s/o: what did you not like about your hospital/birth center?

[AnnieW625]

With DD1 the main thing I didn't like was my room mate who brought in her entire family (more than the alloted 5 people per visit) and they stayed longer than the recommend one hour. We had four people in our half of the room and it was much quieter than their side of the room. I get that everyone wants to be happy and celebrate, but the babies and mamas should try and get some rest, and bond with their babies in a quiet setting.

With DD2 I didn't like how the nurses changed more than I would've preferred (every 4 or 6 hours vs. with DD1 I had two, maybe three per day) and some of them while they knew English were hard to understand. I also didn't like how I had to give my whole health history to the nurse when I arrived at the hospital, granted my labor was really minimal, but it would've been so much nicer to have been able to fill out the forms prior and note any allergies, what vitamins I had been taking, etc. . When the nurse checked me out to go home, they brought my orders and it said to continue taking a multi vitamin with high levels of iron like I had been taking, and I know I told them I didn't take a multi w/iron because of my IBS. I also didn't like that I didn't get to pick most of my meals and I assume those were chosen for me based on what the intake nurse had asked me in the labor and delivery room. The food was decent, but could've been better. And I didn't like that DD1 couldn't come and visit because it was still "flu season" (even though it was late April and 75 outside!) It was little things like that that while they weren't the end of the world were just things I didn't want to deal with, kwim?

[SnuggleBuggles]

With ds1:
-the crappy food- it was always late, they couldn't get it right and it didnt taste good
-being bothered round the clock
-too loud to sleep (loudspeaker announcements, hall noise...)
-uncomfortable for dh to sleep
-no bathtub for labor (showers only)
-the 2nd nurse who came on shift when I was in transition. Nurse 1 was so, so supportive, helpful and wonderful. Nurse 2 was a b*tch and didn't support me at all. I was glad I had a doula!
-the LCs were totally hit or miss on the helpful skill. They all seemed really rushed too.

Ds2
I loved it all. :)

Beth

[bubbaray]

I don't really have any complaints about my hospital (same for both girls). Food was gross, but I was on a clear/liquid diet for most of my stay (2 c/s). The rooms were labor/delivery/PP rooms (so no moving, except into the OR). All babies room in, there is only a NICU, no nursery. Staff very BFg friendly (as are the doc's, the unit has gotten some special WHO certification for this).

No real complaints for me. Not getting PG ever.ever.EVER again, but if I had wanted more children, I wouldn't have hesitated to have more births there.

[hellokitty]

The only thing I liked about my hospital stays when I had my 3 kids (all at the same facility) was the food. Everything else sucked. I didn't like that they had separate L&D and then postpartum rooms, so I had to get moved around. The rooms were super tiny (but at least private), the TVs were from the early 80's, my tv screen was hulk green colored, decor from the early 80's, no door on the toilet, just a curtain, there was no room for my DH to stay with me, even if he wanted to. The entire unit was dingy and cave-like. L&D was really bad, NOTHING that most modern L&Ds have. No birth ball, squatting bar, jacuzzi or anything like that. Seriously, it was like going back and having a baby in the 80's. Of course, just in the past yr, they opened a brand new maternity wing. It figures. As a RN, we all know that the maternity wards are always the most POSH units, and with my luck, it was the dumpiest unit and then AFTER I am finished having my babies, they build a posh unit.

[Uno-Mom]

... it was the dumpiest unit and then AFTER I am finished having my babies, they build a posh unit.

That happened to me and a friend of mine. But I lucked out, I was the one who got the remodeled unit. Not that it was anything fancy, but I heard that the old one was like something from Dickens! :) I think my friend's forgiven me by now...

[BabbyO]

In general, I was VERY happy with our hospital, the facility itself and the care we received.

