I second the lactation consultant question from @DDRRT1982. Case in point, I gave birth to DD on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. and the ONLY lactation consultant in the hospital taught a breast feeding class on Saturday and then had Sunday and Monday off - the EXACT days I was in the hospital. The nursery nurses were a big help with breast feeding, but DD and I just couldn't get it right. We were able to see the LC about a week later, but I am super disappointed in the whole experience and am hoping this time around will be a lot different.
Stuck in the box, but THIS. When my mom had me and my bro many moons ago she delivered on the weekend. No LC in sight and was discharged on Monday. We could never really latch and she got super frustrated. So that'll be on my list of questions for sure.
I also chose my hospital based on the NICU. The hospital I will deliver at has the only NICU in the area. The other hospitals are less busy and have nicer suites but I did not want my newborn to have to be transported across the city if something were to go wrong. I also didn't want the potential of having to be in a different hospital than the baby in that scenario. I was really happy with this hospital last time so it was an easy choice either way. My OB's office is connected to this hospital which increases the chance he will be attending the delivery. That's just kind of the icing on the cake.
Just another random factoid for FTM, on the theory it will help someone else plan appropriately — I learned today (for my insurance, at least) that when baby is born she becomes her own “patient” and therefore I’ll be responsible for two inpatient stay co-pays after delivery ($800 x 2, in my case).
Just another random factoid for FTM, on the theory it will help someone else plan appropriately — I learned today (for my insurance, at least) that when baby is born she becomes her own “patient” and therefore I’ll be responsible for two inpatient stay co-pays after delivery ($800 x 2, in my case).
Yes, and it can be very frustrating depending on the hospital’s billing department. My son will be 2 on thanksgiving and I have not yet received a bill for his NICU stay because he was going on DH’s insurance and not mine. We weren’t married at the time and they kept trying to bill my insurance for my son. I had to jump through hoops for them to bill correct insurance and still no bill. If your hospital does preadmission paperwork definitely make it clear what insurance the baby is to have after birth. Especially if it is going to be different than yours, and have that policy-holder’s card ready to be photocopied for the preadmit packet.
@Gingermom15 I’m sure a NICU stay could make things more complicated, but they did tell me that my baby will be automatically covered on my plan for the first 31 days of her life (giving me time to get her on her own plan, which will be mine anyway in this case). Worth asking one’s insurance provider about newborn coverage! It was actually kind of weird to think about her being her own person, apart from me!
@orbmaker good point to ask about newborn coverage. Mine didn’t cover the first month automatically, he had to be added and then re-billed with the insurance. It was a mess. I am on my husband’s insurance now and they do 31 days automatically and it simplifies things drastically.
@Gingermom15 We had the same exact issue with the hospital giving us the run around about insurance when DS was readmitted for jaundice. That was incredibly frustrating to deal with when you're hormonal/emotional and tired!
Ask about how to get in after hours. My last delivery was middle of the night, so there was another entrance that was used instead of the main entrance. You definitely do not want to be searching for a way in while in labor.
Ask about how to get in after hours. My last delivery was middle of the night, so there was another entrance that was used instead of the main entrance. You definitely do not want to be searching for a way in while in labor.
Also ask about parking. They may have valet parking for women in labor or a special area of the lot that is close to the entrance you will use.
Hi, lurking from June but this is such a good/interesting thread, I hope you don’t mind if I jump in with a question.
Since most OBs only deliver at one hospital, if you tour your OB’s hospital midway through your pregnancy and decide that while you like your OB, you don’t like your hospital, would you consider just delivering at a different hospital you do like?
For me specifically, in nyc I’m already close to too late to switch practices because they fill so quickly for due dates, but I am wondering if I end up deciding I don’t like my hospital if it would be so bad to just go to a different one day-of since the chances my OB delivers me are so slim anyway (big practice, you get whoever is on call).
I haven’t toured any hospitals yet, so might be irrelevant but curious what your plans will be if you don’t like the answers to these questions in this thread at this point in the game.
@doxiemoxie212 that’s an interesting question. I think they would probably give you a hard time showing up at a hospital where you don’t have a doctor but I doubt they would turn you away. I would tour your obs hospital before it’s too late to switch and see what you think of it. I do think the hospital and nurses matter way more than the ob (I’ve never had my actual ob deliver my baby). So I think it would be smart to check it out before it’s too late to switch.
