Anonymous wrote:Are there really people who want their babies in the nursery?! The nurse asked me if I wanted the baby in the nursery and I thought she was crazy, why would I let someone take my 45 minute old newborn somewhere else for hours?

This thread is 22 pages long, did you read any of it?!

Are there really people who want their babies in the nursery?! The nurse asked me if I wanted the baby in the nursery and I thought she was crazy, why would I let someone take my 45 minute old newborn somewhere else for hours?

I had a good experience at VHC in early 2021. The whole place felt very calm and quiet, and doctors/nurses did almost all their checks between 8 and 11 or so in the morning. No nursery at the time (due to COVID, I think), but a calm environment conducive to sleeping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised to hear that so many people had such negative hospital experiences. I delivered both of my children at Inova Fairfax and was able to send my babies to the nursery at night (or during the day if I wanted some more sleep), including in mid-2020. The nurses were all wonderful and vital checks overnight happened when they brought me the baby for nursing. It's eye-opening to hear how terrible some hospitals are.

This is why I think we need to be transparent and appropriately critical of our hospital experiences. Most people seem to have decent things to say about Inova Fairfax, VHC, and Sibley. The mixed to negative reviews are coming from GW (and maybe Georgetown but less certain on that). People need to know these things so they can pick their OB practices accordingly to where they deliver. We should let our wallets do the talking as much as possible because money is the only thing that matters to these big corporations.

I had an excellent experience at GW FWIW. They offered repeatedly to take my baby to the nursery but I selected not to (in large part due to covid risk, and also I didn't want to be away from my kid). I had been awake for 38 hours, but fortunately had my husband, and we took shifts napping through the night. We were not the greatest about frequent diaper changes and baby got a diaper rash by 5 days old but that's not the hospitals fault that we didn't know what we were doing and were totally exhausted.

I had preeclampsia, was induced, they stuck that cervix-softening sponge up there, left me to sleep til the morning, when I had to squeeze out an 8 pound human, and a nurse came in around 1 am to stock the linen closet in my room. WTH.

They don't care about patients, they have routine tasks and your comfort does not matter.

No hospital cares because you need them more than they need you. Reading how entitled most of you are, it is understandable why nurses ignore your constant whining and complaining.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised to hear that so many people had such negative hospital experiences. I delivered both of my children at Inova Fairfax and was able to send my babies to the nursery at night (or during the day if I wanted some more sleep), including in mid-2020. The nurses were all wonderful and vital checks overnight happened when they brought me the baby for nursing. It's eye-opening to hear how terrible some hospitals are.

This is why I think we need to be transparent and appropriately critical of our hospital experiences. Most people seem to have decent things to say about Inova Fairfax, VHC, and Sibley. The mixed to negative reviews are coming from GW (and maybe Georgetown but less certain on that). People need to know these things so they can pick their OB practices accordingly to where they deliver. We should let our wallets do the talking as much as possible because money is the only thing that matters to these big corporations.

I think it's useful for people to talk about their experiences. I only had one kid, and am the one that was had my baby tied to me when the nurses refused to take him to the nursery (and when spouse was temporarily gone). I thought at the time that what was happening was NORMAL. Also you aren't supposed to talk about your birth as a bad thing. It's supposed to be majestic and beautiful. So even after leaving the hospital (and subsequently developing severe panic attacks which landed me BACK in the hospital), I thought "oh this is all just the perils of birth." There was never a thought in my head that the care I received wasn't good. There wasn't a thought that "baby friendly" would mean the hospital staff doing things that would risk my child's life.

I had 2 great experiences at Georgetown - terrible at Fairfax Inova - all 3 c-sections. At Georgetown they don't come in between midnight to 5 unless it is medically necessary. At Inova there was trash can changing, vacuuming, blood tests on the new born etc.. flipping all the lights on every time someone came in

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine letting my baby out of my sight in those first hours and days! There is no way I would have let someone take my babies to a nursery.

I didn't have a choice about that, as my child was in the NICU and I was unable to be there as I had HELLP syndrome. I can assure you there is a way you would entrust your newborn to nurses and doctors, and be grateful for it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised to hear that so many people had such negative hospital experiences. I delivered both of my children at Inova Fairfax and was able to send my babies to the nursery at night (or during the day if I wanted some more sleep), including in mid-2020. The nurses were all wonderful and vital checks overnight happened when they brought me the baby for nursing. It's eye-opening to hear how terrible some hospitals are.

I just had my baby two weeks ago at Shady grove and had the same experience. The nurses suggested takingnhim to the nursery and brought him back for feeds. They also offered to formula feed, but I really wanted to get breastfeeding the best chance that I could. The only time anyone bothered me at night was to give me some meds or to feed the baby.

Anonymous wrote:The reason moms need to put up with so much crap from the hospitals is that if you want to leave early (AMA) then they threaten to report you to CPS. (Even if you say that you’ll go to pediatrician tomorrow.) It’s an abuse of the system and they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.

Yep. It's horrendous and abusive. Some journalist should do a deep dive. Get into the financials of these hospitals, interview moms, nurses, give some historical perspective.

I would 100% listen to that podcast

The reason moms need to put up with so much crap from the hospitals is that if you want to leave early (AMA) then they threaten to report you to CPS. (Even if you say that you’ll go to pediatrician tomorrow.) It’s an abuse of the system and they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised to hear that so many people had such negative hospital experiences. I delivered both of my children at Inova Fairfax and was able to send my babies to the nursery at night (or during the day if I wanted some more sleep), including in mid-2020. The nurses were all wonderful and vital checks overnight happened when they brought me the baby for nursing. It's eye-opening to hear how terrible some hospitals are.

This is why I think we need to be transparent and appropriately critical of our hospital experiences. Most people seem to have decent things to say about Inova Fairfax, VHC, and Sibley. The mixed to negative reviews are coming from GW (and maybe Georgetown but less certain on that). People need to know these things so they can pick their OB practices accordingly to where they deliver. We should let our wallets do the talking as much as possible because money is the only thing that matters to these big corporations.

I'm surprised to hear that so many people had such negative hospital experiences. I delivered both of my children at Inova Fairfax and was able to send my babies to the nursery at night (or during the day if I wanted some more sleep), including in mid-2020. The nurses were all wonderful and vital checks overnight happened when they brought me the baby for nursing. It's eye-opening to hear how terrible some hospitals are.

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Anonymous wrote:Where do these nurses for holding babies magic come from?

Appropriate hospital staffing. Doesn't have to be highly medically trained staff to fulfill this function either, just gentle responsible and common sense providers.

LOL. Good luck with that. Nursing is completely short staffed in 2023. They aren’t going to hire some phantom “gentle, responsible and common sense” non-nursing staff either.

Hospitals are businesses. If you treat your patients like shit, don't be surprised when women with options make different choices for their births and postpartum care.

So put your money where your mouth is and quit whining. Just know that policies won’t change unless you convince tens of thousands of your fellow whiners to also eschew giving those hospitals their business, which won’t happen.

Mmmhmmm. I don't need to convince anyone. The stories of their best friends and sisters or their own experience with their first births is the best lesson.