My biggest complaints:
-Being woken in the middle of the night several times for checks, etc. I know they were necessary...
-Our special dinner came later than we'd asked, but it was delicious
-They used pictocin to stop/slow the bleeding after birth. With #1 they massaged the uterus/belly to get it to stop. I preferred that, but it wasn't a major thing.

[edurnemk]

My only complaint was that the person from the lab that took DS blood sample for the newborn screening was so cold and careless. I hates to see my baby screaming like that and then she didn't even swaddle him back up when she was done. I know the crying is inevitable, but I just thought she could've been nicer and gentler with him.

Other than that I LOVED the whole experience at the hospital (Evanston Nothwestern), the food was great, the nurses were sooo nice and helpful, they really support BF, had lactation consultants checking up on moms, they didn't push any unnecessary interventions during the birth, rooming in is the standard, great NICU of needed, beautiful LDR rooms with tub or shower, birthing ball, etc, private rooms.

[luckytwenty]

Mine was actually awful. I didn't comment in the other thread because three and a half months later I am still bitter about mean Night Nurse Pamela, who FORGOT TO GIVE ME MY PAIN MEDS 24 HOURS AFTER A C-SECTION!!! I was too out of it to track when I'd had them last and kept buzzing her asking her for help and she said, "You really have had a lot, you don't want to overdo it." And then the next morning I told the morning nurse that I was in so much pain and she said, "Wow! It looks like you haven't had any pain meds for 18 hours!"

Other complaints:

-The food was very unhealthy and processed and salty
-The baby photographers were aggressive
-asking for a LC and getting mean Night Nurse Pamela, who shoved my boob into my baby's face very roughly
-Not even providing basic onesies for the babies--they didn't tell us we would have to bring our own baby clothes!
-Not being respectful when I said I was cool with using a paci. It was my third kid--I didn't need to be lectured about nipple confusion.

[DebbieJ]

Um, everything. It was a planned homebirth turned hospital induction turned emergency c/s so I hated it all from the start.

My biggest criticism was the lack of information. No one, even the OB that did the c/s, really told me what was going on. The OB never even came into recovery to talk to me when it was over. I had to ask the nurses to call her to even ask when I would be discharged. The nurses sucked and barely spoke English. They didn't even have an LC on staff or an electric pump I could use for the 14 hours my son was in the NICU. L&D rooms were remodeled and fabulous, PP rooms were outdated, ugly, and uncomfortable. There was a problem with the heat and it was a fricken sauna in my room.

I could keep going....

[mg1278]

I hate that they have separate postpartum rooms, and you aren't guaranteed a private room. They did just completely remodel the L&D rooms, and supposedly are going to be completely redoing postpartum with all private rooms. That doesn't help me.

I hated that the kitchen was closed by the time my daughter was born.

I was really annoyed that they didn't explain that there wouldn't be anyone around to help check that we'd put the baby in the car seat correctly. They'd made it sound like it would get checked before we left, but in reality no one on duty cared and apparently the certified techs were only available by appointment.

[AshleyAnn]

I was induced at 8pm with cervadil and was told I could shower before the pitocin was started in the morning around 6am. Well morning came and since I had not set my own alarm I didn't get my shower.

The photographer didn't get the hint I didnt want to do pictures and kept returning to see if I was ready.

The air was extremely dry and it made my teeth ache so badly I had to request pain meds. My vajayjay had over a dozen stitches in 2 tears and an episodomy and yet my teeth hurt more.

During labor I had one nurse who kept trying to adjust the position of my hands while I was crowning and actively pushing and counting trying to force me to push on her schedule. I didn't need her help. I was going all natural and knew what to do. I delivered in three easy pushes. I was so overtaken by the urge to push I don't think I could have pushed to her count/breath crap if I had wanted to too.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I

During labor I had one nurse who kept trying to adjust the position of my hands while I was crowning and actively pushing and counting trying to force me to push on her schedule. I didn't need her help. I was going all natural and knew what to do. I delivered in three easy pushes. I was so overtaken by the urge to push I don't think I could have pushed to her count/breath crap if I had wanted to too.

