Yet another decision to be made --thoughts please!

LVbaby07

OK, so the midwife practice I go to delivers at 2 hospitals that are both VBAC friendly. One of them has surgeons staffed 24/7 in case I need to have the csection as well as a great NICU, but is 30 minutes further from my house, they do not have private recovery rooms(would most likely have to share unless not busy at all), a reputation for having really nasty nurses and poor lactation consultant help and I have just heard such negative things from people that have went. The other place is in a hospital but is more like a birthing center within the hospital, vs just a labor and delivery floor, where they try and make it more like home(which I love), however, they do not have surgeons staffed 24/7, but I have been told that they are readily available, I heard the NICU is good(but the other hospital better), I heard fantastic nurses that are really supportive of VBACs and this center has the highest VBAC rate in the area and is very close to my house.(although the other hospital does have a good rate too) My issue is is I am wondering if the thought of a nice birthing center with a private room is clouding my judgement when it comes to the other hospital potentially being better equipted if something is to go wrong-ie-surgeon 24/7 and better NICU? Wanted an outsider POV! Thanks!!!

SarahRae85

I'd be leaning toward the "nicer" hospital myself in your shoes.

I think the only reason I'd opt for the other one is if I had any kind of concerns or anything that might up my risks of complications (if I were to be induced or go into PTL or something). If everything was normal and my doctor had no concerns, I'd go to the nice one with the more relaxed/supportive environment. 

nosoup4u

Every hospital is going to have surgeons available for an immediate c/s. I'd go with the place that's more relaxing and has a better VBAC rate.

MAprincess

SarahRae85:

I'd be leaning toward the "nicer" hospital myself in your shoes.

I think the only reason I'd opt for the other one is if I had any kind of concerns or anything that might up my risks of complications (if I were to be induced or go into PTL or something). If everything was normal and my doctor had no concerns, I'd go to the nice one with the more relaxed/supportive environment. 

This.  The hospital I delivered in generally didn't have a surgeon available but because I was a VBAC, the on-call OB slept in the hospital that night (I was under the care of a midwife).  I was low-risk otherwise and full term.  The better NICU was one town away but they would have transferred in the unlikely event she needed to go there.

cecilyandgautam

I'd definitely go for the hospital with the better vbac rate. We had a hostile nurse for the first two hours of our hospital stay (then the shift changed - thank the Lord!) and it only added to the complexity of an already stressful labor.

Any hospital that accepts laboring women will be able to perform an emergency c-section when needed. 

Ceefome

The reputation of the nurses would sway my vote.  Part of the reason I think my VBAC was successful was my awesome and supportive L&D nurse, unlike my clueless L&D nurse the first time.  That probably plays a part in their superior VBAC rate. 

LVbaby07

Thanks Ladies!  I agree with all of you but I just wanted to make sure I wasnt missing a different perspective. 

ladybugpjb

Another vote for the hospital with good nurses. I had good nurses, but an idiot resident I had to deal with. You don't want to have reasons to get angry at people in the first few days after birth -- you want to focus on your baby, not worry about the care you're going to receive.

preg_amy

Haha, even without the reputation of the nurses, I would pick the hospital with private rooms.

 

But really, even with a doula, I found the nurses at my hospital really supportive and that was helpful to have such an awesome team of support.  So I would underestimate the power that a bunch of crappy nurses can have.