Requesting Feedback on Woodwinds Hospital and St Johns Hospital

I have to agree with everyone else, WOODWINDS IS AWESOME! I had two of my kids there and wish I was able to have the first there too. The food is great, my husband thinks I am silly for liking hospital food, but theirs is so good. The last week before my c-sects, I joked about getting to go to Woodwinds for my meals. yum! The nurses are really great,understanding and so helpful. They put a cotton ball with lavender drops on it taped to my gown, it really relaxes you and smells so wonderful.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WOODWINDS!

Woodwinds is AMAZING! We delivered there and our experience from start to finish was great. It honestly feels more like you're in a spa than a hospital even. I also had an outpatient procedure done there, as well as ultrasounds and my daughter had an xray there. Every single time it was very positive and they were extremely helpful and knowledgable!

I delivered my son at Woodwinds and it was awesome! I was there the night before I delivered and my husband and I joked that we felt like we were on vacation (only we knew we weren't on vacation because we couldn't sleep in the same bed!) The food was good and there was always at least two choices at meals, the room full of beverages, muffins, and cookies was great, the bathtub (complete with lavendar salts) was luxurious, etc. Even the view was scenic. I really loved the idea of the picnic lunch so I didn't have to think about lunch right when we got home.

Now for the important stuff. The care was so wonderful! Every nurse I had was fantastic. I also felt that everyone really knew what they were doing and really liked what they did. It was an overall great experience. We looked at both because St. John was closer, but there was just something we both really liked about Woodwinds. Even our pediatrician commented on how we went to the "resort" to deliver and how great the staff is there. Good luck with your decision.

I delivered my son at Woodwinds and I love it! I tell all my friends to go there. It is smaller, and so new and nice that you don't feel like you're in a hospital. My son had jaundice and low glucose levels, so he had to be in the special care nursery-they were so sweet in there! And were very good about letting me decide alot of things. The food was good, the tub was huge and relaxing, the staff were great, and the lactation consultants saved my breastfeeding experience! I didn't pay much attention ahead of time, and got home and couldn't get him to latch on---I called the help line about 50 times! I think the same ladies go out of all Healtheast hospitals? Anyways, a good experience. The only thing is that my husband is 6'5", and the "recliner" he had to sleep in was very small and uncomfortable.

I have delivered at both and they're both great. Woodwinds is much more into making you feel at home and they have a HUGE bathtub in every room, it is much more comfortable at woodwinds in my opinion... but the staff at St. Johns seemed much more knowledgeable . Its a tough choice that's for sure but if I had to do it all again I would have to pick Woodwinds. Hope this helps:)

I delivered both of my daughters at Woodwinds and loved it! I had a midwife which, I feel, made my experience that much better. It was the little things... the first night my nurse asked if I wanted the baby to take her first bath with me in the tub (I never thought of that as an option), they send you home with a "picnic lunch" so you don't have to worry about a meal right away, they have a lactation consultant on hand, the nurses are great, the rooms are awesome... I live right down the street from St. Johns but will defenitely go to Woodwinds for my next delivery. I have heard good things about St. Joe's too. Good luck!

I delivered my twin girls at Woodwinds via C-section in the beginning of July. It was a WONDERFUL experience. One of my daughters was transported to Childrens due to unforeseen medical issues and I got a TON of support from the nursing staff. I had two sessions of healing touch and one of accupuncture (all free while staying there). I cannot believe how great the nursing staff was there. I delivered my son at United and although it was a great hospital with great nurses, Woodwinds blew them out of the water. I wish I had delivered my son there too.

Also, I just read an article in Parents magazine (I think) that stated that Woodwinds Hospital has the highest patient satisfaction rating of any hospital in the country.

I wen to Woodwinds and Joseph's. Woodwinds didn't plug my bed back and I needed their help due to my baby coughing a lot and nobody came. They also had the arm blood pressure on me and it wouldn't release its grip when I was on the table and I had to say something to them before it fell off. I was not impressed with the care I received at Woodwinds. St. Joseph's is awesome.

I had to decide between United and St Johns. All my friends said St Johns. They loved it and wouldn't have their babies anywhere else. I chose St Johns and had a great experience. The nurses are great!!!

A friend of mine is a Labor and Delivery nurse at Woodwinds, however; she said she really likes it there (though she used to be at St Johns and liked it too). I have heard great things about both places so it is just a matter of which will be better for you. I picked St Johns because it was closer. Woodwinds might be better for you.

I went to St. Johns and really liked it. However, I've never been to Woodwinds. When I am pregnant with my second child, I just assumed I would go back to St. Johns, but maybe I'll take a tour of Woodwinds and see which one I feel more comfortable in. St. Johns had great nurses and it was very comfortable to me.

