Sally was the perfect fit for us when I had my first child a few years ago. I started out with a wonderful OB, but as my extremely uncomplicated pregnancy went on, I felt a bit nervous to go into labor knowing that I wouldn't necessarily have my OB present at the birth (she was part of a practice and wouldn't necessarily have been on-call), and birth at a hospital, even in Seattle, can become quickly medicalized if things are taking "too long," etc. My husband and I wanted to have medical resources if necessary, but also wanted to feel confident that interventions would not be recommended unless they were really needed. Sally came highly recommended from friends and we liked her right off the bat, plus we could deliver at Swedish with her. She had plenty of time for all our questions during appointments and never called me "Mom" (a pet peeve of mine!). :) But the best part was delivery. I was in early labor on and off for 3 days, and made multiple calls to Sally to report on progress. She was great, and made time on a Monday evening to have me come in and get checked to see where things were. It was actually a few more days of off and on early labor before things really kicked in. We arrived at the hospital before Sally, already ready to push. There were great nurses there and the OB on call came in, but when Sally arrived, it was like calm entered. She knew exactly the right things to do and could tell me exactly what to expect at each stage. My husband was part of it all and got to "catch." Every birth is different, but we felt lucky with ours and to have Sally there for us. If you want a no-nonsense yet incredibly supportive, experienced and calming presence in your pregnancy and delivery, there's no one better than Sally.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Sally is the most wonderful woman i have ever met. I had been recommended to Evergreen Medical Center and had a doctor named Dr. Stemmerman. She was so cold and fast. There was no time to ask questions and when I did ask a question she seemed annoyed. Finally at 7 months I was starting to get very nervous about being uncomfortable when I went into labor so I cancelled all my appointments with her when I was referred to Sally. Our first appointment was at 6 in the evening when both my husband and I could meet her. It was in her home. We waited in her living room on her big couchs and her beautiful golden retrievers. She brought us back to her office that was warm and welcoming. She spent time talking about what I wanted during labor and actually cared about both my husband and I. She checked me in to the hospital before I got there and had me sign all the papers so that I didnt have to when i got there. She was there with me through all of my labor and is the only face I remember. She told me to do what felt right for me. She is so experienced and so loving. She has a great relationship with group health so that if anything went wrong or I need any pain meds they were there to help but they trust Sally and they do not intervene unless she asks. I love Sally! My husband loves Sally! We will have all of our babies with her.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I saw Sally for my second VBAC. She was very knowledgable and I appreciated her hands off, laid back approach. I felt very comfortable with her and knew that I was getting excellent care. If I have another kiddo, I'll use Sally again!

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

2 weeks before birth did not notice that position of my baby had changed

during labor she stood in the back of the room and talked with another nurse. my partner clearly was unable to help me through breathing.

Sally helped me with exactly one contraction.

As soon as I requested pain medication (baby was pressing on my bladder and I was unable to pee, she kind of gave up on me.

She left the hospital after I'd been in labor for 8 hours, did not arrange backup midwife

finally, at 20 hours, the heart rate monitor was fluctuating wildly. Nurses were concerned and called her several times while she was attending another birth, she kept saying she would be there soon. A nurse told me they did not have the expertise to understand the fetal monitor readings, and so they had to call a different midwife. This was at 1:00 a.m. 2nd midwife arrived and instructed emergency c-section because my baby was in distress

It turns out that because my baby was pressing against the bones of my pelvis, he was wedged into a position where he never would have been able to reach the birth canal. Sally never noticed this. I felt him change position 2 weeks before birth and went to see her, but she felt around externally and did not notice anything. She could have helped in the next two weeks or at labor to get him to change position.She basically gave up on me.

finally C-section was performed. She showed up to cut the cord--I'm assuming so that she could bill insurance.

About 36 hours after my baby was born, Sally showed up at the hospital to "visit." She was ingenuous, and later claimed that since it was the 5 -yr anniversary of a health issue for her, she was "stressed."

The truth is she was attending another birth, for a familiy for whom she'd already delivered 5 babies. She was unable to leave the celebrating after that easy birth, which went on for hours, and her promises to return to the hospital where I was in an increasingly dangerous labor were just excuses.

It was an absolutely lonely and awful experience for me, to have trusted her and been completely wrong

At the time I would have pursued legal action, but was so shocked by the experience and then so overtaken by the joy of having my son, I did not. But it felt like a trauma from which it took a long time to heal.

I had a funny feeling about her about mid-way through my pregnancy, and should have paid attention to that.

Report Abuse

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful to you?

Sally is an amazing midwife with a wealth of experience and knowledge. She delivered both my children. She has her own practice, so it does keep her moving at all times and that might be hard for moms-to-be who require a lot of undivided attention.

Report Abuse

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful to you?