Texas Children's Pavilion for Women — Attraction in Houston

I was reffered here by a wonderful midwife and family friend. It took several days of researching, planning and calling to get an appointment for an orientation with the midwives. I was so elated and greatful to come here, to a place held in such high esteem with the medical community; (being a medical professional myself.) so much that I was willing to drive several cities over and take off half days from work to do so. I wholeheartedly regret that I ever bothered. I was treated so much better at UTMB, and they offer midwifery. If you are looking for a midwife practice that follows traditonal midwifery techniques and beliefs, look elsewhere. This is like no other "midwifery" practice I have delt with. (I am on baby 4 and had midwives with all of my babies.) In the orientation they tell you they believe "less is more" and really sell you on their practice, but my first visit today lasted a good 4 hours. I gave three urine samples, over 10 vials of blood, and they didn't even bother to send my prenatal vitamin script out for me as they promised. I was literally treated like a number, and not a human being. I almost passed out walking to my car and still feel horrible from having so much blood drawn. The midwife grilled me about my medical history as if she was a lawyer and I was on the stand. She kept asking me if I had hepatitus repeatedly because I put on the paper that I was born with jaundice. She literally asked me 5 times if I had hepatitus. She went overboard on anything I had told her about my history, and had obviously labeled me a high risk before even speaking with me. Which is funny, because all 3 of my past midwives got the exact same medical history and said I wasn't high risk at all. I had a bad reaction to a medication I was allergic too and had seizures in the past, and she labeled me as an epileptic . I admitted I had a history of depression and she told me I was at a high risk of committing suicide while pregnant and wanted to reffer me to a pyschiatrist and put me on medication then and there. Just because I told her I had depression as a teenager. I told her firmly I was against medication like that because it would harm my baby and she said, "they won't put you on anything that will hurt the baby." I firmly told her I will not be taking antidepressants again. By this time I was sobbing uncontrollably because of her horrible bedside mannor, and she actually said, "well you seem like you're depressed to me, you are crying now." !!! As if having depression when I was a teenager and crying after hearing all her nonsense makes a diagnosis! She used all kinds of scare tactics and made me completely unconfortable and at my wits end, in a place that was supposed to care about my feelings and my dignity and an appointment which was supposed to be a happy time. In fact, the way she treated me brought me down from overjoyed at my ultrasound to downright miserable. She was harsh, judgemental, and completely twisted my words over and over again. None of my other midwives dared to refer me to a shrink because I was depressed in the past or pressured medications on me. At the end of the day, this place did totally the opposite of what they sold me in orientation. And it really was all about money, because they even called Medicaid for payment already a few hours later; I got a nice "urgent" voicemail from the STAR program at 6 this evening. This is a joke of a midwifery practice if there ever was one. No consideration for my wishes at all, everything I said was dismissed and I was treated like a lab rat and a charity case. I will be choosing UTMB for my labor; they treated me with respect and dignity, and when I asked about my bill they literally told me not to worry about it. And, I doubt they would have forgotton my prenatal vitamins! For a practice who is supposed to care about the health of my baby, Texas Children's really seemed to only care about dangerously excessive labwork, getting paid, and referring me to other services I didn't want or need, after grilling me and talking to me like I was...

I hate having to give bad reviews, but I think my experience could be informative for others and maybe help this facility improve. I experienced two miscarriages before my successful pregnancy, both “treated” at the Pavilion. It’s worth noting, I’m well aware that little can be done medically once miscarriages have begun. However, this part of the review is an indictment of the staff’s bedside manner. From the time I first called my doctor’s office (at the Pavilion) to let them know I was afraid and bleeding, the tone was matter of fact and everyone I spoke to acted as though it was a waste of their time to talk with me. After being transferred around I was told to go to “the clinic”. I said “ok, where is that?” “In this building.” (I’d never been to that building since my miscarriage started before my first appointment with my doctor.) “Thank you, can I get a little I information about where to go when I arrive?” “Just follow the signs.” I thought, ok, it will be abundantly clear... it wasn’t. They could have told me the floor number, given some direction on parking, anything to make me feel more at ease in arrive to the facility while experiencing stress. We arrived at the clinic, mid-day and sat in the waiting room until almost 5pm. I called my doctor’s office (just a floor or two above in the same building) and was told to just keep waiting where I was that my doctor was busy. I was in tears. The nurse in the clinic told me that I should have seen my doctor and they probably wouldn’t get to me for quite some time. She eventually called up to my doctor to let me know I was still waiting at the clinic 4 hours later and FINALLY my doctor “squeezed me in.”

