Apple Tree Maternity

My appointment was for 9 so I got there about 15 minutes early and of course not only is it not open but no one was around. A lady finally showed up about 8:57 and said "well we don't open til 9 what's the point in being early", then when we got in the office she said doctor texted that she was going to be late! I replied guess I will text my boss and she responded oh you actually work well reschedule then I simply said no thank you I already got the time off and am now sitting here still waiting for the doctor.... what if I was in labor, could I trust she will not be late then? Not sure this is the place for me and super hope no one else has this stressful experience!

If you are pregnant and wondering if you should choose care from a midwife—do yourself a giant favour and go with Apple Tree. The care I received throughout my pregnancy and delivery was exemplary. I was never left to wonder over even the most minor concern. I felt so well taken care of from start to finish. The follow-up home care is a Godsend with these incredible, caring, and compassionate group of women coming into your home and checking in on you and your new babe—truly a HUGE gift. I can’t say enough how happy I am that I went with Apple Tree. Thank you ❤️

Staff were friendly and supportive on the surface but repeatedly dismissed legitimate concerns which nearly cost mine and my son’s lives. 10/10 would not recommend. Edit: My name has been changed. I have written to the clinic twice with my concerns over the last two years with no response. Please don’t pretend your clinic cares because my review is public this time. Shame on you.

I actually can’t post my experience because it was so bad I think Google is flagging it as inappropriate! (I told the story and recalled word for word what happened/was said to me and they won’t post the review!) Suffice it to say I was made to feel terror (real, raw terror) over a condition that happens to up to 1/3 of all women and clears up in 9/10 of those. (I was diagnosed at 19 weeks, and was entirely cleared by 24–with my new midwives & medical team.) The next steps for my condition were never taken (I was just told to be very afraid) even though that’s all that was recommended (a follow up) by the radiologist who found my symptoms. I was almost put on bed rest “for risk of bleeding” but they never took my blood type (which would have been seriously bad news if I did indeed start bleeding). My new midwives called it “urgent” for me to get in an get my blood type tested ASAP—they also flagged other basic tests for me to take that were never done by Apple Tree… And I had a potentially very precarious & very dangerous OTHER condition that was totally and completely shrugged off by the AT team (when it should have been the main focus of a follow-up scan—to see if it posed a risk—bc if it did pose a risk it could have been *fatal* to me and my child). I liked many of the midwives/doctors there. I liked all of them until I had a complication. Maybe a straight forward pregnancy would be ok? I don’t know, but getting ready for birth now it’s clear that being made to feel afraid is that last thing you want to do to a pregnant woman; I was made to feel unjustly, and absolutely, terrified. Not only that, little to nothing was actually DONE. I had to calm myself with my own research bc no one I talked to knew anything about my condition (tho they all had an extremely negative outlook on it). It was unprofessional to say the least. The other stuff they didn’t do is just medically negligent… I’m very pleased to have changed providers (PS I’m still under midwife care and they are so on top of it—it’s not the profession so don’t let this scare you off midwives! I also think it’s very hard and unfair to judge a whole office that probably includes some amazing providers, but judging from other reviews there’s definitely a culture at this office that really isn’t serving them or the women they care for.)

I ended up switching to a private midwive because I was treated unfairly and was not getting the proper care that I needed. From the beginning, I had been told that I should get a transvaginal ultrasound done due to a low lying placenta. This would have saved me from a lot of grief, and prepare me for a cezearian. Unfortunately, I was told 3 times that i just had anxiety and that I needed to trust them. "I'm a professional and have children of my own. I know what I am talking about. Work on your anxiety today okay." After pushing and advocating for myself, and booking my own appointments that wereth forgotten countless times, or felt that I didn't need any further ultrasound appointments, I chose to switch midwives. Im so glad that I was able to trust my intuition. At 35 weeks, I was diagnosed with Vas Previva. A very rare pregnancy where blood vessels line the cervix, making it an extremely high risk pregnancy of bleeding out if you have contractions. This meant that I had to have an emergency cezearian in Kelowna. Something that I could have been prepared for but apple tree kept telling me "You'll have a normal birth. You're placenta will move up more. You don't need to be so worried we will take care of you." "You don't need the transvaginal ultrasound." "You're not going to have a cesarean." I'm disappointed and upset with the care that I got. Incase someone is reading this, and does not know, there is a 60% chance of still birth if the diagnosis goes undetected. Read that again! My mommy instincts were right. There was something wrong. I hope you take this seriously, and your team does some reflection, on how you can treat your patients with compassion and empathy. Unfortunately my experience was unprofessional with you.

Apple Tree Maternity is such an amazing place full of great resources for new parents in Nelson and we are beyond lucky to have a team of midwives who cares so much about this small community. Rural healthcare is not easy and filled with such knowledgeable providers and Apple Tree goes above and beyond. The midwives work tirelessly to provide this calibre of care and I am so thankful I had a team with BIPOC midwives to provide me with care as a transitioned into motherhood. I felt understood and heard every step of my pregnancy. Even when I did not agree with some advice, I knew I was in good enough hands to share that and move forward still amicably. I really cannot stress enough how special it was for me as a black person to have people of colour, familiar faces, surrounding me as I gave birth to my first child and caring so diligently for me through it all.

I can’t even describe for the amazing service this maternity clinic provides for our community. Had both of my sons with apple tree and all the midwife’s have been so supportive making me feel super strong and confident to bring my boys to this world. The service was incredible from the moment I found out I was pregnant until postpartum. Always available through the phone or in person, I would not recommend any other clinic than Apple tree.