Northern Sun Family Healthcare - Topsham, Maine

J B.

Please be aware that even though this practice may be in network for you, they do NOT work with laboratories that are in network and you may be responsible for paying the entire lab bill. I received a surprise $800 bill from quest due to some routine blood testing. Some of this testing, the doctor forgot to place the order for so my blood was drawn for no reason and I only found this out after paying an additional $300 to see the results. When the doctor (Dr. O’Brien) called me to go over my test results she was confused why some of my results were unavailable and assured me that I needed to pay $300 to this lab company to see my results on their portal and that she would call me back in 30 minutes to go over them together. So I paid, and I waited, no results. I called the lab and they stated they never received my blood or an order from her. At this point, I was out $300 and extremely frustrated. I did receive a refund from the lab but overall this was a terrible experience. Receiving the surprise bill from quest just sent me over the edge 😂 Go elsewhere if you can!

Abbey G.

Dr Sarah has given me immense emotional support during pregnancy. She also correctly diagnosed an auto immune disease that mainstream doctors had missed. Because of her I was able to get treatment and have a healthy baby girl. Without her help and attention to detail I very likely would’ve had a different outcome. I am forever grateful to her for my beautiful family.

carla S.

I came to Northern Sun after deciding that I wanted midwife care and had no idea the support and care that I would have received from that moment on. After having 2 miscarriages (Dr. Sarah cared for me after my last one, and to this day, is the only doctor who helped me get to the root cause of some health complications that I was unaware of), I knew I needed the kind of care and support Dr. Sarah provides. She is attentive, knowledgeable, patient and truly knows what she’s doing. I’m happy to announce that my husband and I are pregnant again, and far along this time. Dr. Sarah has been incredibly supportive with me and available. Her care is unmatched and what I feel like every women should experience! She is part of our story and we are incredibly thankful!

Nicole R.

The providers in this practice are thoughtful, attentive and take the time to learn more about patients individual needs. They are passionate about their work. The shadow side to this is that they can at times be narrow in their perspectives and judgmental of those who also incorporate more mainstream medical models into their health care plans. At times it can feel like they are pushing their agenda rather than just offering options and resources. The front office staff turns over quickly and at times are not very helpful as they don’t seem very up to speed about how the practice works. A couple have been very good. Response times can be quite slow. All in all, we decided it wasn’t the right fit for us because we wanted a provider with a wider perspective to healthcare that was judgement free, with a better organized and responsive office staff.

Patty R.

I had the privilege and honor to witness the birth of my first grandchild on April 3, 2020 at the birth center with my son and beautiful daughter-in-law.
The care, sensitivity, help, encouragement, and suggestions they received from the ladies was overwhelmingly positive. The staff all were wonderful!
Sarah is wise and has about 25 years of midwifery experience. She was so sensitive to their needs and their desires. She provided guidance and gave helpful suggestions when needed for the birth to progress throughout the labor. It was so beautiful to watch. I NEVER felt like it was "my way or the highway” with Sarah; the parents had the final decisions with their baby. She encourages the partner to experience and participate with their child’s birth. You can tell Sarah LOVES her job and her passion runs deep to help mothers to experience giving birth to babies naturally. It was an experience I will never forget and that I will cherish for the rest of my life! I feel closer to my son and my daughter-in-law having experienced that together.
A day and a half after the birth, Sarah came to our house to give the baby and mother their first postpartum checkup. She was very thorough and spent hours talking with us about the tests she was doing and our overall experience with the birth. I was so impressed with her care and generosity. She called beforehand and made a trip to Target to get a needed item, and she also brought a gift bag for baby and mother.
Dear beautiful Mothers, we are designed and created to bear children naturally and nurture that power within us. Due to fear, I feel as though we have lost the power to labor the way we are meant to. A natural birth will change the way you view yourself and your abilities to mother a child. I would highly encourage anyone who is with child or considering starting a family to contact the birth center and meet with Sarah to discover that there are wonderful options available to you. I promise you will not regret it. Sarah will help you learn how to embrace and listen to your body and its ability to give birth. She encourages you with her knowledge and experience to give you the confidence you need to birth your precious child in a society that is full of fear and scare tactics about giving birth. Laboring and birthing your baby with Sarah will prove to be empowering, exciting, and wonderful.

Sara M.

I am deeply grateful for Dr. Sarah and her team at Northern Sun. They are wonderful people who are very knowledgeable in their expertise. They have been with me for two pregnancies and births so far.

My first born son died ten hours after he was born. And I am still so thankful to have been blessed with Dr. Sarah and her team during that time. They stayed with us the entire time in the hospital and came to visit many times afterwards and continuously checked in on our family throughout the following year. And I know there is nothing different Dr. Sarah and her team could have done to change the outcome of his short life.

When I got pregnant again a couple of years later I asked Dr. Sarah to accompany me once again during my home birth. Again, her team was amazing and I am deeply grateful for their help birthing my daughter (who is still alive and healthy)! They were very supportive and thorough.

Woliwon (thank you) Sarah.

Cassi B. G.

