WWYD: hospital version

[katespade]

I live in the DC area. Our house is in northern VA, about 30 minutes or so from the city. My OB is based in DC, which has been the case for many years now (basically all of my doctors are based out of the same large, major hospital-affiliated practice that is attached to a university and has every type of doctor you could need, and it's super easy to get to and from appointments and work).

We did the hospital tour for the hospital my OBs office is affiliated with last weekend (Hospital A). Hospital A is in DC, and without traffic it's around 30 minutes away from our house. It's just a couple of miles from my work- I could get there via metro in 15 minutes or by car in about the same time depending on traffic. Hospital A is working towards the baby friendly designation, so there is no nursery and they had on their judgement pants when I asked about pacifiers. The L&D rooms are large and nice, but the postpartum rooms are frankly quite depressing- they are dark and tiny. H is the only person that could stay with me there, visiting hours end at 8, and parking is expensive. The pediatrician we have chosen has no privileges here, and more importantly, since my OB is one of many in the practice, there is a strong likelihood she will not be the one who delivers the baby (or even that the OB on call will be one I have ever seen before).

We visited the hospital immediately near our house today, Hospital B. Hospital B's women's center is brand new. They allow visitors 24/7, and the parking is super cheap. Anyone can stay with me- so if I want to send H home and have a friend stay with me, I can. They have a nursery and will take baby without judgment, and they happily offer pacifiers unless you tell them otherwise. The rooms are obviously all bright and cheerful since it's all new, and there's a 24/7 cafeteria in the unit. They also offer a unique genomic testing that can help determine what types of medications would work best for baby based on her genetic code, which is interesting. The pediatrician we have chosen has privileges here, but obviously my OB doesn't.

Basically, I'm torn. Hospital B was so much nicer and more comforting than Hospital A, but I've been operating under the premise of going to A this whole time and now I'm thrown for a loop. Am I crazy to want to go to hospital B if I go into labor at home?

I have to call hospital B Monday to see how it will even work if I go there. It could be a total nightmare.

I don't even know what I'm saying now. I'm just so confuzzled.

[carissa325]

Is there a way to find out anything about the doctors on staff there who could end up delivering? Do you know people who have delivered there and was their experience wonderful? If you decide to go to hospital B, how long would it take you to get there from work?

[katespade]

Feb 27, 2016 16:02:44 GMT -5 carissa325 said:

Is there a way to find out anything about the doctors on staff there who could end up delivering? Do you know people who have delivered there and was their experience wonderful? If you decide to go to hospital B, how long would it take you to get there from work?

I know a lot of people who have gone to B and loved it, but that was before the new center opened. I don't know anyone who has gone since, because it just opened like 3 weeks ago.

If I go into labor at work, there is little question I would go to A. I take a commuter rail back and forth and would be at the mercy of their schedule- if I was just contracting and it was still early I might could make it home and to B. But if my water breaks at work, I'm almost guaranteed to go to A.

[jewel441]

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

[sdchick]

Feb 27, 2016 16:21:30 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

This is very, very true and I LOVE my ob.  The doc is really only there sporadically and to catch the baby.  As jewel441 mentioned, the nurses and environment are really important.  From your descriptions, I'd absolutely go with B.  That said, what about your insurance?  Will they "let" you deliver there?

[sunshineshades]

Feb 27, 2016 16:21:30 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

I think I'd go with this. I learned with dd I didn't really care who caught the baby.

[jocountry]

Feb 27, 2016 16:21:30 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

I would say this, too. And having a recovery area you like matters, too. It sounds like the chances of getting your Dr are not great anyway...when I read what you wrote, I don't see anything that says A A A A at all costs. And no hospital will turn you away if you show up in labor. You will just have all the paperwork to do since it wouldn't be done in advance.

[rachelilly23]

I would go to B....even if your water did break at work. If your water breaks, that doesn't automatically mean you wouldn't have enough time. You might not even be contracting. It was 31 hours between the time my water broke and the time DS1 was born...

B just sounds better all around. With a low chance of your doctor actually delivering you at A, I would choose the better environment. Would your doctor at least be called if you checked in at B?

[katespade]

Feb 27, 2016 17:24:19 GMT -5 rachelilly23 said:

I would go to B....even if your water did break at work. If your water breaks, that doesn't automatically mean you wouldn't have enough time. You might not even be contracting. It was 31 hours between the time my water broke and the time DS1 was born...

