Natural Birth

Anyone in LA?

Have you or someone you know delivered with the UCLA midwives? Just curious as to what people's experiences are with them. I am seriously thinking of switching from my OB becaue he only delivers at Cedars Sinai and I had a horrendous nursing care experience there with various nurses from triage, to delivery to postpartum. I actually love my OB, but I don't think I can go back to Cedars. I definitely want to go med free again, so if anyone else knows somewhere else great in LA, please let me know. I cannot travel too far because last time I had a very short labor (under three hours.) Thanks ladies!
Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml

Re: Anyone in LA?

  • I've heard some great things about UCLA midwives through my prenatal yoga instructor who is also a doula.  Her name is Patricia Grube, you can contact her at https://www.serenitybirth.com/
  • I believe that outside of Kaiser and UCLA there are no other hospital midwife birthing options in LA, OC, or VC counties. If you are interested in a out of hospital birth I don't have any recs, as I'm in O.C., but if you contact this birth center they should be able to give you some great referrals www.southcoastmidwifery.com in your area.
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers
  • Loading the player...
  • I am going to deliver with the UCLA midwives. So far, the experience has been great. I've only had two appointments, but here is the info I can give you:

    -Wait times seem very short (like 5 min), even at my last appointment when there was a mix up on time, they fit me in with no wait at all

    -There are several midwives (I think 6) and you are supposed to meet with all of them because any one of them may be on call when you deliver. I've met two of them, Maria, and I forget the other one's name. Both of them were really nice.

    -At my first appointment, Maria talked with me for 40 minutes and answered all my questions.

    -She said about 60% of the moms go with no pain meds, the rest have epidurals, and I think the C-section rate is around 12%. (Since they are in a hospital, they can also accept slightly high risk women).

    -They don't push interventions on you and were totally supportive of my declining the first and second trimester screenings. They will always let you know when stuff is optional.

    -At the birth, they encourage birth plans, walking and moving, showering, and let you be skin to skin with the baby for an hour after birth.

    -On the downside, you are required to let the residents watch you birth because it is a teaching hospital and they want the residents to view natural births.

    So, anyway, so far I've been happy, but like I said, I've only been there twice so far. 

    image
  • Unfortunately I did not have the best experience with the midwives, which made me sad because I had heard so many good things. I got a horrendous full-body rash at about 7 weeks and they refused to see me, telling me to see my primary care doc (who had no idea what to do). We ended up calling random OBs because I was in such agony, just to find someone that would see me. After the rash issue subsided, they wanted to reschedule my initial appt not once, but twice.  After that I decided I was done with them. I wonder if they're just too popular for their own good. :( 

    I think my case is probably unique, given how early in the pregnany it happened. It may have gone differently if I was further along. But I really liked the friendlier and more personal care I got at my OB so I decided to stay. And my OB (Jason Rothbart) is well-known for being natural-friendly, so I feel comfortable with him. To me it felt like UCLA was like a big corporate entity and there was no one there that was willing to help me.

    But now I'm a bit worried, because my OB delivers at Cedars. What happened? Do you think having a doula to advocate for you would help at Cedars? 

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • imagebirdie9927:

    Unfortunately I did not have the best experience with the midwives, which made me sad because I had heard so many good things. I got a horrendous full-body rash at about 7 weeks and they refused to see me, telling me to see my primary care doc (who had no idea what to do). We ended up calling random OBs because I was in such agony, just to find someone that would see me. After the rash issue subsided, they wanted to reschedule my initial appt not once, but twice.  After that I decided I was done with them. I wonder if they're just too popular for their own good. :( 

    I think my case is probably unique, given how early in the pregnany it happened. It may have gone differently if I was further along. But I really liked the friendlier and more personal care I got at my OB so I decided to stay. And my OB (Jason Rothbart) is well-known for being natural-friendly, so I feel comfortable with him. To me it felt like UCLA was like a big corporate entity and there was no one there that was willing to help me.

    But now I'm a bit worried, because my OB delivers at Cedars. What happened? Do you think having a doula to advocate for you would help at Cedars? 

    Thanks so much for your reply. I have been hearing somewhat mixed reviews on the midwives at UCLA so I don't think you are totally alone in your feelings. Coincidentally, I have a pretty bad rash on my thighs, and arms, that came on at about 6 weeks. My OB referred me to a dermatologist and she thinks it might be early PUPPS, did yours turn into this?

    Anyway, to answer your question about the nursing care at Cedars, I really don't want to freak you out, but I'll give you my story. First of all I gave birth two times at Cedars, in 2007 to dd which was a wonderful, flawless experience start to time of discharge and in 2010 to my ds where I had many issues. I'll list them here b/c this will get lengthy (sorry!) and be sure to read #4 it was the HUGE whopper of a problem I had...