Fast forward to the second miscarriage. I had another sort of “slip through the cracks” experience. I was bleeding. It had all been confirmed to be a miscarriage but because of pain I was referred to the ultrasound tech to have an ultrasound. She was extremely wonderful. But she kept asking me things like “are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” “Is this your first?” I thought, gosh she’s sounding so positive, I guess she’s just trying to keep the hope alive for me... but then the questions and chipper comments became cruel. My husband began to cry. She finally put the wand to my belly and asked “are you having bleeding or cramping?” “Uh, yes... that’s why I’m here.” She was so upset. She said that they are supposed to tell her when a patient is coming in for a suspected miscarriage (for one, bedside manner and two, because it obviously changes what medically she needs to look for). She said she was so sorry and would talk to the person who referred me so it didn’t happen to others. She was so kind. But gosh, that was a very difficult 45 minutes.

Then comes to my pregnancy during Covid: BILLING: It’s the policy that you pay off all outstanding bills prior to being able to check in to see your doctor. Ok. I am financially able to do that. But it raised my eyebrows when my appointments became closer together and I was asked to pay off a bill I had just received, literally, the day before my appointment. I said, “oh, I haven’t even had a chance to review that bill... it’s not technically due yet...” but you have to pay if you want to see the doctor. So I did. If you aren’t able to fork over $300 at the drop of a hat without being able to meaningfully review your bill, I’d think twice about this facility. My second billing concern was Covid related. You are asked to pay for the deliver stay and regular pregnancy appoints in a lump sum at some point around 3 months out from your due date. I did. I read the fine print. It includes all your routine appointments. But with Covid hitting immediately after I paid that bill, I do not feel like I got my money’s worth. Most of my appointments in my third trimester were telehealth or canceled. When it came to delivery, the food was good, my nurse was wonderful, my epidural didn’t take and was repositioned 3 times (due to doctor error with the first placement), and my doctor wasn’t around for any of my follow ups at...

(Stephanie) The earliest I could get in to see an OBGYN was about 4 to 5 weeks there. Not too surpirsing with everything going on these days. Week 10 into my pregnancy I started to have symptoms which were indicative of a miscarriage. It was over the weekend so I spoke with nurse triage which told me my symptoms were most likely not a miscariage, but if my symptoms got worse to go to an ER. I called the next day with the same symptoms, just wanted to get a 2nd opinion. That nurse recommended I call my OBGYN and move my appointment up sooner. I called on Monday and explained my sx and what the nurse recommended I do. The OBGYN office was unable to move my ultrasound any earlier because they do not have enough sonographers (is what I was told). They said if my symptoms got any worse to go to the ER.

It is now Tuesday. I call into work because I am planning on going to the ER. Before I do I call the 2 other OB clinics within the Woman's Pavillion to make sure they cannot see me. They can't. But one recommends I go to their Women's Assessment Center on the 11th floor. They connect me to them and reluctantly the nurse says, "I guess, if the doctor's office told you to come you can, but you should really go to an ER". Quick screen into the building. I fill out my paperwork and wait. About 2 hours later I am called back. Nurse Ruth is taking my vitals and she tells me that I shouldn't have come to this department. It is not an emergency and that "they" (the OB clinics) really need to stop sending their patients here. I am embarassed to be in the "wrong" place so I think. I get to a room where another nurse asks me if I really want to stay because it doesn't seem urgent and it is going to be "realllllllly expensive". I almost walk out, but my gut tells me I need to stay. I can't wait another 3 weeks to see if my baby is okay. I proceed. I say "yes", she rolls her eyes and says the doctor will be in shortly.

About 20 minutes later a nurse Robin enters. She was so welcoming and nice. She didn't judge me for not having a big fun pregnant belly. She listened to my concerns and kept me positive. The doctor came is shortly after, Dr. Leah Antoneiwicz. She was so gentle and explained everything. Unfortunately, my ultrasound did result in no heartbeats. The twins that I had been carrying the last 10 weeks had died in my womb. I didn't even know I was having twins because I still hadn't gotten in to see an OB yet (week 10). The doctor tried to prepare me for the rest to come. No one really talks about what a miscarriage really is like. I took the medication and went through the process at home with the support of my husband.

We called the OBGYN that same day to see if we could move my ultrasound appointment up since I did have a miscarraige and protocol is to make sure the "womb" is now emptied or else I need a surgery/procedure called a D&C. They cannot move my appointment up. So, I decide I want to go elsewhere. I call Methodist hospital who says they can get me in because of my situation in just a couple of days. However, they need the ultrasound report and bloodwork. Well, guess what. It takes 15-20 days for Texas Children's to send medical records at my request to another place. Methodist agrees to ask for the records to expidite the process. I called medical records, W.A.C, billing, the OBGYN office and the office of the Dr. I saw within WAC that was working that day...... NO ONE CAN FIND THE REPORT! and it is not in MyChart. Without this information I cannot see another OBGYN because I started care with someone and they need a full medical record prior to accepting me as a patient.

I already have to pay the EMERGENCY room price for an ultrasound I should have been able to move up with my regular OBGYN. But they couldn't because they don't have enough sonographers. Now, if I want to see another doctor status post my miscarraige prior to the 31st (more than a week away) I need to go to the ER again. So, my insurance is not going to cover the emergency room costs where they would have covered everything...