I had no meds too and when I was pushing at the hospital the nurse roughly whispered in my ear that I needed to slow down or I was going to tear. I didn't/ couldn't listen to her and tore. With ds2 I went so, so slow on the crowning because of that and I had the tiniest of tears and ds2 was 9lb 9oz (more than a lb bigger than ds1, and I had a 2.5 degree tear with him). I hate counting and that would have pissed me off but I understand the slow now. :)

Beth

[lizzywednesday]

I delivered at a children's hospital, so the patient menu was mostly "kiddie food."

I ate oatmeal and chicken fingers for 4 days ... and they wondered why I didn't have a bowel movement before they discharged me. (Sheesh!)

Also, the nursing staff was very supportive, but my DH had a problem with one of the (older) nurses whose inter-personal manner was a little rougher than he'd like (I didn't mind so much and actually found her kind of funny) ... she ended up on his fecal roster because she came in for a vitals/meds check just as he was dropping off to sleep and he couldn't settle back down.

The L&D rooms were separate from the recovery rooms and some of them had awkward architecture, like support bolsters in weird places and air vents directly over the pull-out couches, but I didn't really spend a lot of time in my room. DD was down the hall in the ICU, so that's where I wanted to be.

[marymoo86]

fecal roster

:hysterical:

[DietCokeLover]

Great experience with DD.

Then, 11 mos later with DS, the only thing I didn't care for was the things they put on your legs to make sure you don't have a blod clot. I'm a bit claustrophobic and having those things on my legs nearly drove me nuts. I was literally begging the nurses to take them off. I understood why I needed them, but I really thought I was going to go insane because of them.

[mommylamb]

I was overall very happy with our hospital experience when I had DS, with a couple minor exceptions.

* I gave birth on a Saturday morning and the lactation consultants leave on noon on Saturdays and aren't there on Sundays, which meant that I didn't see one until Monday, and DS was having latch problems. The problem was quickly solved with a nipple shield, but none of the nurses had thought to try that and I had never heard of a nipple shield up until that point.

* The nurses overall were very nice, but there was a huge difference in quality between the day nurses and the night nurses, who were a lot less friendly.

Everything else was nice. The food wasn't horrible, I had a single room (all the rooms on the maternity wing are single), hospital staff was very supportive of breastfeeding (which is what I wanted to do. In fact, they were so supportive of it that I think they may have been un-supportive of moms who make the decision to formula feed). They were responsive and helpful overall.

[twowhat?]

The night nurses. Ugh. Food was great though!

[lizzywednesday]

fecal roster

:hysterical:

I know. But it sounds so much nicer than sh!t list, no?

[dukie41181]

Fecal roster has me crackin' up over here! It totally just made my facebook status! :rotflmao:

[Beckylove]

I've switched doctors and hospitals this time around, because I didn't like the experience the first time.

My complaints:
-4 different rooms in my time there. L&D triage, L&D room, postpartum room, then they moved me outside of the L&D area because they were too crowded.
-I delivered at 7pm and the kitchen was closed. They said they'd round me up a sandwich. It took hours! It was so late before I ate and I could have eaten a 10 course meal at that point.
-No getting out of bed. They made me start pitocin (water broke w/o contractions-full term) and wouldn't let me out of bed, wouldn't let me get away from the monitors for longer than it took me to go to the bathroom. I had to beg to stand up next to my bed, and they only agreed as long as the monitor reached. So much for all my lamaze preparation and the 100 times I heard that gravity and walking were helpful to a woman for advancing labor.
-There were no balls or tubs. No showering was allowed cause you can't shower the monitor.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

my hospital was amazing, but i couldn't wait to go home after the 2 days. the bed was SO uncomfortable. i brought my own pillows too, but still. and i hated being woken up to be poked/prodded all the time. i never got to sleep for longer than 30 mins bc of that.