B just sounds better all around. With a low chance of your doctor actually delivering you at A, I would choose the better environment. Would your doctor at least be called if you checked in at B?

Yes, as far as I gathered from the tour today, my OBs office would be called when I checked in.

As far as insurance, because this hospital is within the radius of my home, they would cover everything the same at B as they would at A. B would actually probably be slightly cheaper for them.

[daydreamsam]

I would also go with B. I love my OB too but the likelihood of him being the one to deliver baby is slim to none. I'm much more focused on the fact that I love my hospital, nurses and their attitude towards my way of parenting.

[sctiger]

Feb 27, 2016 17:24:19 GMT -5 rachelilly23 said:

I would go to B....even if your water did break at work. If your water breaks, that doesn't automatically mean you wouldn't have enough time. You might not even be contracting. It was 31 hours between the time my water broke and the time DS1 was born...

B just sounds better all around. With a low chance of your doctor actually delivering you at A, I would choose the better environment. Would your doctor at least be called if you checked in at B?

I agree completely. Even if your labor starts at work you should be able to make it home okay.

[paloslee]

You should go to the hospital you feel most comfortable at. It sounds like B is a winner.

[iwubrory]

Another vote for B. Like others said, it's really all about the environment and nurses. The hospital I deliver at is wonderful but only has midwives deliver unless there's a complication or you specifically request the doctor that's on call. I never met either of the women who delivered my kids prior to checking into the hospital and it didn't matter one bit. Actually there was a shift change just before DD was born so I met that midwife when she checked how far along I was like 30 minutes before she delivered DD. Um, sorry, ramble ramble.

I think you'll feel most comfortable at B.

[katieinthecity]

Feb 27, 2016 16:21:30 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

I agree with this. I picked the hospital I wanted to deliver at and then found a practice I liked that delivered there.

Also, fwiw, I live in the same area and I'm pretty sure I know which hospitals you're taking about. If I'm right about which I think A is (does it start with an S?), I would definitely go with B.

[katespade]

Feb 28, 2016 13:01:30 GMT -5 katieinthecity said:

Feb 27, 2016 16:21:30 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the hospital environment matters so much more than the actual Doctor. The doctor is not going to be with you for that long. I would rather have a great nurse and a place a feel more comfortable. I am totally fine with that I will probably not have met the person who delivers my baby.

I agree with this. I picked the hospital I wanted to deliver at and then found a practice I liked that delivered there.

Also, fwiw, I live in the same area and I'm pretty sure I know which hospitals you're taking about. If I'm right about which I think A is (does it start with an S?), I would definitely go with B.

A is GW.

I'm going to call B tomorrow. And I'm also going to send my OB an email tomorrow explaining that I think I'm going to err on the side of hospital B unless I do go into labor at work and don't think I can tolerate the commuter rail ride home.

[katieinthecity]

Feb 28, 2016 14:52:58 GMT -5 katespade said:

Feb 28, 2016 13:01:30 GMT -5 katieinthecity said:

I agree with this. I picked the hospital I wanted to deliver at and then found a practice I liked that delivered there.

Also, fwiw, I live in the same area and I'm pretty sure I know which hospitals you're taking about. If I'm right about which I think A is (does it start with an S?), I would definitely go with B.

A is GW.

I'm going to call B tomorrow. And I'm also going to send my OB an email tomorrow explaining that I think I'm going to err on the side of hospital B unless I do go into labor at work and don't think I can tolerate the commuter rail ride home.

Ah I was thinking Sibley. Yeah I still think B is a better bet. Does your doctor deliver there or would you just walk in?

[katespade]

Feb 28, 2016 16:21:55 GMT -5 katieinthecity said:

Feb 28, 2016 14:52:58 GMT -5 katespade said:

A is GW.

I'm going to call B tomorrow. And I'm also going to send my OB an email tomorrow explaining that I think I'm going to err on the side of hospital B unless I do go into labor at work and don't think I can tolerate the commuter rail ride home.

Ah I was thinking Sibley. Yeah I still think B is a better bet. Does your doctor deliver there or would you just walk in?

I would walk in. None of the GW OBs deliver outside of GW.