Where to deliver

pattymcgillin

Hello, 

11 weeks with baby #2.  Since having our first baby we have moved to NJ.  My Dr. said it would probably be fine to stay with his practice and deliver at NYU.  I had such an amazing experience there.  It was super clean, the nurses were amazing and I give it a great review (the post-partum room was small but that's usual) so I would like to deliver at NYU again.  It is a 45 minute drive from where we live in NJ to NYU and that is without traffic.  So I am a little nervous.  Dr. said it should be fine as long as I leave for the hospital as soon as contractions start.  I'm still not sure and I know I will need to find a new Dr. soon cause many will not take a new mamma too late in the pregnancy.  Any thoughts? 

lest12

Someone else was recently asking a similar question.  I don't think 45 minutes is too bad.  How bad can it be with traffic, do you think?

 

Did you progress quickly with #1?

 

I love my doctor and although labor/the actual delivery was a terribly mess, I have nothing but great things to say about my doctor, the hospital, the nurses, etc, and how everything was handled/how we were treated.  They played such an enormous role in everything, from the medical aspect to my emotional recovery.  I would chance it to go back there, no questions asked.

Bltbear82

I delivered at NYU too in 2014 and plan to this time as well. I had a great experience and was happily surprised at how clean and nice it was. I'm in the west village and it took me 30 minutes with no traffic to go crosstown mid-afternoon.

I guess it depends where in NJ you're coming from (I'm from Monmouth county originally) because if you're stuck in rush hour trying to get through the Holland and then go across and up, that might take you at least an hour. And there's a ton of construction at the approach and who knows when it will be done. That said, a woman I met during a class last time was going from Westchester to NYU so it's not unheard of. Good luck!

LadySamLady

@pattymcgillin @Bltbear82 FTM here, I'm delivering at NYU and it is such a relief to hear you both had such great experiences there! I'll be coming from BK Heights. Thank you for sharing!! If you have any other advice about delivering there - classes to take, etc. - I'm all ears!!

raygunn

Where in NJ are you now, if you don't mind me asking? There are some pretty great hospitals in Jersey, though I completely understand how you might want to stick with the known quanity. We moved from NYC to NJ a couple of years ago, and while I loved my OB and GP in the city, I'm slowly but surely making the switch to providers who are closer by. That 45-minute drive, as you may already know, can turn into 2+ hours at the wrong time of day. I'd be way too scared to risk delivering my baby in traffic! FYI, I'm in Essex County and will likely be delivering at St. Barnabas. Everyone raves about them, and they have a level-1 NICU if God forbid there is some kind of emergency situation. But I hear good things about Englewood farther north and Morristown farther south.

*edited for typo

Bltbear82

@raygunn my cousin delivered both her girls at St. Barnabas and was happy. My SIL had one girl at Hackensack and was also happy.

@LadySamLady not sure if they still do the intro to the hospital seminar, but I found it reassuring to know where exactly to go, which elevators etc. for some reason L&D elevators seem so far from the entrance, but I've only done the walk with contractions so I'm sure I'm not right! Re: classes, we took first aid/CPR through NYU about 2 months before. And I may have mentioned it previously, but everyday there's a breastfeeding class you can attend after delivery on the recovery floor, so you just shuffle down with baby and ask questions and get advice. It's encouraged that you attend but I do suggest you also have the lactation consultant visit you in your room too. They nurses can arrange it for you when you're in your room. My OB practice has a labor and delivery class that's a 3 hour overview and was pretty helpful.

I loved all of my L&D nurses (was there during a shift change), and my recovery nurses. If you're doing an epidural the anesthesiologist was amazing. He came and visited me in my room the next day and was so caring. Also good to know, I was worried about being too far along for the epidural but NYU doesn't have a cut off so you can opt for it as early or late as you want.

I would also suggest a pediatrician that has rights at NYU. It was nice to see our doctor but not essential if you love a practice that isn't affiliated. Feel free to ask any questions, I had such a positive experience!

doozer1345

Maybe go ahead and plan with this doctor to stay with him but also have him recommend another doctor and hospital closer just in case.

hendsa01

Idk where in NJ you are, but Morristown hospital is awesome.