[ewpmsw]

We delivered at the same hospital twice and I was pleased overall. Things I didn't like:

- We preregistered both times and it didn't make a difference when we checked in. Had to do it all over again.

- I had to keep a log of DC's hourly poop and pee diapers and the nurses were sticklers. When did I breast feed? When did baby poop? How many diapers did I change over night? I was good about keeping it until a nurse said DD couldn't be eating and pooping as much as I'd recorded. After that, meh.

- Both times, the women in charge of filing the paperwork for birth certificate, etc were incredibly pushy and prickly. They'd come in and out wanting to know when I'd have the paperwork they needed, even though we'd discussed when I'd have it and that I was 1)exhausted from having a baby two hours earlier and 2)trying to get DH to decide on a name. The second time, I gave the paperwork to a nurse on the night shift, as directed. The paperwork lady woke me and newborn at 7 am to ask about it. She had a college class to get to by noon and needed me to get on the ball. She got angry when I told her I'd given the paperwork to "Martha", who wasn't a nurse at all but a LC... Turns out there was a night nurse Martha and a LC Martha.

If I get to do it all over again with DC#3, I'm not going to take as much silliness as I did with the first two. Supposed to be there recovering, resting and bonding with my newborn, not fretting over someone else's paperwork deadline. A sign that says, "I'll get it done! Leave me alone!" might come in handy.

[Melanie]

1. There weren't any decent Lactation-trained nurses. The ONE was on vacation. This was 9 years ago. I hope the world has changed.
2. Someone thought a BUFFET for Breakfast and Lunch was a good idea. I was so rattled and exhausted and unshowered that I felt like I couldn't even leave my (thankfully private) room. Heck, I felt like I couldn't leave my newborn in my room alone just to go and shower (yes, now as a seasoned parent it seems ridiculous to me that I didn't just wheel the bassinet into the huge bathroom while I showered). No one was there to help me after Dh went home to sleep in the morning. At one point a nurse took pity and brought me a plate of cold leftovers. Dumb Dumb Dumb idea. If it wasn't for my mom's basket of "Yay you don't have GD anymore" Sugar- and carb-laden snacks, I'd have starved most of the time.
3. There were no 'toiletries' provided. I was a BC transfer and was not prepared to stay overnight, let alone two, let alone an hour away from home. They didn't even have hotel-sized samples of shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste. Companies give this stuff away...
4. Those stupid fill in the circle with blood newborn tests that aren't even useful until the baby has metabolized food. Torturous for mom and baby and stupid.
5. Doctors who think that it's okay to ENTER LOUDLY without even checking to see that you just freaking got your newborn to sleep after being awake all night long!
6. The army of people who come to mess with your newborn instead of letting it just be to get it's recovery sleep. (Seriously? You think a brand new out of it's cozy womb baby needs to lay practically naked to see if it holds it's temperature? "Welcome to the world, kid, it sucks.")
7. My huge awesome cavernous private room had one couch that wasn't big enough for my 6 ft husband to sleep on. And he wasn't yet tired enough of a new parent to be able to sleep anyway. LOL.

[daisymommy]

Melanie, did we deliver at the same hospital?! :tongue5:
I won't even bother writing out all of my bad memories, since you did it for me!
A couple things I will add: I passed out when I delivered DS#1, due to the epidural. The nurse and my midwife just said "yeah, that happens sometimes" (gee thanks for the warning). I had to be put on oxygen, a whole team to stabilize me because my BP dropped dangerously low.

So then imagine my surprise when an hour later I needed to use the bathroom, and I paged a nurse to help me walk (I was still so dizzy and kind of out of it I was sure I would fall over and hit my head)--and they gave me grief over it! Basically told me I was a baby and I should be able to do that myself. I guess I was wasting their time (eye roll).

So you can see why after all that I never wanted a repeat performance of a hospital birth!