@doxiemoxie212 the only downside to that would be that your records may not be there. If you have a status-quo pregnancy and no medical issues (such as allergies or other history a hospital should know just in case of emergency) then I don't see why you couldn't do that. I know someone who was in a minor car accident and went to the nearest L&D for monitoring instead of driving extra to her providers hospital and it wasn't a big deal.
@doxiemoxie212 if you show up to a hospital that has no records of prenatal care, they will drug test you and baby along with other extra monitoring measures. I’d find a hospital you’re comfortable with before delivery.
I just want to thank everyone who has shared experiences and questions on this thread. I'm going on a tour this afternoon, and as a FTM/MoM have been really lost on what to ask and a bit nervous. I don't really have a choice about hospitals because I live in a rural area (and in fact if I go preterm before 35 weeks I was instructed by my OB to travel a long distance from home for a higher quality NICU, which has me SO nervous), but knowing what all these things are like going in is going to help me a lot, even if I don't have much of a choice, so I really appreciate this discussion.
@doxiemoxie212 this could vary from Canada to US but sometimes your OB may not be there (I was told its highly unlikely that my OB will be delivering unless we schedule an induction) and since our hospital is over an hour away with no traffic, I was told if babies are coming quickly to just get to the nearest hospital.
A hospital isn’t likely to put a labouring woman back in the car and say get lost. That being said, maybe at 30 - some odd weeks you could ask for a copy of everything to date and keep it in your car just in case you end up somewhere else.
@syssa-o yea, that’s a good idea about paperwork. I live in Manhattan so my OB’s hospital is literally two blocks away, but there are about 15 others within 10 miles. Soooo I feel like I’m on option overload.
And thanks everyone else too! This morning I looked into a hospital tour and unfortunately they won’t do one until I’m 1-2 months out from my delivery date (and I have to be registered to give birth at the hospital), which has me even more nervous but alas, sort of out of my hands.
@syssa-o over an hour? which hospital are you delivering at? i have heard good things about the new birthing center and delivery rooms in oshawa since it was all renovated a couple years back.
@doxiemoxie212 first, I would figure out if your doctor or group delivers at any other hospitals. We have a variety of hospitals in our area and my OB has privileges at several. I have chosen the particular hospital I deliver at based on the NICU level. I could deliver at the others if I wanted, but the NICU was a priority for me.
With that being said, my OB holds more priority for me than my delivering hospital. I trust that he delivers at hospitals with high levels of care and haven't been disappointed with the hospitals so far. If my OB all of the sudden changed systems (and assuming the NICU is good) I would follow him. I've been with mine for 15 years, so I definitely make a decision on where to deliver based off of where he has privileges. Since you might have some apprehension on your OB and could still switch, I would start interviewing OBs and maybe switch if you feel like that is right for you. I couldn't really tell you where to starts, but maybe look into OBs that have privileges at a hospital you might want to deliver at. Good luck!
*TW* Our daughter was born there and died at the lakeridge ER and during follow up SickKids kind of implicated that their level of care towards us was substandard. I have a very hard time going back there (whether they were truly negligent towards us or not) so we are using Mt. Sinai.
*END
all that being said, the new area really is beautiful and they have since updated their newborn screening process. The only thing that sucks is that because you labour and stay in the same room from beginning to end, if they get full, they transfer you to the old wing so they have free delivery rooms and it is like going from the Hilton to a low end motel LOL
@bb3vj3n oh gosh, don’t be sorry there’s no way you could anticipate that before asking! I’m very open about our whole experience. We are happy to be at Sinai and close to SK if anything does go wrong.
We also had a very good experience at lakeridge with our son & the nurses were all very kind to us.
For the OB vs. hospital question - I live in a suburb of a big city with a lot of hospital options (not as many as NYC, but we're up there). So, as we were planning on TTGP, I researched the hospitals to answer questions that were important to me (low intervention rates, low C-Section rates, not pushy with pain meds, etc) and then chose a practitioner who had privileges there. I liked the OB/GYN I had been seeing for GYN, but the standards at the hospital were more important to me since I knew it'd be unlikely that my doctor would be the one on call when I went into labor. The level of care is very good at most of the area hospitals, so I was able to focus on the issues I mentioned. Through my research, I realized that a midwife practice was more in line with what I wanted for prenatal care as well, so that heavily influenced my choices as not that many hospitals have a certified nurse midwife program.
