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Minnesota Babies
Anybody deliver at St. Joe's?
I would like to hear about your experience. Also, are the L&D rooms private? I have the choice between United, and St. Joe's and am trying to decide. Thanks
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Re: Anybody deliver at St. Joe's?
I actually spent the weekend with a couple who delievered at St. Joe's. This is what they had to say: the rooms were very nice and big and the nursing staff was good. He said they were a bit on the 'god-dy' side. The one big issue they had was they are very baby to breast there, so their son didn't get food for 36 hrs because she wasn't producing anything and they refused to introduce a bottle...
Thats all that I've heard...GL with your choice!
I delivered DD at St. Joe's and could not rave about it enough! The nurses were all fantastic, especially our L&D nurse. The midwife on call was outstanding; she was completely supportive of our birth plan, but when she had suggestions she explained them thoroughly. And she performed pain-relief pressure point massage on my feet/ankles during labor! Even the food service lady who took my order every day was wonderful. The room was private and very comfortable. We plan to deliver our next DC there.
Re: the previous poster who heard they are very God-y there. I did not experience anything like that at all. It is, of course, called St. Joe's, and there is some sort of religious statue and a cross outside the building, but I didn't detect any sort of religious vibe from any of the staff.
Also, they were very encouraging about breastfeeding, but we had made it clear that was our preference. The woman across the hall from me delivered a few hours after me and I saw a bottle sitting on the table in her room later that night.
I delivered at St Joes and it was not God-dy, at all. They have the statues and the crosses, but nothing was every mentioned to me at all as I said no upon admit. If you want it, they have it. My friend had a stillbirth there, that is the baby had died intutero and she was induced there and they were fantastic for her. They provided all the emotional support and chaplins, etc that she desperately needed. So if that's important to you, they have it, if not, you don't have to worry about it at all. It's a non issue.
The nurses were attentive and very available. Most of them have worked there forever.I didn't want or wait for anything. They have a la cart food, you order what you want when you want it.
As for the breastfeeding and no bottle. If you tell them you don't want to bottle feed, they will not encourage it, letting the baby be on the breast is the best way for the milk to come in. The baby was getting the colostrum until the milk came in. So I don't even understand why that was an issue if the baby was at the breast every 2-3 hours.
They are just minutes from Childrens if you have unforseen problems, the baby can get there easily.
Healthpartners patients have rated it their favorite L and D many years in a row. They have water births and midwives, too.
A lot depends on your doctor. Do they go there?
I delivered there. The birthing part was great (especially Kerry Dixon). The room was nice (had a Bible and a cross in it which was no biggie) the anesthesiologist was nice and my labor nurse was amazing.
As for the bad parts, there were a lot. I'll just share one. Might've just been personal experience, but it still upsets me to think about the whole thing. The nurses worked very odd shifts on Palm Sunday and so I'd see one and then 30 minutes later have a different nurse and so on. I called the nursing station at 3am, hysterical, because I didn't know how to make my baby stop crying and I was all alone in the room (DH had to work the next day) and I had people in the next room pounding on my wall and yelling for me to "Shut that damn baby up." A nurse finally arrived to help me, three hours later. She gave me a syringe of formula (I was BF'ing) and said "Sorry I forgot about you. We have a lot of things happening right now." I told her I wanted her to take a look at my latch, and she said "I'll tell the next nurse. My shift is ending right now." Do you think that nurse came? Nope. I understand that some people like the hands-off approach in hospital to give them time to bond, but I needed help, asked for it and wasn't given it in a timely or accurate manner.
It was the most horrible experience I ever had. I would go to Woodwinds if I had to do this again.