    1) When I got to the hospital they had me in a private triage room and the nurse left me alone in the bathroom to undress for what felt like forever and I couldn't move b/c my contractions were so intense, DH was parking the car so I felt sort of hopeless and alone, I made it out and the nurse showed when I came out and basically made me get into the bed, despite my insistence that I could not do it, I think personally that my pointing out I couldn't do that at that point should have been indicative that ummm, maybe I was kind of far along? I finally was able to get myself in bed and was saying how uncomfortable I was over and over and that I couldn't tolerate the bed, she was meanwhile making some sort of unrelated phone call (clearly not urgent) on her cell phone while trying to put the belt on to monitor me, she let it slip off me at least five times before getting it on. In the meantime DH got back, and I kept repeating in a distressed way (for me!) that I really, really wasn't feeling good, they baby felt so low, etc... Finally, a midwife came into check me and I was 8 cm so they all flew into action and made me change beds to take me to a delivery room.

    2)My OB missed the delivery, granted I delivered 20 min after arriving, but I think if I had been checked sooner he would have made it (he lives 9 minutes from the hospital.) I still don't know who delivered Oliver, which was also dissapointing because we had waited to find out the sex, but of course no one there knew that, so I had to ask what he was, there was no real pronouncement, just not what I envisioned, clearly this is minor, but I'll mention it anyway:)

    3) After delivery, they had taken DS to bath him etc. and DH had gone with him. I was alone with the nurse still in the delivery room and I had to go to the bathroom, or she wanted me to use it (can't remember) and she had me go all by myself, get out of bed by myself, be alone in the bathroom, which I thought was kind of crazy after just delivering (maybe I'm crazy and this is the norm?) I was sort of out of it from the birth and felt dizzy and remember kind of wanting help, but feeling uncomfortable asking about it. It was just weird and she was generally unsupportive.

    4) This is the huge one that literally gives me immediate heart palpitations when I think about it. The night ater I delivered, I called the nurse aid to ask if they could take DS to the nursery for an hour or two because he was fussy and I was flat out exhuasted. This was at like two in the morning and DH was home with DD because she needed him at that point more than I did (or so I thought!) Anyway, I called her in, she wasn't my assigned RN, but was a PCA or CNA or something along those lines, and she took Oliver out in his wheeled bassinett. Well about a minute or two later, I realized that his baby monitor bracelet that they put on the baby's ankles to sound an alarm if they leave the unit (I'm sure you are familiar with them, basically a baby lo-jack) was in my bed. It must have slipped off his ankle. So I went out into the hall to find her and instead I found Oliver COMPLETELY ALONE in his bassinette with no nurse or staff in sight and he was right next to an exit door. I was literally in shock. Then I heard the CNA's voice in the room next door to mine, she must have gone into to help another pt. I stood there stunned and waited until she came out and said, "ummm, you forgot this) and off she went with ds. Obviously I should have gotten the nurse manager in retrospect immediately, but like a dummy I didn't, I truly think I was in shock.I never reported it and to this day I regret it, I feel like I would recognize her anywhere.

     So basically I was very displeased with the nursing care this last time around from triage to delivery to postpartum care. LA drives me nuts because it is so not natural birth friendly. I really, really love my OB and feel like he will let me do what I want even if he thinks it's unusual. But, I am just so unsure about going to Cedars again. All I can say is if you do deliver there, watch your baby like a hawk, go with them to all the tests and don't use the nursery! That's what I did with DD, she was never without dh or I for a moment and I am still kicking myself about letting ds out of sight. I guess a doula could have helped, I don't think it would have made a difference for me b/c I think a doula would have gotten to the hospital after my first bad 10 minutes and wouldn't have been there postpartum obviously. I think you have to know yourself to know if you need a doula or not... I am pretty strong minded, strong willed usually, but sure it can't hurt to have someone there as your advocate. For me, I really don't need one, but, I certainly don't think having one could be a bad thing if you know what I mean. Certainly right in post delivery it would have been great (but, that's not when you typically think of "needing a doula."  Your OB sounds great, but also keep in mind that an OB will typically only come in at the very end of labor for delivery, so you will be dealing with the nurses most of the time. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU and I hope this helps!!

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • imageHarper'smom:
    I believe that outside of Kaiser and UCLA there are no other hospital midwife birthing options in LA, OC, or VC counties. If you are interested in a out of hospital birth I don't have any recs, as I'm in O.C., but if you contact this birth center they should be able to give you some great referrals www.southcoastmidwifery.com in your area.

    I have heard great things about south coast midwifery, you are lucky to have them so near you!

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • imagebalibaby:

    I realized that his baby monitor bracelet that they put on the baby's ankles to sound an alarm if they leave the unit (I'm sure you are familiar with them, basically a baby lo-jack) was in my bed. It must have slipped off his ankle. So I went out into the hall to find her and instead I found Oliver COMPLETELY ALONE in his bassinette with no nurse or staff in sight and he was right next to an exit door. I was literally in shock.

    Wow, this is totally unacceptable!  Even though it happened in 2010, I would write a letter to the hospital administration and let them know this occurred.  Yes, it happened a while ago, but the problem may still exist, and this one is a HUGE liability issue for them, I'm sure they will take it seriously.


This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"