. I strongly recommend this midwifery above all others. If I could give 10 stars, I would.

I gave birth at Geneva Woods Birth Center in July 2018. This was my second child and a completely different experience from an OB pregnancy and hospital birth. The midwives spend so much more time with you during prenatal appointments and really get to know everything about you. They welcome partners and older siblings at appointments. It was a joy to go to appointments, not a chore.The midwives have a very evidence-based approach to care. Everything is your choice but they can give plenty of information for why they make suggestions.Giving birth at Geneva Woods was the best experience of my life! I was able to walk around and do what felt comfortable for me during labor. I felt so supported by the midwives and nurses. My older child was able to be in the center for the birth and everyone who came to help us was warmly welcomed by the staff. After the baby was born, the nurses helped make sure I was as comfortable as possible and that I felt totally confident to go home.If I choose to have another child, there is nowhere else I will go!

I had my son at GWBC a little over a year ago, and it was such an incredible, powerful, and beautiful experience! The midwifery team I had was so wonderful, and I felt so confident and safe in their care. This was my first birth and I greatly appreciated the time the midwives spent with me during my appointments. I actually never saw a nurse or medical assistant, the appointments were 100% with the midwife. I would absolutely recommend this birth center and team of midwives to any mothers looking to take their birth experience outside of the hospital. GWBC is family focused and during labor, allows the mother to take reign of her birth. There is no pressure to do things a certain way, the mothers intuition is able to guide her through her journey. The midwives are also very knowledgeable and able to recognize signs that a mother may need to be transferred to a hospital for the safety of her or her baby.

My husband and I welcomed our first baby girl with the help of the wonderful staff at Geneva Woods Birth Center in July 2019. We can’t say enough wonderful things about all of the women we worked with there. We received such personalized, supportive care, which made our experience being pregnant and giving birth incredibly positive. Each midwife we met with while pregnant made us feel informed and like we were doing all we could to have a safe and calm delivery. They included both my husband and I in each visit / discussion / decision, which made us feel even more connected throughout the process. I gave birth at The Nest with the help of Hayley, Dana, and a fantastic birth assistant - they made me feel incredibly supported and safe during what was an intense but amazing event. We are so grateful to everyone at Geneva Woods and will definitely be back when it’s time for baby #2. Thank you ladies so much - we can never truly explain how grateful we are!

We experienced prenatal care from both hospitals and Geneva Woods. We found the providers at the latter were far more thorough, attentive, knowledgeable and caring. It was nice to have someone always available to answer any questions or concerns. It was important that we knew the person who was going to deliver our baby versus what we might find in a standard obstetrician’s practice. During birth itself, the midwives were helpful when needed but also knew when to step back and give us space. The room was incredibly comfortable and had all the amenities my partner could have wanted for delivering a baby. If you have a low-risk pregnancy and are hoping for minimal interventions, this is an excellent option. If we have another baby, we would have it here in a heartbeat.

This is the best possible place and staff I could imagine giving birth with. Loving, professional, extremely knowledgeable, clean, safe, fun and caring. I am pregnant again and cannot wait to give birth here! The staff is wonderful. They take the time to ask questions, and answer all of mine. They super helped me understand the billing side of things and worked with insurance. Scheduling appointments was very easy. Its super kid friendly and my toddler loves going there and playing while I have appointments. I had my first child with the midwife Barbara Norton and had a wonderful experience. I didnt really realize how much space I would want while giving birth. Barbara was great because she gave me lots of space, but was there when I really needed her! At one point my daughter was pinned up against my cervix and pushing against my public bone, which wasnt letting me push her out. Barbara manually helped her through my cervix so I could start pushing. In the beggining before my contractions got serious we all met at the birth center, it was too early so we all went home. Then she stopped by our home when it got a little more serious and then we all drove to the birth center. So much care, she went out of her way to help and was very kind and professional. She was really there for us. I would highly recommend Geneva Woods Birth Center to anyone. Alaska is lucky to have such an amazing team.

