Medstar WHC vs GW vs Sibley vs other?

[Anonymous]

Question - with a typical private OB practice that delivers at Sibley, if a woman goes into preterm labor would she still go to Sibley? I'm just curious because I have Kaiser and am preregistered at Sibley, but when I was having contractions at 28 weeks they sent me to WHC for evaluation for preterm labor (thankfully it was just a scare), because obviously if it was preterm labor Sibley would not be equipped to deal with that.

[Anonymous]

My premie was transferred from Sibley to Georgetown. She received excellent care at Sibley and transfer process was smooth and professional. I would have no problem delivering at Sibley again.

[Anonymous]

Are there statistics available comparing the outcomes and frequencies of medical interventions in birth between the 3 hospitals?
My conversations with other families make me think that Sibley is more likely to add all manners of interventions in births that would have been a lot less eventful and a lot less traumatic elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there statistics available comparing the outcomes and frequencies of medical interventions in birth between the 3 hospitals?
My conversations with other families make me think that Sibley is more likely to add all manners of interventions in births that would have been a lot less eventful and a lot less traumatic elsewhere.

Is that the hospital or the OB practice that pushes intervention?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there statistics available comparing the outcomes and frequencies of medical interventions in birth between the 3 hospitals?
My conversations with other families make me think that Sibley is more likely to add all manners of interventions in births that would have been a lot less eventful and a lot less traumatic elsewhere.

I think that what you are looking for is comparisons between PRACTICES, not hospitals. There are some protocols that are hospital-based, but there are also protocols that are practice-based. The interventions are recommended by the attending doctor, not the hospital. I also don't think that it will necessarily be possible to extrapolate given the difference in patient populations. For example, as PPs have mentioned, both GW and WHC are large, urban teaching hospitals that serve a huge swath of the population with various risk levels. Sibley may present as having more interventions, but from what I was told by L&D nurses and also by my OB, most of the c-sections that occur at Sibley are planned rather than emergent. Their patient population skews older, which could result in increased rates of induction.

At the end of the day, I just don't know that the comparisons you are looking for will provide you with useful data to make your own decision. I had a baby at Sibley and never felt pressured to get an epidural. No one mentioned c-section to me. My OB wanted to induce when I was 41w pregnant because I was over 35 at the time, but if I'd said no, that I want to wait another few days, they would have been fine with that provided I agreed to come in for a BPP to make sure that fluid levels were okay and everything still looked good for me and the baby.

[Anonymous]

OP here:
Wow! I'm so appreciative of these responses. Thank you!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question - with a typical private OB practice that delivers at Sibley, if a woman goes into preterm labor would she still go to Sibley? I'm just curious because I have Kaiser and am preregistered at Sibley, but when I was having contractions at 28 weeks they sent me to WHC for evaluation for preterm labor (thankfully it was just a scare), because obviously if it was preterm labor Sibley would not be equipped to deal with that.

I don’t know the answer to your question, but this example illustrates my previous point about why some women might prefer to only deliver at a major academic medical center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there statistics available comparing the outcomes and frequencies of medical interventions in birth between the 3 hospitals?
My conversations with other families make me think that Sibley is more likely to add all manners of interventions in births that would have been a lot less eventful and a lot less traumatic elsewhere.

I strongly disagree with this post. I delivered twice at Sibley and neither of my birth experiences were “eventful” or “traumatic”. I was induced the first time as I was well past dates and had an epidural both times, which I wanted. My first delivery was vacuum- assisted because after pushing for 2 hrs I was desperate for help (baby came after one push with vacuum and that was not at all traumatic, while continuing to push would have been). I know women who have gotten c-sections at Sibley for good reasons (eg spiking bp). I also know women who were adamant against a c-section, and despite difficult labors, doctors helped them avoid c-section at Sibley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - with a typical private OB practice that delivers at Sibley, if a woman goes into preterm labor would she still go to Sibley? I'm just curious because I have Kaiser and am preregistered at Sibley, but when I was having contractions at 28 weeks they sent me to WHC for evaluation for preterm labor (thankfully it was just a scare), because obviously if it was preterm labor Sibley would not be equipped to deal with that.

I don’t know the answer to your question, but this example illustrates my previous point about why some women might prefer to only deliver at a major academic medical center.

Or it illustrates that OB practices should be able to send people to the right hospital if they go into preterm labor.

[Anonymous]

If you've been at WHC this long, and it is convenient for you, I would not switch. GW doesn't have anything they don't...well, except forcepts

[Anonymous]

I don’t have anything to compare it to, but my experience at Sibley was wonderful. I felt cared for and respected. There was no pushiness about breastfeeding or not breastfeeding (I combo fed). The LCs were helpful and made it clear they were available for as much or as little advice and support as I wanted. I got the epidural I wanted, very quickly. The entire stay was quiet and peaceful. I was fully aware of the risks of the lower level NICU and chose to accept them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At 27 weeks it’s getting later in your pregnancy so switching practices is probably becoming less of an option, if not an impossibility. What are your concerns specifically?

WHC and GW are very similar urban teaching hospitals with similar patient demographics, facilities, and same level NICUs. I believe both are level 1 trauma centers. Main reason that is good is in case you need a blood transfusion or your delivery goes terribly—they are best prepared to care for you. Both have hospital based midwife practices that have positively influenced OB practices. At WHC they offer nitrous for pain relief in labor. At GW they do not. GW has more liberal policies for eating and drinking in labor than WHC. They use and teach forceps at GW, and are in of a very small number of teaching hospitals still doing that (forceps come with greater risks to the mother than vacuum and many hospitals favor vacuum over them for operative delivery). I am not sure about forceps use at WHC. The facilities at both are not cushy. There will be a broad range of women on the flooor in labor and delivery and postpartum—different races, ethnicities, income levels.

Sibley is a community non-teaching hospital known for a more cushy experience, a higher c section rate (largely due to patient demographics), and more older/affluent/whiter clientele. They redid their rooms a few years ago and they are supposed to be very nice. People joke about their smoothie cart. They have a lower grade NICU and are not a level 1 trauma center. They are not a teaching hospital so residents and student will not be involved in your care. Search past posts for specifics—plenty of feedback on all places.

General feeling on DCUM is that Sibley offers a cushier experience but the downside is that they may not be fully able to care for you or your baby in the event that things go very, very badly during your birth. Though that is very very unlikely, it’s not impossible.

This doula also offers a helpful overview to all hospitals.

http://www.tarabetholson.com/hospitals

I don't think who uses forceps. I had a vacuum assisted birth because my daughter's heart rate plummeted during delivery. They might use forceps depending on the circumstances

[Anonymous]

They do both forceps and vacuum at GW. They train residents in both. Signed, a mom who had forceps at GW

[Anonymous]

I delivered with the WHC midwives and would highly recommend them. It was much closer to me than GW - no way did I want to go that far in labor.

One more difference I think no one has mentioned: doesn’t GW have a couple birthing tubs? WHC doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question - with a typical private OB practice that delivers at Sibley, if a woman goes into preterm labor would she still go to Sibley? I'm just curious because I have Kaiser and am preregistered at Sibley, but when I was having contractions at 28 weeks they sent me to WHC for evaluation for preterm labor (thankfully it was just a scare), because obviously if it was preterm labor Sibley would not be equipped to deal with that.

There is a window (and I can’t remember specifics) where the OBs at Sibley, when you call, will send you to Georgetown. I know because I went into labor at 25 or so weeks (they were able to stop it and I went to 35 weeks). It’s somewhere between viability (week 24? Can’t remember) and 35 weeks (I delivered at Sibley at 35 weeks).