birth center- care of newborn

Re: birth center- care of newborn

• moshuya member

  June 2012

  I used a birth center and I found the care absolutely amazing.  I was severely dehydrated due to nausea, so ended up on an IV right before pushing, and my temp spiked....so Baby was born with a fever as well....

  Since fevers can accompany dehydration and there were no other presenting symptoms of an infection, they left it at that, but had an affiliated pediatrician from the hospital across the street stop by before discharge.  (They were debating admitting us for observation)  He performed an exam on the LO and cleared us for discharge.

  The nurse was great helping Baby latch on (she was born at 12:11, was latched on by 1, and nursed until 4!).  I loved that they waited until after she unlatched herself to do all the weights and measures and standard tests.

  My baby literally NEVER left the room. Even with the fever issues, I never felt as if my baby were receiving sub-par care.  They followed up two days later with a home visit to assess both me and the baby.  It was an hour long appointment with the same nurse who discharged us.  My mother was there, and she had been worried about birthing outside of a hospital, but was so impressed by the quality of the home visit.

  I'm afraid that had I been in a hospital setting that a) I would have been given pit because even though I was only really in labor for 7 hours, I stalled at 3.5 cm for about 3 hours.  But once my water broke (in the tub--I didn't notice it), it flew by.  b) Baby would have been rushed to the nursery immediately following birth because she was born with a fever, instead of immediate skin-to-skin contact and nursing, which was what she (and I) needed.  The fever could have resulted in a spinal tap "just to be sure" even though there were no other symptoms of infection....

  My birth experience was amazing and I am a firm believer in natural birth.  And birth centers are great because you are surrounded by staff that share that and will support you.  So long as your center is fairly close to a hospital in the very unlikely case that something should go wrong, I wouldn't worry at all about the quality of care your little one will receive.  I would expect it will be even better care than at the hospital, since birth centers are smaller and there will be fewer babies there! 

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• RockyMtnMama member

  June 2012

  They do great - our free standing birth center did fantastic care for the baby.  They also did a follow-up on baby and me at 3 days and then you take your baby to your own peditrician at 4-7 days for their own normal check-up. 

   

  Two boys already - ages 5 and 3...

  ...baby #3 is here...

  

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• 3rdat40

  June 2012

  I had my two kids at a birth center, and they got excellent care. They did not, however, perform the PKU test or hearing test that babies normally get in the hospital. I had to have that done at the pediatrician's and a hearing specialists office. Otherwise, we got everything for our baby that we needed from the midwives.

  

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• pisceschik

  June 2012

  This is great to hear, I appreciate the responses.  I figured we'd have to arrange for the hearing test another time, but it's worth it for an amazing birth experience overall.  I know that the birth centers are really easy to risk out of, so I figured if there was any chance of the baby needing extra care, you'd be at a hospital anyway.  I'm feeling really good about the decision.  DH has some reservations, but he's coming around.  And there's a hospital literally 3 minutes from the birth center, so we do have back up, if needed. 

  

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• celiabwatson

  June 2012

  Our birth center is able to do all newborn care, including hearing test and PKU. My daughter wasn't seen by a pediatrician until her one month visit. They do the newborn checks before discharge, call and talk at length over the phone about me and the baby at 1 and 2 days PP, come for a home visit at 3 days, and do a newborn check up along with my 2 week visit.

  

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• choppinbroccoli22 member

  June 2012

  I am using a birth center too; I made sure they have all the resuscitation equipment that they might need right there. It's just covered in a pretty quilted fabric.
  

  

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