Stacey Stivers, MD, found her calling as a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Baptist Health
LOUISVILLE People find their careers in a variety of ways. Some follow the family legacy. Some are inspired by a class or summer job that sets them in pursuit of their life’s passion. And some are simply doing what they were born to do.
The latter seems to fit Stacey Stivers, MD, OB-GYN, maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physician at Baptist Health Louisville.
“I always thought I was going to be a lawyer, and then something just clicked the summer before I started college,” says Stivers, who grew up in Covington, Kentucky. “I switched my entire schedule to go into science, then ultimately pre-med. It was definitely the right decision for me.”
A first-generation college graduate, Stivers attended the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, followed by a fellowship at Indiana University and residency at TriHealth Obstetrics-Gynecology in Cincinnati. She joined Baptist Health in September 2024.
“When I was in medical school, I thought I was going to do physical medicine and rehab. I had worked with an athletic trainer and really enjoyed that,” Stivers says. “I did OB-GYN pretty late in med school, and I fell in love. I just couldn’t stop reading and wanted to understand the physiology and know everything I could about pregnancy.”
Ultimately, it was her residency at TriHealth that led her to maternal-fetal medicine.
“They had a really robust maternal-fetal medicine program,” Stivers says. “I was frequently taking care of very sick moms and complicated babies. I loved it.”
During this time, Stivers was also raising her own young family. She married while still in medical school, had her first child while in residency and her second child during her fellowship. She says her own experiences help her connect with her patients.
“I had a difficult time getting pregnant, not necessarily infertility, but I had recurrent pregnancy loss and that really changed the way I took care of patients in those acute situations and the way that I counseled them for future pregnancies,” Stivers says. “It made me realize the vulnerability that a woman goes through with the decision to get pregnant. I’m very open about my experiences and I am happy to share my experiences with pregnancy and postpartum and the things I experienced as a female, and a mom, outside my role as a doctor. I think that can sometimes bridge gaps and make patients feel comfortable as well.”
Building Connection and Trust
The empathy that she demonstrates in her interactions with her patients leads to greater understanding and trust between patient and provider. The women in her care are referred to her from general OB-GYNs because of a high-risk threat to mother or baby or both. Cases can become particularly scary when what is best for the fetus may not be best for the mother, or vice versa.
“Maternal-fetal medicine has this unique position of taking care of a mom and a baby, and then there are also unique social situations,” Stivers says. “Much of what we do is creating a plan with them.”
Education is vital to the planning process. The more the mother understands about her pregnancy, the potential risks to both herself and her baby, and what options exist, the more informed a decision they can make. For Stivers, that patient interaction can sometimes become more about listening and informing than advising and treating.
“When I talk about consultations, it’s not just about the quality of life for the baby, but I also have to think about the risk to the mother’s life in some instances as well, and supply patients with all that information for them to make the best choice for themselves and their family,” Stivers says. “I feel that it is my job to inform my patients of all options on how to keep themselves safe and how to best care for their child.”
The Patient Population
Stivers’ practice is consult-only and consists of herself, her partner Emily Gregory, MD, and a nurse practitioner, Callie Durham. A typical week brings 10 to 12 new patients. She also rounds the hospital to check on patients who are having complications. Many of her patients present with very high BMI or are using tobacco or vaping, all of which increase the risk for both mother and baby. The positive side is that this can become an opportune time for patients to prioritize caring for themselves.
“I think that most women who are young and childbearing often don’t seek regular care,” Stivers says. “Pregnancy is a time when they have a second life to worry about. They often seek care for the first time in their life and sometimes find out that they have diabetes or high blood pressure because of their weight or lifestyle. It gives us the opportunity to intervene and make a difference in their life during pregnancy by counseling them and providing them with dietitians and access to smoking cessation aids or medications. Hopefully, that’s able to translate post-pregnancy and into the rest of their life.”
The ability to detect and address complications during pregnancy has been enhanced by technology advancements, most importantly high-definition ultrasound that allows MFM specialists to see inside the fetus’ heart for potential defects, among other risk factors. Additionally, sampling the maternal blood can provide significant information about the baby’s DNA.
“We are going to start offering fetal transfusions here at Baptist in the next few months,” Stivers says. “We will be able to start treating anemic fetuses by placing a needle through the mom’s belly and into the umbilical cord to transfuse blood to the baby.”
Complicated Pregnancies
Despite these advancements, not all pregnancies go as planned. Those can be the most difficult situations for the mother, the family, and even the provider. That is where Stivers’ own experiences, knowledge, skill, and empathy all come into play.
“The patients that are memorable for me are the ones who have the hardest journeys,” Stivers says, telling the story of a patient she had while doing her fellowship. The complicated case involved birth defects and an abnormal heart. Stivers helped the patient develop a care plan.
“I was still doing labor and delivery at that time and was able to deliver her baby and make sure she got her wishes following delivery,” Stivers says. “She spent five days with her baby before she passed away at their home. They were able to take her to the park and let her spend time with her big sister. I was able to get her through a difficult pregnancy while managing her desires to hold this baby and meet this baby, but not overstepping in the medical care during the pregnancy. I had a patient this week with a similar finding. I remembered that little baby and that mom in my head. I think it allowed me to counsel this family on what to expect and help them make decisions.”
Such cases are undoubtedly heart wrenching, but that is when Stivers remembers why she’s here. She was born for this.
“My big ‘why’ is educating women so that they can have good deliveries and go home with their babies. They can propagate this education with their children and then ultimately hopefully improve health outcomes for many generations,” Stivers says. “We don’t do a good job of educating women and girls growing up on what pregnancy entails, the potential risks, and the ways we can maximize pregnancy outcomes. I truly feel my job as an MFM is to provide these women with education. That is my favorite part of my job.”