A First Birth Experience with Dr. Haugen and the OB Team

When first time mom Brianna Sanders found out she was pregnant, she had to make a decision on who she wanted to deliver her baby, Lila Bee. She couldn’t be happier with her choice of Dr. Matthew Haugen, a family medicine provider for Perham Health.

“It was a great experience. Dr. Haugen is very calm, reassuring, and personable. I would recommend him to anyone,” says Brianna. “It is really wonderful that he is Lila Bee’s doctor as well. He quickly went from being a stranger to being part of the family.”

Brianna says of her experience at Perham Health that it was “really positive. The birth center felt like I was staying at a luxury hotel. I was taken aback by how calm the experience was,” says Brianna. “Dr. Haugen and my main nurse Ainsley made me feel like everything was under control. And in the clinic, Bobbi and Megan, RN OB Care Managers, have been great resources and very available throughout the whole experience.”

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. Haugen joined Perham Health a year and a half ago. Growing up in Pelican Rapids, he wanted to come back home. He enjoys all aspects of family medicine, but says, “there isn’t anything I enjoy more than delivering a baby. There is nothing like it.” Dr. Haugen has delivered countless babies and has experience in complex and high risk pregnancies. “I have a lot of comfort in that area,” he comments.

One of the benefits of having a family medicine provider deliver your baby is they continue to care for the baby after birth, and can take care of other members of the family too. Dr. Haugen not only is Lila Bee’s doctor, he is also her mom, dad and grandma’s doctor. “As a family medicine provider, I can care for the whole family. This makes the continuity of care better and we can offer more knowledgeable care overall when we have the whole family context,” he explains.

Dr. Haugen and the nurses at Perham Health work to make sure the whole OB process is a positive experience for all involved. “I do a lot of laying out options and try to tailor care and information to each parent,” he says. “We tend to be open to what the moms wants. The moms deliver, I am just there to catch,” he jokes.

As part of Brianna’s OB experience, she worked with RN OB Care Managers, Bobbi and Megan.  This unique program offered by Perham Health has nurses that walk hand in hand with new moms throughout the whole pregnancy, birth, and after mom and baby are home.

The service includes prenatal counseling, birth planning, regular meetings and checkups throughout the pregnancy, delivery, postpartum counseling, and even lactation services. “Bobbi and Megan were always available to answer my questions through everything. Even after Lila Bee’s birth they call me once a week to check in to see how I am doing,” says Brianna.

“Brianna was a joy to work with. It was so much fun to watch her prepare for Lila Bee and grow as a mom,” comments Bobbi.

As for new mom and dad, Brianna and Alec, Dr. Haugen says, “It was really a blast working with them. Brianna was impressive, in less than 24 hours after induction, we had a baby.”

As for new baby Lila Bee, “I am happy to be taking care of her now. She is a fat and happy little bundle of joy.”

Interested in seeing Dr. Haugen? Call the clinic at 218-347-1200!

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