Debating Hospitals

momamatthews

I had a doctors appointment today and it looks like I am at the beginning of the end.  I am 34 weeks pregnant and my doctor thinks I have another week at most.  I delivered my first baby at 31 weeks.  We drove 45 minutes to the NICU every day to see her because it was a higher level NICU.  She needed at times a vent and lots of close monitoring.  Now that I have made it to 34 weeks we are considering going to a much closer hospital but the hospital has a special care nursery not a NICU.  I am curious I guess what gestation your baby was born and what level of care they needed.  Would you feel confident going to a special care nursery at 34 weeks instead of a NICU?

Tapioca

Our daughter was born at 33 weeks, 5 days at a hospital with a level 2 / special care nursery. She did have the steroid shots but over 7 weeks before delivery. She was there for just 12 days and did great I plan to go back to the same hospital if I'm over 33 weeks with this one.

jcsntms06

My DD was born at 33w 4d and spent 12 days in the NICU as well. Our hospital has a level three NICU and we drove the extra miles (probably 20 miles from my house) to have her at this hospital. I plan to go back to the same hospital because of the reputable NICU/hospital for this pregnancy too.

ijustcantthinkrightnow

I think if it were me, personally I'd go to the higher level of car hospital. My twins are 26 weekers, so that makes a huge difference, it they had to be transferred it could have been fatal. If we a blessed enough to get pregnant again then I hope to go back to the same hospital.

Mrs. Alice

At 24 weeks I was put on hospital bed rest at a hospital 200 miles away from our home.  This was because it was the hospital linked to the MFM I was seeing, since we don't have one in our local area.  This was a huge urban hospital with a large level 3 NICU.  Our local hospital where I had originally planned on delivering had a new level 3 NICU as well but much smaller and then only took babies over 28 weeks and 2.4 lbs.  I am glad we delivered where we did because I knew they were getting top notch care from an experienced staff.  We had them transferred to our local NICU at 33 weeks gestation once they were off CPAP and closer to being more feeder/growers.  While they received good care at both places, I could definitely notice a difference in the level of experience with very early preemies.  If they had been over 34 weeks, I would have been completely comfortable with them delivering at the 2nd hospital.  Sorry this was so long!