Triangle area: Rex v WakeMed
For the Raleigh area, it seems like most people deliver at Rex--I don't hear much about the Raleigh campus of WakeMed. Is there a reason for this? (I know people who live in Cary do deliver at the Cary WakeMed site).
I'm starting to look into things like what the plan would be with #2 if we decide to have a #2 and part of deciding for me is knowing what the plan is. lol!
I had Scott at Rex and I don't have any real complaints about the care he got--more about logistical things (like no pumping room for NICU moms). But I just looked at WakeMed and clearly it seems they have the better NICU although I hope and pray we wouldn't need to utilize it--WakeMed has a level IV NICU and Rex is a level II/special care nursery. I also noticed that the neonatologists who saw Scott were all from WakeMed. But like I said, the hope is to get me past 32 weeks (when I had Scott) so we would hopefully not need a NICU at all or would only need a level II/special care nursery.
But then as I started looking to see which OB practices deliver at WakeMed just to see what the options are I didn't find much other than the WakeMed OB practice group.
All this rambling to ask--is there a reason most people in Raleigh seem to deliver at Rex and is there a reason most OB practices in Raleigh seem to deliver at Rex? Am I missing something here?
Re: Triangle area: Rex v WakeMed
I really don't know the answer to this. One thing I can think of is that Rex advertises their birth center a lot more than Wake Med does. At least, it seems that way to me. Also, Rex seems a little more centrally located that Wake Med (which is a little more in Eastern Raleigh).
I was born at Wake Med and look how awesome I turned out.
If I deliver in a hospital next time (instead of the birth center) I'll probably go to UNC, even though it's really far away, so I can deliver with their midwives. If I don't go to UNC, I'll probably do Western Wake (is it called Wake Med Cary now?) or Wake Med. For me, the most important thing is being able to go naturally and do things my way, so I'll go wherever I need to go to make that happen.
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I don't have kids, so I can't answer from that aspect, but I work in the Peds ICU at Wake, my mom works in the ICN at Wake (NICU - since our NICU is Neuro ICU), and MIL works L&D at Rex (We're all RNs).
I don't think that one is better than the other. When I have kids, I'll deliver at Wake, just because I know the people there & my OB delivers there. The only private practice to deliver at WM Raleigh is Kamm, McKenzie, etc. All of my coworkers and most of my friends & family go to Kamm McKenzie and have delivered at Wake. I have only heard good things from them. As long as you are followed by Kamm, McKenzie, there will be no residents, no interns, no one but an MD from your practice seeing you.
That said, Rex is a little bit more plush than WM. I've not been over there, but that's just what I've heard. MIL loves her job, the docs she works with (which is all OB practices in Raleigh except Kamm McKenzie - I don't know who delivers at WM Cary). The practices do take turns with call there, so if your MD is not able to be there, there is a chance that an MD from another practice could deliver you.
The big thing is that Wake has the NICU. Rex has a level 2 nursery, which for now is staffed by Neonatal nurse practitioners (Not physicians. There are pediatricians, but not neonatologists) from Wake (that will be changing in the next few months.) But if your baby has anything more than a minor oxygen requirement, they're getting transported to WakeMed, UNC, or Duke (or it could be further away - Greenville, Greensboro, Winston if the NICUs around here are full). If you deliver at Wake and your baby has to go to the NICU, you are pretty much guaranteed to stay there, even if they're over full. One thing people don't think about is if your baby gets transported to another hospital, thats a day or 2 that you're at one hospital, and your baby's at another.
If your baby is healthy, there is no reason not to deliver at Rex. However, if you're having a high risk delivery, I think Wake is the place to go. If something does go wrong at Rex, they are more than capable of handling it until getting transported.
Sorry that got long, but I hope it helps!
