Rebecca Polston, CPM, LM

Very kind, genuine people here! Was there only for business, but when I mentioned that my wife and I had just had our first baby, they asked after my wife's and the baby's well-being--and even gave me something very nice to take home for my wife! Very cool :D
Mar 19th, 2021

If you are considering an "out of hospital" birth at all, you need to have your baby here. The midwives here provide the most holistic care I've experienced anywhere in the Twin Cities. I would trust any of them to deliver my baby any day. Besides that, the care you get after having your baby is unparalleled. They provide several home visits, and a couple of group postpartum appts, all well before your 6 week checkup. If you have questions in between appts, they are great at answering messages or phone calls very quickly. I simply cannot speak highly enough of this place. My birth here was as good as a birth can get; basically my "dream" birth.
Jun 23rd, 2020

My clients have nothing but amazing things to say about their care with Roots. I work with families in a multitude of ways and have had an overwhelming number of parents share their feelings of being welcomed, supported, and heard here with each and every staff member. After attending several births here myself, I whole-heartedly agree! I gladly recommend Roots for all expecting parents wanting to say the same things about their birth experience!
May 4th, 2020

When in labor you have to call this center that notifies the midwife to call you back. Which quite honestly is a HORRIBLE service. The second time I called the lady who my partner spoke to had no clue what they were doing and was not going to let the on-call midwife know we had called again because he called instead of me. I found that very disturbing and frustrating especially while I'm in pain having to talk and advocate for myself for the lady to try again. She did and then passed on our message to the on-call midwife. On the second call, I specifically said to her, "I would like to come in because the pain was getting bad and me and my partner could not do it alone anymore" (Our Doula had pretty much bailed on us and was not willing to come to our house to help labor and would only come to the center if the exam that was preformed said "I was in active labor"). The midwife proceeded to tell me that I have two options. 1: stay home and keep laboring by ourselves (insert confused face) or 2: come in about an hour, when she could get there from her home in Saint Paul and have a vaginal exam. (Which I thought was optional?? But it seemed that if I did not agree to the exam I would not be seen.) Then stay there for 4 hours and go from there. I was very annoyed because I had already made my mind up that I wanted to go in, but apparently she didn't hear me and her telling me how long it might take her to get to the center felt really discouraging. Especially since, when I had one of my weekly meetings I asked how soon I could come in if I was in labor. Which they told me there was no set "stage of labor" when I could or couldn't come in. So to call in and have the midwife pretty much make it seem like she didn't really want us to come in was very saddening and when I ultimately made my decision to go back to the hospital that I had switched from. Honestly one of the best decisions I made. My child birth was slightly complicated and I know Roots would not have had the tools or resources to have my baby be healthy and safe like she is today. But in all fairness I understand that others have had positive experiences and that is why I gave this facility 3 starts. Because the check-in visits were good, but when it actually came down to the labor, I feel like it was handled poorly. Listed below are the Pro's and Con's of giving birth here. **Positives** -Natural -Very welcoming setting to bring in a new child. -2 main nurses are very informative and kind. -They offer classes for parents to take on childbirth and aftercare. -Small center, you get to know 3 main midwifes that work full time. -Offer doula volunteers if you can't afford one out of pocket. -Offer fresh produce. -Given at-least 30min to meet with midwifes per visit, you aren't rushed. -You get a breast pump and blood pressure monitor through insurance. -Was close to where I was staying. -They have their own patient portal. -Help you write a birth plan. -Help you prepare for paperwork. **Negatives** -You won't get immediate service, expect at-least an hour wait. -Have to jump through hoops to reach on call midwife. -The weekend on call midwife is the owner who you never get to meet before hand. Also, the weekend nurse for delivery you don't get to meet before hand. -You have to wait for a call back from midwives. -Inconsistent information on delivery midwife care. -Would have to be transferred to North Memorial if complications arise. -Don't provide continuous fetal monitoring. -Forced vaginal exam if you want to be seen while in labor. TIP - Get a phone that can be shared among the midwives instead of this third party service that is such an obstacle to reach a midwife.
May 7th, 2020

Our birth with Roots, from the first day to the last in-home postpartum appointment, was absolutely phenomenal. This was our first child and the entire experience was new for us. We wanted a more holistic and natural birth while still assisted by trained and educated professionals. The entire Roots staff made us feel welcomed, cared for, and most importantly--heard. Their center provided many opportunities for free educational classes and opportunities to meet other families going through the same process we were. Every appointment felt personal and included extra time to focus on talking through our questions, concerns, and the emotional feelings of the pregnancy and preparing for the delivery. The birthing experience was more than I could have hoped for. I was surrounded by support and understanding in a warm and comforting environment. I felt that everyone advocated for my best interest and the wishes I had shared when the situation arose. I never felt scared of birth, I went in to it feeling fully prepared and ready. Extra ready, because this baby was was almost a full two weeks late! My labor was long but beautiful and intensely personal. We can't say enough how thankful we are for Roots helping us guide our healthy boy into this world ❤️. It is an experience we will never take for granted and if fortunate enough, would return again!
May 7th, 2020