I know the Phoenix board isn't super active but I figure this is a good question for everyone since it's local. Also, this is a looong post and I apologize. I get a little rambly sometimes.
With my daugther (and this pregnancy) I am using Goodman and Partridge. I know there are a few people on here who had bad experiences--I didn't and I still haven't. I really like them.
I live in Gilbert and I'm right up the road from Mercy Gilbert Hospital so I started visiting the office right across the street.
When I went for one of my first visits this time around they told me that since I was going to have a scheduled C-section I could pick my doctor and then only see that doctor.
I picked Dr. Jarem. She delivered my daughter and I love her. She's Polish--I'm mostly Polish, etc. She always made me feel at ease even when I had issues with my daugther's pregnancy. She also calls me beautiful and I know that's sillly but when I feel gross and pregnant, it means a lot to have the doctor say "ah, here comes my beautiful patient" (and she probably says that to all her patients but still!)
A few visits in she had an emergency C-section and I couldn't see her and saw the PA. Not a big deal I just didn't really want to see the PA because I had a few doctor-related questions. The next appointment was my u/s and they told me that the day I picked I would see Dr. Baum on my follow-up.
No big deal again. I really liked Dr. Baum. I went up to the desk to schedule this coming appointment and I asked why I hadn't been scheduled with Dr. Jarem since I thought that picking the doctor meant that's who I saw from then on.
Well Dr. Jarem is still with Goodman/Partridge but now she's in the Power Road office and only delivers at Mountain Vista in Mesa.
So here's my conundrum...Mountain Vista is in far East Mesa around the 60E and Crismon. I live basically right in downtown Gilbert so it's about 20 minutes to that office and to the hospital. Right now Mercy Gilbert is literally up the road--maybe a five minute drive.
So would you continue at the office close to home or drive a bit to see the doctor who you liked last time around but is a bit farther and delivers a bit farther.
I haven't been on the delivery tour of either hospital but they're both brand new. I think they're only a year apart and the oldest is three-years-old. Both state-of-the-art.
Of course being right up the road means that once I go into the hospital if we forgot something, etc. it's not a big deal to run home to get it. My husband can swing by to visit while I'm recovering and be home with my daughter right after that.
But is it that big a deal to drive 20 minutes?
When I had my daughter I was living in Queen Creek and we delivered at Chandler Regional so that was about an hour's drive to get home and it just meant we brought everything but the kitchen sink when we went into labor and delivery.
So I just was hoping for some opinions--experiences at either hospital? Any second-timers sticking with their doc?
Re: OB Question/Hospital Question
PS...i just saw that you are naming your son Zane!!! That is so weird!!! If we have a boy we are naming him Zane, too! And here I thought I was being original =]
It's an awesome name! It sort of popped into my head at a random moment. I had heard it before. There was an author named Zane Grey who used to live up North here in AZ but it wasn't a name I had on a list or anything.
Then one day it just sort of drifted into my head. Turns out Zane Grey is the only writer my Grandpa ever read and I thought that was sort of neat.
Thank you for the advice. Of course right now we're looking at a Scheduled C-section so we obviously don't anticipate anything going wrong but you never know...
I was actually born at Good Sam.
I think I will take the tour of the Mountain Vista because I really loved Doctor Jarem.