c-section -- Sibley or GW?

[Anonymous]

Hi there- Does anyone have thoughts on where best to deliver for a scheduled c-section. I'm early preg of AMA and have not picked an ob yet so wondered if I should consider hospital privileges when choosing a doc. My current ob/gyn (doesn't deliver) recommends GW but most everyone I ask says they delivered at Sibley... not sure the difference? Appreciate any thoughts (and welcome doc reccos too! I'm new to the area...)

[Anonymous]

Sibley charges $290/night for a (very small) private room. GW offers private rooms for free.

[Anonymous]

Had a C-section at GW and loved the staff all around. Surgeon and labor delivery nurses were especially excellent. I would definitely recommend!

[Anonymous]

GW They have a number of docs who specialize in high risk pregnancies if that is a concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had a C-section at GW and loved the staff all around. Surgeon and labor delivery nurses were especially excellent. I would definitely recommend!

Thanks! Would you recco your doc and provide a name?
So far, looks like leaning toward GW...

[Anonymous]

I've had two good experiences at Sibley, but obviously nothing to compare it to!

[Anonymous]

Sibley for me. Great experience all around.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for GW.

[Anonymous]

I was just looking at the stats and see that Sibley does abt 3500 births a year and GW does just under 2K a year...Not clear how many of those are Cs. I see Sibley charges for a private room. GW does not. GW has plenty of HR docs-- anyone know about Sibley and High risk deliveries? I understand both have good NICUs but Sibleys is a grade higher but that wld only be necessary for a really extreme scenario...

I'm wondering which hospital has a smaller, more personalized feel? Thanks again...

[Anonymous]

GW's NICU is far better than Sibley's. Sibley's new hospital will have a better NICU, but if there is a major issue, the baby would be sent by ambulance to Georgetown (while you stay at Sibley). People like Sibley because it is small, not a teaching hospital and has the NW cache, honestly. GW's midwifery practice has really made it more natural birth friendly. If you do some searches on here, you'll see there are a lot of Sibley lovers and haters. GW gets pretty solid reviews all around, from what I've seen.

[Anonymous]

Sibleys NIUC is not higher, they only have a special care nursery. If your baby needs a true NICU they will be transferred to Georgetown or Childerns.

[Anonymous]

2 c-sections at Sibley. L & D, surgery is great. Maternity ward was horrible, both times; specifically the substandard nursing care. You're there for 4 days so this should be a major consideration. The nurses were fine with my babies, which is definitely the most important part. But I had one yell at me right after I came on the ward, still groggy from anesthesia and pain, and accidentally yanked out my IV line while trying to nurse my baby and blood got every where -- she was mad because she had to change me in the bed (I could not yet stand). I had another fail to check the bag of urine from the catheter until it was so full that urine started leaking on the floor. Another time, my IV was left in my hand long after it had been disconnected ... nobody would take it out despite repeated requests. My mother, who is a retired nurse, finally got so disgusted that she went to the nurses' station, demanded a band-aid and took it out herself. I have more, but those are some of the highlights.

I know that people have had good experiences there, and I am happy for them. But both of my experiences there have been beyond awful. I actually left a day early after my second child.

I chose my OB with my second child specifically because he had privileges at GW; however, he was still part of the sibley group, and wouldn't you know my bad luck...he got injured the day before my second c-section, and had to pass me off to one of his colleagues to do my surgery. he only had privileges at sibley. i wanted to cry.

[Anonymous]

I think both are good options for a c-section.

If I were trying to decide between these two, I'd probably want to know who at GW would actually be doing the surgery -- GW is a teaching hospital so you may end up with a resident doing the surgery and the OB supervising. For some women this is fine and others may prefer an OB or their selected doctor -- so this may be something to explore.

Having attending births at both of these hospitals, I'd say that (at least to me) Sibley has a smaller, more personalized feel. I've also had a couple of clients at Sibley who had c-sections and were very happy that they got to have their babies on their chests during the repair part of the c-section. I'm not sure if this happens as much at GW but if it is important to you, it might be worth asking about.

I think the private room cost of Sibley is definitely a downside for some, but that may not be as important to you. It does get pricey though if you are staying three or four nights after a c-section and paying a high rate each night.

[Anonymous]

Shady Grove Hospital is also a great option. Same NICU level as GW, not a teaching hospital, all new maternity ward. I really enjoyed my c section there. Live in upper NW DC but found the drive out to SG much easier than getting to GW (where I was in the beginning of my pregnancy).

[Anonymous]

I strongly recommend WHC. They have about 4K births/year and handle many women who are high-risk for a variety of reasons. There are so many specialists available there (I am seeing a few for this pregnancy) and they share all records easily and electronically. The Washington Women's Wellness Center has an array of OBs and even midwives who work there. Their L & D and recovery experience for the CS for my first child, in my opinion, were highly professional and straightforward. NICU level is one of the top in the area (whatever the number is). Private rooms for recovery are a given.