While I did it all before being pregnant, but I know of women who switched mid pregnancy. If you're not sure, I'd take some time to think about what kind of pregnancy you have (low/high risk), what's important to you in terms of the hospital standard (highest NICU level, low interventions, successful VBAC %, etc), how important your current practitioner/prenatal care is in line with that, and think about if it makes sense to switch if something isn't lining up.
@doxiemoxie212 That seems bonkers that they refuse to do tours until that close. Maybe it's for security purposes? But generally, who gets their kicks by going on hospital tours they don't need to go on?? I do think that option overload is a problem. I think you would do well to look into stuff about the hospital your OB has privileges at and if it passes muster, don't even look at anything else or you're going to make yourself crazy. And, I'd see if your OB can get in touch with them and get you on a tour list. I think tours on both ends are helpful. One ahead of time to sell me on the hospital and the second closer to the EDD so all of the where to go, what to do information is fresh.
@vflux33 Is there a Ronald McDonald House near the other hospital? If so, and if it starts looking like you're not going to make it past 35 weeks, they can get you set up to stay there until the babies arrive. I know someone who lived in a rural area and was pregnant with twins and did that. It's not free but it's relatively cheap and usually right by the hospital.
Me: 34 DH: 38 Married: June 2011 TTC since Feb 2016 BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16 BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
@kiki75 That's a good idea. I'm going to say most likely there is, since it's in a major city. We're thinking of touring that hospital too, and will probably ask then about their policy/sleeping suggestions/NICU hours etc., but hoping so hard that we don't ever really need to know. Probably if we tour there we won't get a chance until next month, and maybe next month we'll have a better idea on how likely being that preterm is for us too...
@kiki75 yeah, I think it's definitely a security issue being in lower Manhattan, they just try to reduce the number of people in the hospital in general. I've noticed other hospitals in NYC seem less strict, but also definitely press their "virtual tours" a lot, and none let you actually see the L&D floor, lol. So.... That seems fun/informative? Luckily the hospitals here are all high quality enough that I'm really just being particular about the experience I want, and honestly mostly panicked about the idea of a shared room and not being allowed to have DH stay over, but that's something I'll have to deal with at any hospital in Manhattan, so, I just need to accept that. I'm def going to try to press harder for a tour, though, because it might even 100% put my mind at ease.
After reading this thread, hearing y'alls responses, I called the OB/midwife practice that delivers at the in-hospital birth center down here which is brand new and gets rave reviews (and only this practice delivers there) again, juuuuust to see if they still were not accepting new patients "under any circumstances" and now a waitlist is available for me to be on! So I feel more relaxed knowing that might be an option.
ETA: The thought of sharing a room for labor reminds me of the other night after a concert we went to a nearby bar to eat while we waited for traffic to die down. The place was packed and the guy asked if we would mind sharing a table with another couple. Which can be doable. But we looked over and he was referring to a both, in which a super douchey looking couple was already same side sitting. Um, even if I were drinking I wouldn't have been keen on it. But sober? Hell nah. And the guy seemed kind of perturbed that we were so anti social. I couldn't even fathom 45 minutes with those clowns. (And they did turn out to be clowns. The duo behind us that went and sat with them looked MISERABLE until they found an opportunity to move to another table.) A whole labor?! (As for the other night, then I started holding my belly in the universal "I ain't heavy, he's my baby" pose so the guy would be more understanding. He found us a table for two. )
Me: 34 DH: 38 Married: June 2011 TTC since Feb 2016 BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16 BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
There are 3 hospitals in my area that have birthing centers. I delivered my son (cesarean, after being induced due to GD) at one. I’m currently seeing the same OB that delievered my son, but the hospital he works with doesn’t allow VBACs. I will be attempting a VBAC so I automatically have to go to the major hospital almost an hour away from me because it’s the only one with a NICU and a trauma center in case my TOLAC (trial of labor after cesarean) doesn’t go well. In the next few weeks I’ll be transferred from my OB to a MFM doctor that specializes in VBACs and high risk pregnancies (I’m not high risk but I’m sure it helps!).
Re: Hospital/Birthing Center Questions
Also, if everything is okay after birth how quickly can you be discharged (if you’re seeking an early discharge)
EDD March 12, 2018
If your hospital does preadmission paperwork definitely make it clear what insurance the baby is to have after birth. Especially if it is going to be different than yours, and have that policy-holder’s card ready to be photocopied for the preadmit packet.
