Mercer County vs. Bucks County
Hi everyone!
My husband and I moved here in mid-December from California and we're currently in temporary housing while we house hunt. We're looking at the greater Princeton area as well as eastern Bucks County. We're TTC and I'm a bit flustered as I already did all the leg work for having a baby in Cali and now I'm back at square one! It's even worse cause I have to decide between two states and two different counties.
Any insight on helping me choose between having a baby in Mercer County NJ vs. Bucks County PA? Which hospitals do you recommend? Also, any OBGYN recommendations?
I'm really hoping for a natural birth, ideally in a birth center that's attached to a hospital in case things get complicated. I want to keep medical intervention to a low. It's my first so of course I'll be nervous and will have millions of questions! Thanks for your input 
Re: Mercer County vs. Bucks County
There are no birth centers in NJ. There is Valley Birthplace in Montgomery County PA but it's a freestanding center. Not sure I'd go to any hospital in the Bucks County area, especially for natural birth.
Capital Health in Hopewell and Hunterdon Medical in Flemington are good for natural birth - they definitely support it! I used Midwifery Care Associates in Pennington and went completely unmedicated. Dr Burbella is very nice there as well (he used to back up the midwives). The midwives at All Women's Healthcare in Flemington are good for natural birth (they practice with a group of doctors who also support natural birth). Oh, and the midwives at Del Val Ob/gyn are good as well! They attend births at Princeton Medical Center. Capital Health and Hunterdon Medical are going baby friendly which means they'll be good about supporting breastfeeding and rooming in with your baby.
I second all of this. The hospital is brand new and gorgeous, and is supposed to have the best NICU in the state (not that I hope I'll ever need it, but it's good to know it's around the corner, just in case). I've been going to Lawrence OBGYN, and they've been swell. They have both doctors and midwives, and you can choose which you'd prefer to see.
Welcome to NJ!
Melodic Insomniac
Thank you all for your very informative responses! I really appreciate your input. I looked up Capital Health and it seems great. They claim to have a birthing center - rbytsdy what do you mean by there are no birthing centers in NJ?
I've also looked up Lawrence OBGYN and I'm a bit concerned since there are a lot of doctors in that group. I am hoping for a more 'personal' relationship with one doctor that will most likely be the one delivering my baby (barring any personal emergencies, etc). For those of you that go to Lawrence, do you usually only see one doctor?
Also, has anyone met with or even heard of Affiliates In Woman's Care: Dr. James O'Mara MD? He seems to be highly rated and I'd love to hear about any of your experiences with him. Many thanks again!!!
There are no free standing birth centers in NJ staffed by midwives. The "birth centers" are just hospital maternity floors (which is sounds like what you are looking for anyway - I just didn't want you to expect a different building, etc). Capital Health has a new hospital and I hear that the maternity floor is supposed to be beautiful! But you will be inside the hospital with all the technology offered in the hospital. However, the staff truly CAN support natural birth. I'd just ask for a nurse that likes working with natural birth moms.
I've heard of Dr O'Mara. No personal experience but women I talked to seemed to like him. Never got details of their births though!
With group practices like Lawrence ob, you will rotate with the doctors. You can't pick who is on call for your birth. I'm sure you can ask if you like a particular doctor but I wouldn't count on it.
I'm definitely a fan of Capital Health! My birth (VBAC) went really well there.