[Melanie]

OMG! That's awful. At least the MD told me to NOT try to get up to use the bathroom myself. At that point any modesty I once had was gone anyway, so I called. Plus, in my head, was that at my own birth the nurses forced my mother to get up and move around causing life-long migraines due to the spinal she'd had. They were not about to get away with pushing me around.

And I'm with you...I took many many more steps towards ensuring a successful birthing center birth the second time. And it was awesome. :heartbeat:

[ewpmsw]

I roomed in each time with DD's on the floor above L&D. At the time, I remember wishing there was a better means of keeping mamas on the postpartum floor insulated from hearing the scary stuff, like codes and calls for crash carts. I'd hear them and feel anxious for the mothers and babies below and guilty for wishing I couldn't hear them. I understand it's necessary and probably unavoidable.

[OKKiddo]

Melanie, did we deliver at the same hospital?! :tongue5:
I won't even bother writing out all of my bad memories, since you did it for me!
A couple things I will add: I passed out when I delivered DS#1, due to the epidural. The nurse and my midwife just said "yeah, that happens sometimes" (gee thanks for the warning). I had to be put on oxygen, a whole team to stabilize me because my BP dropped dangerously low.

So then imagine my surprise when an hour later I needed to use the bathroom, and I paged a nurse to help me walk (I was still so dizzy and kind of out of it I was sure I would fall over and hit my head)--and they gave me grief over it! Basically told me I was a baby and I should be able to do that myself. I guess I was wasting their time (eye roll).

So you can see why after all that I never wanted a repeat performance of a hospital birth!

OMG! My first labor I had the epidural in for quite some time (a few hours) and then started to have blood pressure issues. My second labor, I'd only had the epidural in for 30 minutes and was delivering my son when my blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels all bottomed out. I remember the OB telling the nurses to push certain medicines and fluids and then a minute later saying to do it again. I was literally fading out on what was happening into the land of the unconscious. He ended up yelling for the meds again for a total of 3 times. I still managed to deliver my son and have a vague memory of him coming out before I passed completely out. I'm now terrified to get another epidural when I go to deliver this little girl. :(

[daisymommy]

OKKiddo~ OMG! I would say you are not a good candidate for another epidural birth. I would read up on natural birthing techniques and get yourself a doula asap.

FWIW...I had that awful epidural experience with my first, and then went on to have 2 totally natural drug free births that rocked my world!!! (I didn't say pain free ;)), but it was manageable and completely worth it in terms of how I felt after-wards the health of my babies after-wards too.

[Melanie]

And FWIW, I had an essentially pain free natural birth thanks to HypnoBirthing! J would do it again in a heartbeat. Though I also feel I set myself up for success wth regular chirp adjustments and acupuncture.

[OKKiddo]

OKKiddo~ OMG! I would say you are not a good candidate for another epidural birth. I would read up on natural birthing techniques and get yourself a doula asap.

FWIW...I had that awful epidural experience with my first, and then went on to have 2 totally natural drug free births that rocked my world!!! (I didn't say pain free ;)), but it was manageable and completely worth it in terms of how I felt after-wards the health of my babies after-wards too.

I mentioned the whole experience to the first OB I had in this pregnancy and he laughingly told me "ok then, just don't get an epidural." I felt like he wasn't taking my concerns very seriously and ultimately swtiched to a new provided. She listened and said that I need to make an appt. with the anesthesiologist at the hospital so we can discuss what happened and what my options are. A nurse and u/s tech heard the story and blew it off by saying that it happens a lot and acted like it wasn't a big deal. I haven't been back to that particular u/s tech since and I fully intend to go natural this time. I wanted to the first time and I was so close but didn't know it at the time (I HATE the lack of information flow to the laboring woman!!). I guess I really need to get it in gear and start working towards that natural birth by learning the different techniques.

Oh, and I'd LOVE a doula but can't afford to pay an arm and a leg--can anyone recommend one for the Kansas City area?