Since most OBs only deliver at one hospital, if you tour your OB’s hospital midway through your pregnancy and decide that while you like your OB, you don’t like your hospital, would you consider just delivering at a different hospital you do like?
For me specifically, in nyc I’m already close to too late to switch practices because they fill so quickly for due dates, but I am wondering if I end up deciding I don’t like my hospital if it would be so bad to just go to a different one day-of since the chances my OB delivers me are so slim anyway (big practice, you get whoever is on call).
I haven’t toured any hospitals yet, so might be irrelevant but curious what your plans will be if you don’t like the answers to these questions in this thread at this point in the game.
A hospital isn’t likely to put a labouring woman back in the car and say get lost. That being said, maybe at 30 - some odd weeks you could ask for a copy of everything to date and keep it in your car just in case you end up somewhere else.
And thanks everyone else too! This morning I looked into a hospital tour and unfortunately they won’t do one until I’m 1-2 months out from my delivery date (and I have to be registered to give birth at the hospital), which has me even more nervous but alas, sort of out of my hands.
With that being said, my OB holds more priority for me than my delivering hospital. I trust that he delivers at hospitals with high levels of care and haven't been disappointed with the hospitals so far. If my OB all of the sudden changed systems (and assuming the NICU is good) I would follow him. I've been with mine for 15 years, so I definitely make a decision on where to deliver based off of where he has privileges. Since you might have some apprehension on your OB and could still switch, I would start interviewing OBs and maybe switch if you feel like that is right for you. I couldn't really tell you where to starts, but maybe look into OBs that have privileges at a hospital you might want to deliver at. Good luck!
*TW*
Our daughter was born there and died at the lakeridge ER and during follow up SickKids kind of implicated that their level of care towards us was substandard. I have a very hard time going back there (whether they were truly negligent towards us or not) so we are using Mt. Sinai.
*END
all that being said, the new area really is beautiful and they have since updated their newborn screening process. The only thing that sucks is that because you labour and stay in the same room from
beginning to end, if they get full, they transfer you to the old wing so they have free delivery rooms and it is like going from the Hilton to a low end motel LOL
Mt. Sinai is a great hospital - I'm certain you will Have a terrific experience there.
We also had a very good experience at lakeridge with our son & the nurses were all very kind to us.
While I did it all before being pregnant, but I know of women who switched mid pregnancy. If you're not sure, I'd take some time to think about what kind of pregnancy you have (low/high risk), what's important to you in terms of the hospital standard (highest NICU level, low interventions, successful VBAC %, etc), how important your current practitioner/prenatal care is in line with that, and think about if it makes sense to switch if something isn't lining up.
Pregnant with #2:
@vflux33 Is there a Ronald McDonald House near the other hospital? If so, and if it starts looking like you're not going to make it past 35 weeks, they can get you set up to stay there until the babies arrive. I know someone who lived in a rural area and was pregnant with twins and did that. It's not free but it's relatively cheap and usually right by the hospital.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
After reading this thread, hearing y'alls responses, I called the OB/midwife practice that delivers at the in-hospital birth center down here which is brand new and gets rave reviews (and only this practice delivers there) again, juuuuust to see if they still were not accepting new patients "under any circumstances" and now a waitlist is available for me to be on! So I feel more relaxed knowing that might be an option.
Shared rooms and H can't stay over? Oh, blech. Everything makes Manhattan sound so fancy. Good heavens hospitals, get in the now!
I suppose it's good to know how great I've got it. I mean, I knew I liked the place I chose but I didn't realize how much.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
ETA: The thought of sharing a room for labor reminds me of the other night after a concert we went to a nearby bar to eat while we waited for traffic to die down. The place was packed and the guy asked if we would mind sharing a table with another couple. Which can be doable. But we looked over and he was referring to a both, in which a super douchey looking couple was already same side sitting. Um, even if I were drinking I wouldn't have been keen on it. But sober? Hell nah. And the guy seemed kind of perturbed that we were so anti social. I couldn't even fathom 45 minutes with those clowns. (And they did turn out to be clowns. The duo behind us that went and sat with them looked MISERABLE until they found an opportunity to move to another table.) A whole labor?! (As for the other night, then I started holding my belly in the universal "I ain't heavy, he's my baby" pose so the guy would be more understanding. He found us a table for two.
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18