I delievered at Rex as thats where my OB goes...there seem to be a lot of OB's located right near rex so it only makes sense...I dunno what this has to do with it but Rex is a "private" hospital...You are right though that Wake Med has a better NICU and higher levels of care in there for much sicker babies...my mom works at the NICU at Wake Med and said they sometimes get the more severe babies from Rex transfered to them if its above Rex's level. Good Luck and I hope u dont need the NICU. I know Mrs_M&M delievered at wake med!
yes. all those things.
WakeMed just isn't known for their L&D/Maternity Care where Rex is.
I have no complaints about our time at Rex. And yes, it is nicer than WakeMed (main). But WakeMed Cary is very nice. I think like pp, it is just that there are SO many OB practices in the women's center at Rex, so they all deliver there. You may know, but the NICU at Rex, is actually a Level III but b/c they don't utilize it at the volume required to be a level III, they have to call it a level II.
honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the hospitals in this area. they are all equipped to provide great care. so i think it's just personal preference.
GL!
I had a great experience at Rex. I had to be seen there at 7 months pregnant after a car accident and they were awesome, and for my c-section as well. On the other hand, we went to WakeMed (New Bern Ave.) after my accident a few weeks ago, and I DID NOT like it at all, I know it is not labor and delivery, but I did not care for how I was treated, being that I had been in a severe accident. I know that every Pedi I went to suggests the WakeMed Childrens Emergency Dept and hospital for treatment once your baby is here for any treatments or emergencies. I have heard the WakeMed Cary is very nice for birthing.
Edit- We were told on our Hospital Tour at Rex the reason the NICU has a lower rating is they just don't deliver that many high risk babies (or the babies are moved to Duke, Wake Med eventually), so they have not earned that rating, but the equitment, etc is up to all standards. They just re-did that wing, and it is VERY nice (not that it matters).
I will deliver at Rex because it's where my cardiologist has full rights should something happen during labor & delivery where he would need to be present & have authority.
I chose my OB practice based on delivering at Rex.
I appreciate all the responses--keep them coming!
I never imagined how emotional I would get looking into all of this--guess it just takes me back to how horrified I was that my water broke at 32 weeks and being told I was about to be the mom of a preemie--something I never ever expected and was a complete shock to hear.
While I do care about how I will be treated in L&D, I really don't care so much about all the amenities. My room at Rex was fantastic--great views, flat screen TV, plenty of room for visitors and DH to sleep,etc --but what I really wanted was my baby in the room with me and not down the hall in the NICU. I would've given up my nice room and been happy in a hall closet if it meant that my baby was healthy enough to be with me and not in the NICU. That's me being emotional right now and yes, I know that the hospital I deliver in does not have anything to do with determining when I will go into labor! I guess I just want to be in the place that could provide the best possible care for potential baby #2 if I did deliver early again. Not that Scott didn't get good care--it's just different now b/c I know ahead of time that I could possibly deliver early and want to be as "prepared" as possible.
So I guess what I really need is an OB to keep hypothetical baby #2 in until at least 37 weeks!
They can guarantee that, right?!
I delivered at WM Raleigh, b/c 1) my OB went there (and several of my friends had already used that OB), and 2) it's supposed to have the best pediatrics and NICU in the area, from what I hear from different doctors as well as research. Although ALL of the hospitals in the area are awesome... we are very lucky in our area. And I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
We heard that if something major went wrong with the baby, at WM Cary, baby would be transported to WM Raleigh anyways, so we figured it made the most sense to just deliver there. I had an absolutely WONDERFUL experience.
ETA: I know some people choose hospitals based on the room amenities (Cary and Rex are newer/nicer I think) but I was like you in that I didn't care if the room looked like a shack, if my hospital had the best doctors, nurses, and medical equipment.
We chose Rex because the OB-GYN I've been going to for almost 10 years only delivers there, and also because DH was born there (well, the original one, on Wade Avenue). I loved my experience there. I think if I had had a choice between there and WakeMed Cary (the Raleigh location is just too far from us), I would have still chosen Rex. Although I've heard great things about WakeMed Cary too.
Wow, I was a lot of help! hehe...