After my son was born, my DLP (Domestic/Life Partner, wife, whatever you please) changed doctors and, in the world of insurance networks and affiliations, that meant changing hospitals as well.
With the old doctor, we had our choice between Adventist Hinsdale and West Suburban Medical Center. Before Cole was born we dutifully toured both. In the end, a major deciding factor became the perinatal levels of care with AH being Level III and WSMC being Level II. West Suburban was closer, but the facility was slightly worn around the edges. But Hinsdale would be having highway construction the entire summer leading to a long backroads ride of 30-45 min. The staff at the doctor's office quietly hinted that the choice was ours but we should pick Hinsdale.
The experience--and though we are concerned about medical skill obviously, let's be honest that having a baby is about an experience--at Hinsdale was wonderful the entire time. From the anesthesiologist to the nursing staff (other than the one who sent us home and told us our highly rated carseat was "no good") we loved the surroundings and the care we were given.
Our one complaint had been the small size of the mother-baby rooms for the stay after Cole was born. And what should be one of the nice features of the Loyola University Hospital tour but larger mother-baby rooms for after delivery complete with an extra bed for dad...instead of a horrible hospital recliner? Score!
But still, Kelly and I felt a few mixed feelings after the tour was over. It looked the same pretty much. Labor and Delivery doesn't change much from hospital to hospital. But little differences matter...especially to second time parents who now know what we want!
Loyola only has (currently) one part-time Lactation Consultant. No refrigerators in every room. Some questionable answers about the ability to, say, follow the new baby into the nursery for a first bath. Or, heaven forbid, off the floor for procedures. Not only that, but the woman leading the tour looked at us like we had 5 eyes and were asking too much. We're savvy consumers with a choice.
Hinsdale had a juice machine, coffee machine, bagels for the dads every morning, rents breastpumps for at home after your stay, etc.. Looking at the ratings there is no question though--Loyola is where you want to be if the worst were to happen. But they actually deliver far fewer babies each year than Hinsdale so I think their focus is on other issues.
The whole thing has us understanding a bit more why so many people are choosing homebirth these days or a midwife. Hospitals, indeed, just aren't set up for that gray medical area between caregiving and hardcore intervention.
So now we're left with a few philosophical questions to answer before November. Well, really the decision needs to be made soon because "hospital choice" is really "doctor choice" and we'd have to start seeing someone new. But maybe we should go back to Hinsdale? Maybe we should tour the other Loyola facility? Maybe we go back to Hinsdale and have a completely different experience this time? In addition, Hinsdale is under construction with an even nicer, brand new maternity wing. Maybe we should go see how bad it is now that there are hammers and hardhats involved?
Loyola was perfectly acceptable on many levels. But having not been there for the big moment, who's to say that one of these little issues won't become a major one?
With the old doctor, we had our choice between Adventist Hinsdale and West Suburban Medical Center. Before Cole was born we dutifully toured both. In the end, a major deciding factor became the perinatal levels of care with AH being Level III and WSMC being Level II. West Suburban was closer, but the facility was slightly worn around the edges. But Hinsdale would be having highway construction the entire summer leading to a long backroads ride of 30-45 min. The staff at the doctor's office quietly hinted that the choice was ours but we should pick Hinsdale.
The experience--and though we are concerned about medical skill obviously, let's be honest that having a baby is about an experience--at Hinsdale was wonderful the entire time. From the anesthesiologist to the nursing staff (other than the one who sent us home and told us our highly rated carseat was "no good") we loved the surroundings and the care we were given.
Our one complaint had been the small size of the mother-baby rooms for the stay after Cole was born. And what should be one of the nice features of the Loyola University Hospital tour but larger mother-baby rooms for after delivery complete with an extra bed for dad...instead of a horrible hospital recliner? Score!
But still, Kelly and I felt a few mixed feelings after the tour was over. It looked the same pretty much. Labor and Delivery doesn't change much from hospital to hospital. But little differences matter...especially to second time parents who now know what we want!
Loyola only has (currently) one part-time Lactation Consultant. No refrigerators in every room. Some questionable answers about the ability to, say, follow the new baby into the nursery for a first bath. Or, heaven forbid, off the floor for procedures. Not only that, but the woman leading the tour looked at us like we had 5 eyes and were asking too much. We're savvy consumers with a choice.
Hinsdale had a juice machine, coffee machine, bagels for the dads every morning, rents breastpumps for at home after your stay, etc.. Looking at the ratings there is no question though--Loyola is where you want to be if the worst were to happen. But they actually deliver far fewer babies each year than Hinsdale so I think their focus is on other issues.
The whole thing has us understanding a bit more why so many people are choosing homebirth these days or a midwife. Hospitals, indeed, just aren't set up for that gray medical area between caregiving and hardcore intervention.
So now we're left with a few philosophical questions to answer before November. Well, really the decision needs to be made soon because "hospital choice" is really "doctor choice" and we'd have to start seeing someone new. But maybe we should go back to Hinsdale? Maybe we should tour the other Loyola facility? Maybe we go back to Hinsdale and have a completely different experience this time? In addition, Hinsdale is under construction with an even nicer, brand new maternity wing. Maybe we should go see how bad it is now that there are hammers and hardhats involved?
Loyola was perfectly acceptable on many levels. But having not been there for the big moment, who's to say that one of these little issues won't become a major one?