Altru's Obstetrics and Gynecology

"Had a appointment scheduled for over a month on March 13th which is today to have my wife induced today because she’s high risk and they tell us they don’t have time and are to full."

"My experience with Dr. Barbot and the staff have been amazing! They assisted me with any questions I had or concerns!"

"My experience with Dr. Wildey and the nursing staff has been amazing. My birth plan was taken seriously and read thoroughly by the nurses and Dr. Wildey and he never pushed me to do anything I was not comfortable and steered clear of unnecessary interventions. Not all doctors I have interacted with during appointments had the same mentality. One specifically kept letting me know I could be induced any time if I wanted. That was a bit frustrating. There are a lot of opportunities to improve birthing philosophies at Altru (adding midwife care and more natural birthing areas). We seem to be quite a bit behind in Grand Forks. But if you have the opportunity to have Dr. Wildey as your Dr, you will be well taken care of."

"First I'll say that I LOVE Melissa Monson!! She is the best person in that office! Love her!!!!! She is so personable, kind, listens, helpful, just completed awesome! She gets 5+ stars! I'm sure there might be a few good doctors in the office, but I didn't see any of them. I had my 6th baby at altru and it was hands down the worst experience ever! And I've had some rough births. With my 5th baby I did hypnobirthing in Idaho and it was the most amazing experience and awesome birth ever. I was really looking forward to repeating that experience and enjoying the pregnancy and birth with our last baby. Dr Eickenbrock was my doctor. She didn't listen to anything I said. When I wanted to talk about my birthing plan and ask my questions she glazed over and was not at all involved or interested in anything I said or what I wanted for my birth. At every visit I left feeling stupid and like I had no idea what I was doing... I had already had 5 babies, I've had more experience that she has giving birth. I told her every visit that I wanted a natural birth and yet right after I would say that she talk about being induced. I felt like she only knew one way to deliver babies and had no concept that there could possibly be any other options. It was frustrating and miserable. I felt like I wasn't a person, but another number to add to her list of deliveries. Also, with my 5th baby they stripped my membranes and I delivered 3 hours later. When she stripped my membranes we were expecting to go straight to the hospital, but she sent us home and talked like maybe I'd deliver within 3 days... Again I felt completely ignored and dismissed that I know my body and I know how to have a baby. We went home and I called in a couple hours later to go to the hospital so I could get comfortable and relax and settle into my room because my labor had started. The resident doctor had the worst bedside manner. She disregard every request I had, she kept interrupting me as I was trying to relax and get into my hypnobirthing mode. I felt like I had no privacy, when I would try to converse with my husband people would butt in and cut me off. I felt like I was on trial for 2 hours to "see if I was really in labor" before I finally told them to put me in a real room already because I was! Again, 6th baby. I know what it feels like. In the room I felt like I was stuck in a corner of the room and couldn't move around or do anything because so many people were always coming in and out. They were pushy and like I said, ignored all of our requests. The one time the real doctor did come in - who I really did want to talk to, I was in the middle of a hard contraction and he left before it was over and never came back until my delivery. At my delivery there were at least 8 or 9 people in the room! Who were all these people?!!! This was my delivery, my moment, my baby. Not a show! I was so mad. It was hands down the worst experience ever! I felt robbed of my special time, of delivering my last baby and enjoying this amazing process. I grieved the loss of that experience for 8 months. It was so hard! During recovery for the next few days, I could hear the conversations going on in the hall and the room next door. The food staff kept leaving my door open to my room, and I'd call the nurses desk for someone to close it and no one would ever come. They rarely ever took my baby so I hardly got any rest. Usually at other hospitals they would take him at night and only bring him in to eat. I don't know why they didn't, but instead I was always changing diapers, feeding him, helpng him to not fuss, etc. I would recommend meeting all the doctors and finding one that fits your style and needs. I'm sure Dr Eickenbrock is great if you want a doctor to tell you what to do and how it's going to be done and you just want to be another number. I'm sure had it been my first baby I wouldn't have known any different. But the hospital wasn't any better... I would deliver at home before I delivered there again. And I do not want to deliver at home, but now I wish I had."

"Absolute crooks and no respect for patients’ time!!! Will code routine visits and follow-ups requested by the obgyn as outpatient hospital visits to make an extra dollar. I’ve spent 30-45 min in the exam room between nurse and dr for a "