Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the hospitals outsource post-partum care to your partner or a hired doula to some extent - they say it’s to help with breastfeeding or help you learn to care for your baby, but it’s really to save money by hiring less nursing staff. GW, however, does it the worst of all the hospitals. They do have a “nursery” again, but they’re not going to let you use it all night like Inova Fairfax would.

+1000. GW is the worst.

How do they get away with being so awful?

Granted, my kids were born 10-3 years ago, but they are (or were) the only game in town for certain things. Evidence based things like VBAC (I’m fat and you’d think I was asking to have the baby electrocuted at the other practices I talked to). So that’s been a few years now, but they do stuff other places don’t.

Yes, I think they’re getting by on reputation for a lot of things. But my friend had a successful VBAC at Inova Fairfax and another had a VBAC at VHC. It just depends on your doctor/practice and their risk tolerance and your risk profile. You might also have to sternly request things at some hospitals which are more standard at GW.

I’ve delivered twice at gw, in late 2013 and early 2017, both vaginal deliveries. I was not impressed with the post partum care either time but it was worse in 2017, for both me and baby. They never did any checks on me regarding vaginal stitches (which they did in 2013) and despite me mentioning many times that I thought baby was too sleepy, they brushed me off and 2 days later we started frantic waking and feeding efforts for jaundice (to avoid readmission).

That said I would deliver there again because the labor care is top notch and at least the second time around I had a high risk pregnancy.

Agree with those who say you need a second adult there to help with baby. For the second baby I had family help. My in laws stayed with our toddler during labor and the first night, and my sister in law stayed with me in the hospital the s fine night so my husband could get some sleep at home and be well rested when baby and I came home. (Learned our lesson on that with the first kid) fortunately we have local family who are willing to help. Not everyone does and in that situation I’d think long and hard before going to gw.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the hospitals outsource post-partum care to your partner or a hired doula to some extent - they say it’s to help with breastfeeding or help you learn to care for your baby, but it’s really to save money by hiring less nursing staff. GW, however, does it the worst of all the hospitals. They do have a “nursery” again, but they’re not going to let you use it all night like Inova Fairfax would.

+1000. GW is the worst.

How do they get away with being so awful?

Granted, my kids were born 10-3 years ago, but they are (or were) the only game in town for certain things. Evidence based things like VBAC (I’m fat and you’d think I was asking to have the baby electrocuted at the other practices I talked to). So that’s been a few years now, but they do stuff other places don’t.

Like vaginal breech delivery. Which is just nuts IMO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the hospitals outsource post-partum care to your partner or a hired doula to some extent - they say it’s to help with breastfeeding or help you learn to care for your baby, but it’s really to save money by hiring less nursing staff. GW, however, does it the worst of all the hospitals. They do have a “nursery” again, but they’re not going to let you use it all night like Inova Fairfax would.

+1000. GW is the worst.

How do they get away with being so awful?

Granted, my kids were born 10-3 years ago, but they are (or were) the only game in town for certain things. Evidence based things like VBAC (I’m fat and you’d think I was asking to have the baby electrocuted at the other practices I talked to). So that’s been a few years now, but they do stuff other places don’t.

Just delivered at GW. Used the nursery for 2.5 to 3 hour stints at a time. It was awesome. I had severe preeclampsia and was on magnesium iv for 24 hours. The doctors at GW saved my life. The nursing staff on LD were amazing. The post partum nurses were fine. I think there is a huge difference in the quality of nursing in icus, LD and ER. I think that is why people get frustrated with post partum. It’s not one to one care like it is on LD.

Also, the tubs are open. I asked one of the doctors. I was not a candidate.

Just came home after delivering at GW. Used the nursery once a night and once a day to get some rest or shower. It was amazing. Post partum care was also improved from four
years ago when I was there with my first. You can request a "do not disturb" sign be placed on your door for three hours at a time.

Overall, I had an excellent experience.

It's also nice that there are good food options nearby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone badmouthing GW? I had 3 kids there. The first was in the nursery a lot (2013). The second a third were always in my room because that was what I wanted. I had 3 C sections and I would never let my babies be alone in the nursery again. I can’t imagine why any parent would want that (leave their newborns alone with strangers). The nurses were great and took care of me 100%. You are having a baby, it’s not easy and you will not get much sleep... no big deal

I've heard from multiple women who delivered at GW that the reason they reopened the nursery is that a newborn fell out of a tired/sleeping mom's bed. I bet that mom would have wanted the nursery.

And then there's the case of the mother in Oregon who accidentally suffocated her newborn because he was placed in her bed while she was heavily medicated.

I heard this from multiple GW nurses.

+1

Follow the money! Always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone badmouthing GW? I had 3 kids there. The first was in the nursery a lot (2013). The second a third were always in my room because that was what I wanted. I had 3 C sections and I would never let my babies be alone in the nursery again. I can’t imagine why any parent would want that (leave their newborns alone with strangers). The nurses were great and took care of me 100%. You are having a baby, it’s not easy and you will not get much sleep... no big deal

I've heard from multiple women who delivered at GW that the reason they reopened the nursery is that a newborn fell out of a tired/sleeping mom's bed. I bet that mom would have wanted the nursery.

And then there's the case of the mother in Oregon who accidentally suffocated her newborn because he was placed in her bed while she was heavily medicated.

I heard this from multiple GW nurses.

+1