We had the care of Geneva Woods midwives assisting in the birth of our first child as we transferred to an in-hospital birth. Though our birth plan ended far unlike any way we planned it, I cannot imagine going through that process without the help of this phenomenal team. They have a knowledge, passion, and respect for empowering and healthy home birth that is unparalleled. It meant so much to have their advocacy by my side each step of the way during times I felt I was at my worst. Having Barbara at the hospital to help navigate and communicate my needs with the nurses was so valuable. She truly cares for each client and supports them through this process. We only have positive things to rave about this birth center and their staff. Would wholly recommend choosing them for your birthing needs. We hope we are fortunate to cross paths with this talented team once again.

Can’t speak highly enough about Geneva Woods Birth Center. I switched to the center about halfway through my pregnancy and I’m so glad I did. They had my back from everyday pregnancy concerns to serious issues during my hospital delivery and everything in between. They explained things clearly, presented options, and offered excellent follow-up care. And at my 6-week checkup, they focused on my personal wellness in a way that I deeply appreciated.Bottom line: I received fantastic care during the most intense experiences of my life! Go here!

My birth experience was amazing I will start with that. I feel the care I received and my baby were amazing. Their financial department is another story. I received a bill over a year after my child’s birth. For charges that were supposed to be paid for on my prepaid self pay option. This is why I am giving them a poor star rating because of their financial department.

I was able to be peaceful and non-fearful during the birth of my first child two years ago because I could trust completely in the competence and care of the staff at Geneva Woods Birth Center. They were so wonderful and made the whole experience as peaceful and safe as it could possibly be. I cant imagine a better first birth experience. I look forward to this same comfort when I give birth again, this time in the new location. This sense of peace during birth was/will be made possible by the thorough prenatal visits in which I can ask any questions I need to ask, by the individualized care given throughout the pregnancy, and by the general respect for birth that the CNMs show. That ability to birth without fear really comes from knowing that the midwives -- led by Barbara Norton, who has dedicated her entire career to reading and engaging with the research evidence -- review evidence regularly and update guidelines accordingly, marrying practice wisdom with evolving evidence. And it comes from knowing that their c-section rate is extremely low, their transfer rate is right in line with national birth center expectations and averages, their transfer process to the hospital (if need be) is smooth because they have privileges there, and their outcomes for babies and mama are really good. The fact that they are accredited is an assurance too, because I know that means voluntarily agreeing to higher standards. These are the kinds of things that put a mama like me at ease.The other thing that helped so much with my first birth was that they partner with Jen Allison to offer childbirth preparation classes, and her class was fundamental to my preparation and my husbands preparation on a logistical/physical level of knowing pain-coping techniques, but even more so on an emotional level to prepare us to communicate with each other during the birth. Jen, as a nurse and doula, helped my husband be the best doula I could ask for. Im so glad that Jen is a part of the Geneva Woods team and can offer this to other families.

Geneva Woods Birthing Center is one of the best experiences I have ever had with healthcare. They are very receptive to their patients needs and do a wonderful job answering questions. We had an amazing birth experience here! All the staff and midwives are compassionate and provide the best care possible! For our next birth, we will definitely be going back to Geneva Woods!

Two of my three children have been born at Geneva Woods. I wish my first had been born there, too! Compared to the hospital experience, GW is much more personal, caring, and just as competent. I am not treated as a patient at GW; I am treated as a person. That difference is critical, not just during labor, but also at prenatal visits and postnatal checkups.I have recommended GW to my family members and friends, and several have had babies born there. All have been pleased and would return. If my husband and I have another child, we will definitely choose GW again.

I love this team and would go nowhere else for my pregancies. Unfortunately, I have not given birth at GW due to unforeseen last min complications in both labors. The care I received in prenatal visits, during labor and delivery (the midwives delivered both of my children at Providence hospital and represented my desires strongly to the staff there), and beyond has been exceptional. I plan to continue my relationship with these incredible woman for all my gynecological needs and family planning into the future.

Have never been to Geneva, HOWEVER, Dana was a student when she helped deliver my baby and the experience was wonderful. I had dealt with her on a couple of different occasions in office and then again at delivery. You can tell she is passionate about her job and truly cares about her patients experience. This post comes all the way from Texas!!

