Hello All!! I'll cut right to the chase. We are newly relocated to Baltimore County from Miami. It was like pulling teeth (with the rudest nurse I've ever spoken to in my life) to get an appointment, but I was finally able to get in with Johns Hopkins for early March. The appointment is with a nurse only, though- no availability with a doctor for who the heck knows how long. My questions:
1.) Has anyone delivered at Hopkins since they opened the new birthing center last year? What was your experience like?
2.) Does anyone have a better recommendation for a female dr. that is on staff at a hospital that can guarantee us a private room? That is my main concern.....I'm hopeful that the doctor will be moderately pleasant, but the nurse was just so mean! So, I'm completely open to switching.
3.) Are there any fun classes that I should look into in the area? I need to try and make some friends- we'll go crazy if it's just us and this baby!
Thanks!
Re: New to Baltimore, New to Pregnancy : )
Welcome!
I'm of no help because I used Bay Area Midwives and delivered at AAMC in Annapolis. They were great to work with and I did have a private room.
I don't have any pointers for meeting people, though it some ways it was easier after I had my child because I could join a local mom's group.
Welcome!
No idea about Hopkins but GBMC has private birthing AND recovery rooms. Dr. Laura Erdman at Charles Street OBGYN is wonderful and is a Baltimore "top doc."
For now maybe a pre-natal yoga class would help you meet moms-to-be. After baby is born head to the local library for storytime or baby yoga and when LO is a little older try out a My Gym class.
How far along are you?
No experience with Hopkins for delivery, but keep in mind it is a teaching hospital so you will likely be
inundated with interns and residents. I personally choose Franklin square as it is close to home and I love my OB there.
Good luck with whatever hospital or dr you choose, and have a healthy and happy pregnancy!
I also saw Dr. Erdman and delivered at GBMC. GBMC is a great hospital in my experience, and I totally trusted her as a doc. Despite how busy Dr. Erdman's practice is (they run late a lot), I was always able to get appointments when I needed them.
Congratulations and welcome to the area. I delivered both my girls at MedStar Franklin Square and I highly recommend them. I loved my OB and nursing staff at my practice. I also used their NICU with both my pregnancy. The birthing rooms are private and so are PP rooms too. The NICU is a little on the older side, but they are planning to build a new one, slate to open in 2014. Both my girls got care while at the NICU.
Good luck with your decision.
Thanks for all the advise, guys! We chose Hopkins (the main campus, not Bayview) b/c from a medical standpoint, they have the best trained OB/GYN docs in the country (hubby and I are both physicians)
BUT, this is my first baby and they are so unbelievably rude and callous that I may be more comfortable somewhere with better patient care. I'm realizing that in a situation like this, nurses can make all the difference in your experience. GBMC is closest to us, and it sounds like you all had a good experience there- so we are definitely scheduling an appt. with one of their OBs.
Love following all of your journeys - I've been snooping around the board the past few days : )
I actually AM a hopkins doctor and I chose GBMC---as have most of my colleagues.
The doctors here (JH) are great but if your pregnancy is not complicated you will likely have a more intimate and equally professional experience at GBMC or St Joes--not to mention the better access for questions, appointments, phone calls, etc. Honestly I have learned the most about being a doctor from my experience as a patient during this pregnancy!
I have loved the nurses in the L&D suite at GBMC--not as much in my OB's office--but the convenience of access is so important that I would not trade it at all now.
Good luck.
bg777- I would love to PM you! do you know how I can do that...computer illiterate here.
I am having a complicated pregnancy, but I'm still conflicted over something I'd rather not post publicly (for fear of being unprofessional).