In 2016 Amy Lakenburger began looking for OB/GYN care because she and her husband wanted to expand their family. It was important to Amy to find someone she could trust with her healthcare, particularly when the time came to add to her family. “I knew all of the providers at Hannibal Regional Medical Group would provide excellent care, so I began talking with friends who recently had children and asked about their experience,” shares Amy. Having already had two children - one experience was great and the other was not so much - it was important to find someone Amy was comfortable with and that she could trust. “I was looking for a provider that I would be comfortable with to ask questions and also trusted to take the best care of me at one of the most vulnerable times a woman can experience. After conversations with friends, I decided to establish care with Dr. Viehmann, and I’ve been seeing her ever since.”
In 2018, Amy gave birth to a baby girl and was happy to be able to get through the pregnancy and delivery with no major issues. “I had lots of questions and ideas of how I wanted to plan for the birth of the baby, and Dr. Viehmann was supportive throughout that journey,” says Amy. “In 2020 I became pregnant again and I went into this pregnancy knowing that since I was over age 35, it would be considered a higher risk pregnancy. I had already had conversations with Dr. Viehmann prior to getting pregnant, and felt confident that no matter what we encountered, she would guide me through it. I scheduled my first OB appointment, and at that appointment, we found out we were having twins! Once we recovered from the shock of it, I knew that this pregnancy was not only high risk because of my age, but also now with carrying multiples- and in the middle of a pandemic.”
In addition to trusting Dr. Viehmann with her care, Amy was thankful to have chosen Dr. Viehmann because she had also had twins and could closely relate to what Amy was experiencing. “I remember her telling me that by the time I reached 30 weeks when pregnant with twins, it would be how you feel when you are full-term with a singleton pregnancy. Just something this simple was so helpful- I knew then how I needed to plan my timeline to have things ready for the twins before 30 weeks so I would feel at my best,” says Amy.
The biggest factor that makes Amy happy she chose Dr. Viehmann is that she doesn’t feel like just a patient - but an active participant in her care. “There were things that came up during both pregnancies that I had questions about and needed to make decisions on. The pregnancy with the twins had some concerning issues that came up midway through, and I am so thankful she was there to support me,” shares Amy. “She would provide me with the answers to all my questions, and then give her recommendation about what she thought was best. With each decision that was made, she was there guiding and supporting me through it. I didn’t just sit there and blindly go along with whatever she said - I felt that things were explained to me in a way that I could understand, and then decided what to do. I remember during the third trimester of the twin pregnancy having a huge feeling of peace - that no matter what happened, I was in the best hands possible with my prenatal care. There is not a price tag that can be placed on that kind of feeling when you are pregnant.”
“I trust Dr. Viehmann implicitly with my OB/GYN care - and I don’t say that lightly. With my twin pregnancy, I was facing some potentially frightening situations - with the possibility that the twins could be early/preemies and require NICU care, and all the unknowns that come with that. Again, she explained things so well, recommended a high-risk OB when it was necessary, and because of her guidance, I was able to carry the twins to 37 weeks - full term for a twin pregnancy- and deliver at Hannibal Regional. Both twins were born healthy and did not require additional support, and we were able to be discharged to home after a normal length hospital stay.”
To learn more about the Women’s Health team at Hannibal Regional Medical Group visit hannibalregional.org or call (573) 629-3500.