The wait wasn’t long for RiverView’s first baby of 2022. Elijah Zae Facundo made his way into the world on Jan. 3 at 12:06 pm, weighing 7 pounds 5.4 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
Elijah is the son of Ciara Cherf and Issiah Facundo, Winger; his grandparents are Carrie Cherf; Kevin Cherf; Jessica Zambrano, and her wife, Jessica.
Ciara wasn’t the “typical” RiverView obstetrics patient. She didn’t become a patient until she was close to her 30th week of pregnancy.
“I wasn’t happy with the first hospital I chose. I didn’t feel like the doctor had enough time for me,” she shared. “At RiverView, I’ve had a chance to see a few doctors, and they’ve been great. The switch to RiverView was really smooth.”
Ciara chose Dr. Lauren Rose as her RiverView provider. Dr. Rose specializes in Family Medicine with Obstetrics. She knew from the beginning that there was a chance Dr. Rose would be out of town when it was time to deliver Elijah. Fortunately, Ciara was also able to see Dr. Kari Wessman, OB-GYN, at two appointments before the delivery. Ciara shared that she was completely comfortable with Dr. Wessman delivering Elijah when he decided to arrive two days after his Jan. 1 due date.
“I really like both Dr. Rose and Dr. Wessman, even though they have very different styles,” she said. “Dr. Wessman has a very confident, take-charge feel, while Dr. Rose is very calm. I am comfortable with both of them.”
Family Medicine provider Dr. Erik Kanten stepped in to provide services for Elijah after delivery.
“I wasn’t sure about having male providers,” Ciara admitted. “I’m more comfortable with females. But with Dr. Kanten and the male nurse anesthetist who gave me my epidural, I felt very comfortable.”
While she said the new hospital and birthing suites are beautiful, she was most impressed with the people who work at RiverView.
“I’d definitely recommend RiverView. Everyone was so reassuring; the nurses were right there when I needed something. I also had great help with breastfeeding. When I had questions, I just called, and someone was right there to help me.
“I had a great experience at RiverView.”
As for Elijah and mom, “He’s doing great. He was stubborn when we were trying to get ultrasounds before he was born, but now that he’s here, he isn’t stubborn at all. And even though I had a lot of morning sickness and heartburn, it was all worth it.”
If you are expecting, contact RiverView Health at 281.9595 for more information on obstetric services.
