Thinking of changing hospitals

FrankieJay

Last week I went on the free tour of the maternity ward offered by my hospital.  I was surprised by how old everything looked.  It seemed like the place had not been renovated since the 80's. The rooms were tiny and everything just looked worn.

I felt  that this lack of updating in the decor reflects the level of investment in general in the hospital and that it probably translates into the staff and care.  My DH disagrees. We both like my OB, but I know that nurses and staff are very important.

I had never been in a maternity ward before but have spent a lot of time in hospitals with relatives.  I had never seen a hospital like this.  None of my friends have kids so I don't have anyone to ask for referrals, but there are some bad reviews of the maternity ward on-line. Would you switch hospitals?

 

mrsodonnell12

FrankieJay:

Last week I went on the free tour of the maternity ward offered by my hospital.  I was surprised by how old everything looked.  It seemed like the place had not been renovated since the 80's. The rooms were tiny and everything just looked worn.

I felt  that this lack of updating in the decor reflects the level of investment in general in the hospital and that it probably translates into the staff and care.  My DH disagrees. We both like my OB, but I know that nurses and staff are very important.

I had never been in a maternity ward before but have spent a lot of time in hospitals with relatives.  I had never seen a hospital like this.  None of my friends have kids so I don't have anyone to ask for referrals, but there are some bad reviews of the maternity ward on-line. Would you switch hospital?

 

Is the medical equipment old? I wouldnt switch based on the maternity area decor.... the hospital I had DS in and will have this LO in had not been updated in YEARS.... but they had cutting edge equipment and my midwife is amazing.... just after DS was born, they started a renovation of the entire hospita so now the decor fits the realy level of care of the hospital. I wouldnt base it jst on that....

 

Noethola

If there are other hospital choices, why not visit their maternity wards before making a decision to switch. It would be worth the extra footwork to check the other places out first. It can be difficult to labor in a place you are not comfortable.

misscarter87

I'm always one to go with the reviews before i buy anything or go anywhere so if there a bad reviews of the maternity ward maybe you should consider switching hospitals.

mrsodonnell12

PrivacyWanted:

It depends.  I had DD at an older hospital. Everything looked run down, but the nursing staff was great. And they have the best NICU in the region which was comforting to me (even though we didn't need it.)  They're getting ready to move into a new hospital this winter.  
I'm delivering at a different hospital this time, largely due to a change in my insurance but also because the one thing I hated about the old hospital was that you still had to share rooms.  There were only 4 private rooms available and they were on a first come first serve basis.   My initial room I got put with a woman who just wanted to watch Cops and complain about how hard giving birth was, call all her "home girls" and complain to them, and complain that her insurance/WIC wasn't covering the type of formula she wanted to use.
I have never hated being in a room more in my life.

WOW!! I would switch too!!

FrankieJay

How can I judge the quality of the nursing staff?  If I don't know anyone that has delivered there how can I find out?

I am going to tour another hospital that gets great reviews. It's hard being the first of my friends to get pregnant.  I don't have any moms friends or really any idea how to make them. 

littlemaybaby

I'd be careful about that logic.  I'd be much more inclined to talk to friends or acquaintances I know who have delivered there recently.  As their experiences are going to be much more indicative of the care you will receive than how outdated the furniture and wallpaper are . . . Hospitals are tight on money and having outdated furnishings really doesn't say much about how much care they will give you.  WHO is caring for you is infinitely more important than WHERE the care is taking place.

FWIW, the newest nicest state of the art hospital in my area also has a markedly higher c-section rate than some of the older less updated hospitals.  The local theory?  That they need increased revenue that c-sections bring in (both from the surgical procedures and longer hospital stays).  Do I believe that completely?  No.  But I have no desire to deliver there . . . even though the rooms are pretty and the accommodations for DH do look a lot more comfortable than the old crappy chair he will get at the hospital where we are delivering.

zonagirlie

Noethola:

If there are other hospital choices, why not visit their maternity wards before making a decision to switch. It would be worth the extra footwork to check the other places out first. It can be difficult to labor in a place you are not comfortable.

This. I would base it on other hospitals in the area and how you feel after seeing more than one hospital. Does your doc have privileges at other hospitals? 

littlemaybaby

FrankieJay:

How can I judge the quality of the nursing staff?  If I don't know anyone that has delivered there how can I find out?

I am going to tour another hospital that gets great reviews. It's hard being the first of my friends to get pregnant.  I don't have any moms friends or really any idea how to make them. 

The bump has a ton of local boards.  Can you find your local bump board and post to see if anyone has given birth there recently? 

Coworkers?  Neighbors?  Husband's coworkers? 

FrankieJay

If I switch hospitals I'd have to switch OBs. I like my current OB but not everyone in the practice so I wouldn't be upset at switching.

I know online reviews can be slanted but its what I have to go on. My Mom's suggestion was to go to the local park and ask random Moms about their delivery experiences.  I'm not going to do that.

 

littlemaybaby

At the end of the day, if you have nothing else to go on - you have to go with your gut.  If the hospital was old enough that it grossed you out and you really don't want to deliver your baby there, then that may be enough for you to want to switch.

Just know that a newer hospital does not necessarily equal better care.  Hospitals are businesses.  They have to balance their revenue and expenses.  Most hospitals are not going to upgrade entire L&D wards every 5 years, because it's not necessary and it's cost prohibitive.  If they are putting their money into equipment, staff, training, etc - that's money much better spent than upgrading the lighting and televisions in the rooms.

But again, you have to go with your gut.  

JennV514

I would not leave my current OB due to dated decor at the hospital.

FrankieJay

PrivacyWanted:

Some other thoughts about how to get unbiased reviews - a long shot but you could try the "babies" boards here if your local board is not very active.

Look up your local La Leche and explain your concerns and see if they have thoughts/suggestions of who to talk  to

Thanks for these suggestions.  My local board is not very active.

P.S. I know decor is not an important factor in choosing a hospital. It is just all I have to go on.  I choose the one I'm at now because it is the closest to my home and it's where my Gyn is (she doesn't do OB).  I now realize this is not the best way to choose when there are a dozen hospital under an hour from me.

sbevmc09

I would always choose provider over hospital, so no, I wouldn't leave a provider that I liked to switch hospitals.  BUT if you're considering switching providers over this, it makes me think that they're not really a good fit for you anyway so maybe it's a good idea.  Even if you do decide to switch providers I'd still try to find recommendations from people in your area, so either way I think you really need to explore your options on how to get some reliable recommendations from people in your area.  GL!