WWGPM's Do? (Dr & Hospital related)

brij2006 · October 2013

I need some help trying to figure out what to do.

We live about an hour away from the Dr's office I've worked with for IF, and now with the pregnancy. We were discussing last night whether to switch to a more local hospital and OB, instead of sticking with the practice I've been working with (which I love). So here's the pro's and con's list I put together last night. What would you ladies go with?

Current practice and hospital:

Pro's:
Has a NICU Unit
Offers widwives
Has up to date technology and equipment.
Very, very personable!
Offers a lot of prenatal classes we would like to do.

Con's:
Is an hour away from home via a very bumpy back road (I'm thinking of the drive during labor)
Is an hour away for any Dr's visits & Classes

Hospital & OB closer to home:

Pro's:
Is 25 minutes from home, and 20 minutes from my office.
Has a very nice OB that I've visited once and liked, but am not sure if he is taking new patients at this time.
Will be where we transition to for Ped care.

Con's:
Does not have a NICU unit. If there are issues, baby will be airlifted to affiliated hospital 2 hrs away. I will remain at local hospital until I can be released.
No midwives (isn't a dealbreaker though)
Has double occupancy rooms.

What would you ladies do? Is being closer to home a better option? Or is it better to go for a hospital that has a NICU unit (just in case), and has a lot more to offer?

amccul20 · October 2013

I would stick with where you are now. But I live in an area where an hour long drive is the norm.

I'm fairly certain I wouldn't want to deliver at a hospital that didn't have a NICU. Especially since if you delivered at the closer hospital the baby would be transferred 2 hours away from you if something went wrong.

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

Go with the dr that makes you most comfortable. I live an hour from any hospital and that's assuming we don't get stuck behind a tractor. Hello BFE!

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

Oh and the closest NICU from my house is 2 hours and also 2 hours from where I will deliver.

brij2006 · October 2013

@pistolpackinmomma That's exactly us too! If I was due in the winter months, then I would be switching to the closer one in a heartbeat. There's no way that driving on the back roads, in the snow, while in labor, would be a smart choice.

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

I was due in January with my first. I ended up needing a csection but there really wasn't any other option. If you like your current dr best then just leave as soon as you go into labor. I talked with my dr last time and he agreed that he would just have me head in sooner. Most drs will have you labor at home for a while anyhow.

alexisanna44 · October 2013

I didn't even read your entire post, but I'd automatically go with a hospital that has a NICU. If something happens and baby needs to spend time there, you'll most likely be stuck at the original hospital when baby is transferred depending on policy. If labor is too intense to make the drive you can always go to the one closer for an emergency.

PinkinProvence · October 2013

Personally, I would never deliver at a hospital without a NICU so I didn't read any other pros or cons. Before I even knew I was having twins, the hospital (which is very nice and good) 8 minutes from my house was not an option because it doesn't have a NICU.

brij2006 · October 2013

alexisanna44 said:

I didn't even read your entire post, but I'd automatically go with a hospital that has a NICU. If something happens and baby needs to spend time there, you'll most likely be stuck at the original hospital when baby is transferred depending on policy. If labor is too intense to make the drive you can always go to the one closer for an emergency.

I completely forgot about that part. Since it is in our insurance's preferred network, I could still go there if I absolutely had too.

Also, I've been able to get all of my blood work done there. My Dr from an hour away just sends the orders there, and I just make the 20 minute drive each way instead of an hour each way.

The NICU portion of this is a big deciding factor to me, and H isn't being any help at all. He's just told me to choose where I feel most comfortable.

BackseatDriver · October 2013

Heck NO on double occupancy rooms. That was all I needed to know.

Honestly though I don't think an hour drive is that big of a deal. I just wouldn't delay too much in going to the hospital when you are in labor. Having a NICU there is also a big bonus, just in case there is an issue.

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

@backseatdriver I didn't see the double occupancy! Hell to the no!!!

wiggyslilsis · October 2013

I delivered at a hospital with no NICU and if I needed to deliver before 37 weeks or if there were any risks associated with needing to be in NICU they would do their best to transport you to a hospital with NICU services before you gave birth. I know two people that were transferred to hospitals with NICU.

That being said I lived 45 min away from the nearest hospital with no NICU and an hour and a half from the closest NICU. And I was due April 7th had her March 27th and it snowed the weekend before I had her which is somewhat unusual for this area. I would go where you are comfortable but know in an emergency it may change.

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

@wiggyslilsis that's the same situation here. We have no NICU, it's 2-3 hours away not counting traffic. It just isn't an option in our area without using the local hospital's transport services.

wiggyslilsis · October 2013

@pistolpackinmomma the other problem with the closest NICU hospital is that it is private and doesn't take a majority of insurances so our hospital ships to a different NICU a little further away and you can be helicoptered in that way and they will be ready for you so I felt safe and that I would be taken care of if need be.

pistolpackinmomma · October 2013

Depending on the severity you would either go in the chopper or the squad. But at the very least you'd have the lights and sirens clearing the way for ya

nightmare_of_beauty · October 2013

I would rather go to the person I know. My NP and the hospital are about half an hour away, but she's been with me from the start.

ETA I have another hospital choice that is only 5 minutes, but NP and doctor do not go there.

greenbeanqueen · October 2013

I would stay where you are now. The double occupancy rooms would be a deal breaker for me.

LittleLady77 · October 2013

Ugh, such a hard choice. I would probably stay we're you are but near the end when you have weekly appointments it's going to be a beast.

TudorRose11 · October 2013

I would stay where you are. No NICU is a complete deal breaker for me.

The weekly appointments aren't going to be convenient but maybe you can make a day out of it and get lunch somewhere you like nearby. And, unless you're high risk, that will likely only be 4 times anyway.

brij2006 · October 2013

H works right down the street from that Dr and hospital (he makes the hour drive each way). So the plus side is that he would be able to join me for appointments, and then we could make a lunch date out of it too.
That's also where the nearest mall is to us. So I'm more than happy to do some shopping while I'm there too.

brij2006 · October 2013

I just want to add that you girls are amazing!

This seriously makes me feel a lot better about staying with the practice and hospital that is an hour away. It sounds like many of you ladies have quite the commute too.

pb&fluff · October 2013

I would stick to your current hospital. God forbid you need that NICU, or if you have an emergent c/s and baby is airlifted and you are without them. That's what happened to my BFF. Her daughter was airlifted to a bigger hospital with a NICU, and even though it was just 20 minutes away, she had had a c/s, and had to check out of the hospital early and stay in a hotel across the street from the bigger hospital so that she could be with her daughter.

The hour drive sucks, but I think I would probably go with it anyway.

vitan · October 2013

I agree with others that the sharing rooms would sway me the other way.

Your situation sounds a lot like my predicament with this current pregnancy but I decided to go with the closer hospital even though it's completely different than the one I used with DD.

My first delivery hospital was about an hour away but on freeway, no bumps. That's the only thing I think would sway me to the closer hospital but you just never know if you'll actually be in labor rushing on a bumpy road.

I say stick with the one you have now as welll.

NotMrsSmith11 · October 2013

brij2006 said:

H works right down the street from that Dr and hospital (he makes the hour drive each way). So the plus side is that he would be able to join me for appointments, and then we could make a lunch date out of it too. That's also where the nearest mall is to us. So I'm more than happy to do some shopping while I'm there too.

This seals the deal right here. (I mean, NICU and private rooms and all, but....)

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