I've used Sarah and Josie for the delivery of both of my girls. They provide excellent prenatal care, always giving you thorough information about various tests and procedures. They are not pushy, but very informative. I love their working knowledge of homeopathic medicine and home remedies for all your pregnancy woes. Sarah's experience gave her the ability to help me through a hemorrhage quickly. She gave me immediate care that I wouldn't have been able to get in a hospital.

I've loved working with her and will continue to use her for more children in the future! Her practice really is wonderful!

Elizabeth S.

Northern Sun has served our family with incredibly knowledgeable, kind, gracious, and caring primary care services for more than 14 years. There is no other provider who is more knowledgeable and trusted, not just for midwifery care, but for true HEALTHcare throughout life. When the mainstream medical model put our health and the life of myself and then our son in jeopardy, Dr. Ackerly was the one to save him. When our concerns were dismissed by other providers, Dr. Ackerly dug in and found the answers. For each of our three subsequent pregnancies and births, we were supported by compassionate and knowledgeable providers who trusted my maternal instincts and always addressed our concerns. We, and our children, truly would not be thriving and healthy today if it weren’t for the care we have received at Northern Sun.

J B.

Please be aware that even though this practice may be in network for you, they do NOT work with laboratories that are in network and you may be responsible for paying the entire lab bill. I received a surprise $800 bill from quest due to some routine blood testing. Some of this testing, the doctor forgot to place the order for so my blood was drawn for no reason and I only found this out after paying an additional $300 to see the results. When the doctor (Dr. O’Brien) called me to go over my test results she was confused why some of my results were unavailable and assured me that I needed to pay $300 to this lab company to see my results on their portal and that she would call me back in 30 minutes to go over them together. So I paid, and I waited, no results. I called the lab and they stated they never received my blood or an order from her. At this point, I was out $300 and extremely frustrated. I did receive a refund from the lab but overall this was a terrible experience. Receiving the surprise bill from quest just sent me over the edge 😂 Go elsewhere if you can!

Abbey G.

Dr Sarah has given me immense emotional support during pregnancy. She also correctly diagnosed an auto immune disease that mainstream doctors had missed. Because of her I was able to get treatment and have a healthy baby girl. Without her help and attention to detail I very likely would’ve had a different outcome. I am forever grateful to her for my beautiful family.

carla S.

I came to Northern Sun after deciding that I wanted midwife care and had no idea the support and care that I would have received from that moment on. After having 2 miscarriages (Dr. Sarah cared for me after my last one, and to this day, is the only doctor who helped me get to the root cause of some health complications that I was unaware of), I knew I needed the kind of care and support Dr. Sarah provides. She is attentive, knowledgeable, patient and truly knows what she’s doing. I’m happy to announce that my husband and I are pregnant again, and far along this time. Dr. Sarah has been incredibly supportive with me and available. Her care is unmatched and what I feel like every women should experience! She is part of our story and we are incredibly thankful!

Nicole R.

The providers in this practice are thoughtful, attentive and take the time to learn more about patients individual needs. They are passionate about their work. The shadow side to this is that they can at times be narrow in their perspectives and judgmental of those who also incorporate more mainstream medical models into their health care plans. At times it can feel like they are pushing their agenda rather than just offering options and resources. The front office staff turns over quickly and at times are not very helpful as they don’t seem very up to speed about how the practice works. A couple have been very good. Response times can be quite slow. All in all, we decided it wasn’t the right fit for us because we wanted a provider with a wider perspective to healthcare that was judgement free, with a better organized and responsive office staff.

Patty R.

I had the privilege and honor to witness the birth of my first grandchild on April 3, 2020 at the birth center with my son and beautiful daughter-in-law.
The care, sensitivity, help, encouragement, and suggestions they received from the ladies was overwhelmingly positive. The staff all were wonderful!
Sarah is wise and has about 25 years of midwifery experience. She was so sensitive to their needs and their desires. She provided guidance and gave helpful suggestions when needed for the birth to progress throughout the labor. It was so beautiful to watch. I NEVER felt like it was "my way or the highway” with Sarah; the parents had the final decisions with their baby. She encourages the partner to experience and participate with their child’s birth. You can tell Sarah LOVES her job and her passion runs deep to help mothers to experience giving birth to babies naturally. It was an experience I will never forget and that I will cherish for the rest of my life! I feel closer to my son and my daughter-in-law having experienced that together.
A day and a half after the birth, Sarah came to our house to give the baby and mother their first postpartum checkup. She was very thorough and spent hours talking with us about the tests she was doing and our overall experience with the birth. I was so impressed with her care and generosity. She called beforehand and made a trip to Target to get a needed item, and she also brought a gift bag for baby and mother.
Dear beautiful Mothers, we are designed and created to bear children naturally and nurture that power within us. Due to fear, I feel as though we have lost the power to labor the way we are meant to. A natural birth will change the way you view yourself and your abilities to mother a child. I would highly encourage anyone who is with child or considering starting a family to contact the birth center and meet with Sarah to discover that there are wonderful options available to you. I promise you will not regret it. Sarah will help you learn how to embrace and listen to your body and its ability to give birth. She encourages you with her knowledge and experience to give you the confidence you need to birth your precious child in a society that is full of fear and scare tactics about giving birth. Laboring and birthing your baby with Sarah will prove to be empowering, exciting, and wonderful.