I have to say I didn't have as nice of an experience at Woodwinds as everyone else. I don't plan on having another baby (have 2 already) but if I were to have another one it would not be at Woodwinds. Yes the rooms were nice and they offered special oils or whatever but what I really needed was someone to help me take care of the baby after he was born. They don't have a nursery so they leave the baby in your room. At first this sounds real nice...you can bond and so on and so forth but when you have just delivered a baby, had an episitomy, and have thrown your back out from pushing, the last thing you want to be doing is getting out of bed to change a diaper. (By the way, my husband wasn't sleeping over at the hospital because he was at home with my 21 mo old at the time). I can't imagine what it would be like if I had to have had a c-section! I would call the nurses on the button for help and they wouldn't come. At one point my son was chocking from all the phlegm and fluids in his lungs and I paged the nurse to help me suction him because I wasn't getting everything out. No one came! My baby finally coughed stuff up and I fell back asleep. 1 hour later still no nurse! They never seemed to respond to any calls on their pagers...maybe they were deaf. I don't know how St. Johns is but I would NEVER recommend Woodwinds to anyone. My first child was born in Delaware at a wonderful hospital so I can't recommend any other hospitals in MN. Goodluck. I hope you make the right choice.

I delivered twice at woodwinds and will NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE!!!! Its beautiful, Wonderful staff, HUGE rooms, HUGE tubs ( which didn't matter to me since i was a C section) they even do water births there. If your water hasn't broken and you want to hop in your tub they will even give you lavender bath salts. Its so relaxed and calm there. Oh and the food is pretty good too!!! I TOTALLY recommend this hospital. I will have my next child there!

I delivered my first 2 children at St Johns (they will be 10 & 4 next month).

I am due next month with my 3rd and and will ONLY go to St Johns. I loved it there and everyone was really nice. Even when I had my first and all I did was scream at them all...lol

I don't think any of the chairs at any hospitals that turn into a bed are comfortable for the men, but hey, we are the ones that just gave birth - not them...lol

Good luck and Congrats!!!

I'm adding another vote for Woodwinds :-)

I delivered my son there this past April, and it was AMAZING. We actually lived not even 5 minutes from St John's, but I am so glad we drove the extra distance to Woodwinds. The staff was SO nice, I got my epi as soon as I requested it (no questions asked and no pushing for the staff to go longer without - my biggest fear, lol); however, in the short time I was waiting for the epi the nurse helped me with my breathing and was AWESOME. She totally helped me focus, and I could have lasted probably another hour or so without the epi and with her coaching (and I had horrible back labor).

Like some other posters, I used one of the HealthEast midwives, and she was in the room by my side from 6cm until after the delivery (and would have been in to stay earlier, but there was another delivery - after that was done she honestly did not leave my room until my son was born).

The bathtubs were awesome - I asked if I could take one home, lol. The LC was great and helped a lot - I would totally recommend the breastfeeding class they offer there in the mornings. I'll be honest and say the bed and recliner were not as comfy as they could have been, but come on, it IS a hospital, and they were NOT terrible, just not luxury like everything else was. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I asked my boyfriend if I could go back to Woodwinds, not for any medical reason, but just for a vacation!

We moved to South Minneapolis, and when we have our next baby I think that both my boyfriend and I will be in favor of making the drive to Woodwinds. We have BOTH said numerous times that we are so glad that's where we choose to have our son.

I am going to jump on the bandwagon and say Woodwinds also... I had my baby there last august and I LOVED it. I was in labor for 36 hours with all kinds of issues, but throughout it all, the staff was amazing. The midwife that delivered me was AMAZING. I loved her so much and all of the nurses were really, really great. I would definitely say Woodwinds!

I LOVED Woodwinds! I felt like I was staying in a hotel. The nurses were great, and my clinic is downstairs so my doctor was in the building, though she didn't come til the last minute like I guess they all usually do. The food was great, not what I would imagine to be "hospital food". They have large bathtubs you can soak in while you are in labor or when you are recovering. They have a lactation consultant that comes in. I know they have different amenities available during labor but I just wanted to get my epidural ASAP, so I didn't take advantage of any of them. My 9 year old stepson had a sleepover in the room with us the second night and the staff was very accomodating to that. My husband also did comment that the fold out chair-bed was a little stiff and uncomfortable but what do you expect? At least they offered a place for him to sleep, ya know? I felt as if I was on vacation and could really relax and just enjoy my new baby! They do rooming in so baby is always with mom in the room unless they are with the nurses for a test or if you need a break and ask them to wwatch them for a little bit. I would HIGHLY reccomend it there.