PLEASE read this review before making a decision to elect Geneva Woods BC (GWBC) as your provider.Here are the facts. Because GWBC does not conduct ultrasounds, I had my first appointment for my current pregnancy with Alaska Family Sonogram on 2/3/2016. I was 12 weeks 4 days along, and my ultrasound illustrated a health baby boy. AK Family conducted an abdominal ultrasound only, and the sonographer told me from what I can tell, you do not have placenta previa. She went on further to explain that it was difficult to determine at such early point because the placenta was newly formed.One day later, on 2/4/2016, I suffered an unexpected, mass bleeding incident. This was outside of business hours, so I went straight to the emergency room at Providence Hospital. While I was there I was given two ultrasounds, abdominal and transvaginal. This time the sonographer explained that they could not determine if placenta previa was causing the bleeding from the abdominal ultrasound, and offered a similar explanation as the sonographer at Alaska Family Sonograms. When the ER sonographer conducted the transvaginal ultrasound, total placenta previa was easily diagnosed and confirmed by the Radiologist likewise.The next morning, 2/5, I called the Head Midwife at GWBC and left her a message. Before calling me back she acquired my records from the ER the night before. She called me back at around 10am, and explained to me that I had placenta previa. She walked me through what to expect including bleeding into the next week.On Saturday night, 2/6/2016, I decided to check my work email... much to my surprise I had received an email from the same HEAD midwife at GWBC on 2/6/2016..she had emailed me shortly after we spoke on the phone. She DID NOT call me to relay the following information (this was the content of her email):Sent: Friday, February 05, 2016 10:41 AMSubject: ultrasoundAshley,Your ultrasound from AK Family Sonograms came today. You do not have a placenta previa! Providence is not as good at ultrasound, so I would trust this one more. Bleeding unexplained, but no previa. Good news.I honestly could not believe what I read in the email. First, she badmouthed a renowned hospital- Providence. Second, she changed her original diagnosis and DID NOT call me, which would have given me the option to seek further care that day (it was Friday, still in the morning hours). If she had called me, I would have sought further medical attention that day as, in my opinion, unexplained bleeding in the second trimester (13 weeks at this point), is NOT good news, and is not an acceptable diagnosis.Perplexed, I called the GWBC 24 hour on-call phone number. I told the service center I was worried beyond belief and that I was experiencing unexplained bleeding in my second trimester. About ten minutes later I received a call back, and I thought for sure it was the on-call midwife. It was the service center, the woman told me she explained my situation to the on-call midwife who then told her, to tell me, that is not an emergency and she will need to call back Monday. In total disbelief at this point, I expressed my anger to the service center.Today, 2/8/2016, I called GWBC and asked if I could come in to have the babys heart rate checked. They permitted my appointment to check the heart rate at 2:15pm. I went in and was seen by the same HEAD midwife. She rudely called my name Ashley, and then quickly walked out of the room.. I wasnt even sure if that meant I should follow her. When we got to the room she checked and confirmed the heartbeat.Then she sat me down and told me that we needed to discuss my call to the 24 hour on-call phone number. She proceeded to explain to me that the on-call is for emergencies only, like bleeding, labor or severe pain. I told her, but I was bleeding. She said, well yes, but I explained this to you Friday on our phone call (failing to note that she changed my diagnosis via emailed shortly after the phone call). She then told me I needed to find my care elsewhere and abruptly left.

I have given birth at two other birth centers (not in alaska) and I was very happy with my experience here. The staff are knowledgeable, and friendly. The center is very nice, clean, and updated. I enjoyed my first water birth here and look forward to doin it again :)

Great birth centre, all staff are amazing and caring. Would recommend to anyone with low risk pregnancies or just general women’s care.

I got a bill TWO YEARS after the fact after receiving mediocre “physical therapy”. This is UNETHICAL and unacceptable.

Theyre incredibly kind to my wife and they are helping her pregnancy go so smoothly.