As Holly Rohlik sits comfortably in a clinic exam room holding her new baby, Cooper, you would never guess she was talking about her 26 hours of labor that ended in a caesarian section. “We had the best experience; it was laid back and relaxed. Between our doctor (Dr. Stephanie Buhler) and the nurses we joked around with, they really made it an all-around great experience,” Holly recalls of her recent labor and delivery at Windom Area Hospital.
Rewind nine months, Holly had found out she was pregnant and was searching for a doctor. Living outside of Wanda, Minnesota, there were several area hospitals to choose from. “One of my friends from Fulda referred me to Windom, which I hadn’t really considered before. What I really like about going to Dr. Buhler (at the Avera Medical Group, Windom) is that you know that the doctor you are seeing for your prenatal visits is going to be your doctor during delivery, and is also going to be the doctor that sees your child as they grow, a true family doctor.” Avera currently has three physicians that practice obstetrics; Dr. Stephanie Buhler, Dr. Mary Olson and Dr. Rodney Dynes. Windom Area Hospital also partners with Dr. Jeffrey Taber from the Windom Family Medical Center to round out the physicians that deliver babies at The Birth Place.
The 26 hours of labor started pretty normal. Holly and her husband, Joe, stayed home and labored there for about 4 hours before coming to the hospital. After being admitted and in the hospital for over 7 hours, Holly’s labor seemed to stall out. Through this time, Holly did take advantage of an intrathecal, which is a pain management option offered at The Birth Place. Through discussions with Dr. Buhler about the labor progression, a caesarian (c-section) was decided upon. However, as the team was getting ready to move Holly to the operating room, the baby was in position to push and plans changed. “I ended up pushing for about 2 ½ hours but Cooper was ‘sunny side up’ and wouldn’t come out. I was totally fine with opting for a c-section since I had given it my all at that point.” Cooper was born shortly after via c-section, with Dr. Buhler leading and Dr. Rodney Dynes assisting. All c-sections must have two physicians present that are credentialed for the procedure. A team of trained nurses, surgery technicians, and anesthetists also help in each delivery.
Getting to know the nursing staff was another high point in Holly’s experience. “It was nice that some of the nurses that helped through delivery also took care of us in the days after. Alaina Reynolds, Lacey Petersen, and Brittney Schichtl all stood out during our stay. They were not only great nurses but had a sense of humor we appreciated.” Patients at Windom Area Hospital have a ‘menu style’ option and can order food any time during the day. “We had great food while we were in the hospital and fast service, I swear they were walking down the hall with it by the time we hung up the phone”, Holly recollects.
Since this was Holly’s first pregnancy, she made sure she also took advantage of the prenatal and breastfeeding classes offered free of charge at Windom Area Hospital. Mary Oeltjenbruns, RN, teaches the classes, along with being a lactation consultant and Lamaze International Childbirth Educator. Holly notes, “I especially found the breastfeeding class helpful. I wanted to hear what could go wrong so I was prepared for the ups and downs of nursing.” This ended up being helpful training for Holly since Cooper had trouble latching after he was born. “Mary worked with us when we were in the hospital and we just kept at it and by the time we left he was latching like a pro. But with the classes I wasn’t disappointed we had obstacles, I know sometimes it is not easy.” The Rohlik’s continue to monitor Cooper’s weight and at the time of the interview, Holly was proud to report he had gained a ½ pound in one week!
Holly and husband, Joe, are settling in with their baby at their acreage outside of Wanda. Joe works as an electrician in Springfield and Holly has a photography studio in Fulda.
The Birth Place at Windom Area Hospital is proud to serve our surrounding communities, delivering approximately 100 babies per year.
During the 2018-2019 football season, our hospital is partnering with the Minnesota Vikings! Each baby born on a game day from September 9th through February 3rd receives a Vikings Newborn Kit, with Vikings gear for baby!