Decision Making Time: Suggestions for Labor and Delivery

have you toured both?

Do not have your baby at Verdugo. I grew up around there and when my dad got really sick, they misdiagnosed him twice and he almost died. He actually ended up having to go to Hoag in Newport and they helped him and pretty much saved him. Verdugo shouldn't even be a hospital. I was born at Huntington and I know friends that have had their babies there. They have what they need to help you through a great labor and delivery.

Go to www.thebirthsurvey.com and find out what other moms have to say about the hospitals. Find out their statistics for cesarean and instrumental births, episiotomy, whether or not baby rooms in automatically, breastfeeding success, maternal mortality, etc.
No matter where you go, get a doula. I am a doula but even if I wasn't I would say it. Having a doula can greatly increase your odds of being satisfied with your birth and decrease your odds of a surgical birth. We comfort you and support you in what you want to happen, remind you of risks and benefits to procedures (aka informed consent, which is supposed to be given by nurses and doctors but more often than not they leave out the risks so you'll choose the money-making procedure.

Have you seen The Business of Being Born? If not, stream it from Netflix. If you don't have it find a friend who does or rent it from businessofbeingborn.com for less than $10 for a day or two. It will be eye opening, I promise.

Read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.

Did I mention you should get a doula? I'm in Seal Beach if you're interested. Here's my website: www.yourlovingbirth.com my contact information is on the site.

i delivered my son at huntington in 2007 and will deliver my twins there this summer. huntington only takes ppo, if that's a factor. they just built a neonatal facility, so that's also a plus. the labor room was fabulous. we were able to have a doula with us and the nurses had no problem interacting with her and letting us just enjoy the experience of our first born. the delivery nurses were awesome, and i went through 3 nurse shifts. if you take a lamaze class at huntington, you get a tour of the hospital with it. i did not have a great experience with my first nurse on the maternity ward. i did get my own room, though and they have the babies room in with you. the only time my son was in the nursery was for tests. every nurse after the first one was awesome, so maybe she was just having a bad day. if you have more questions about my experience at huntington please feel free to ask.

Depends what you're looking for. If you want a natural, unmedicated birth, neither are that fabulous. Get a doula, for sure.

Verdugo is smaller and quieter. They often only have one nurse on duty at night. Which is fine if you like her. I've had a couple of great nurses there and 2 so miserable I don't want to go back. (I'm a doula).

The rooms are smaller at Huntington and they tend to push interventions harder. But there is a bigger pool of nurses so if you're looking for a more natural birth and arrive with a birth plan you have a good chance of getting someone supportive.

Verdugo is a smaller community hospital. If there are any major complications with you or the baby, you'd be airlifted to separate hospitals. There is no Neonatal intensive care there.

good luck!

Why not tour some Birthing Centers that are not affiliated with any hospitals? Unless you are a high risk pregnancy... no reason to see a surgeon for the normal course of a pregnancy and child birth experience.

Regardless... ask point blank what their cesarean rates are and maternal mortality rates. These are important figures for you to know - because if they have more than 20% rate of cesareans, then it's past the safety zone and chances of you getting one will triple.

i don't know anything about those particular hospitals - but just wanted to say that my hospital gives what they call a "stork tour" and you can go and see the labor and delivery room/department, learn about their procedures, meet the nurses etc....they tell you everything you need to know. I would check if those hospitals have that program (it was free at my hospital) and take advantage of it and go check them out and see which one you like better! Good Luck and Congratulations ~

I haven't delivered at either. I'll just add that my best friend, my SIL, and my work colleague have all delivered at VHH and EACH had a bad experience with the epidural. With my friend it was put in wrong the first time and she had to have it done twice. With my SIL, same thing, it wouldn't take and finally they had to just knock her out completely to give her the C-section she was needing. With my colleague, same problem, went through the pain of having it done, only to have it be put in wrong and re-done.
These are people whose kids are now, 3, 5, and 1. So I don't know what the deal is over there and if they have a terrible anesthesioligist or what. I think it's weird that the only 3 people I know who delivered there had issues like this, (and conversely, that the only 3 people I ever heard have this issue all delivered at the same hospital).
(I had an epidural with both my kids, two different hospitals, no problems).

In the end it won't matter where you deliver, who else is there, what happens, as long as the baby is born healthy. All the uncomfortable and unfamilar experiences of delivering will melt away when you hold your baby for the first time. Just "keep your eyes on the prize" during the delivery and you'll be fine no matter where you are :)

I've delivered twice now at Glendale Adventist and it's been good. I've heard bad things about VHH (women have shared their stories with me at parks and such) but I wouldn't know firsthand. My SIL is a L&D nurse at Huntington Mem and I went to visit her when she had her baby there...I was shocked at how much nicer Glendale Adv. was!

I recommend Glendale Adventist! Good luck! ;)

Have you considered a birth center? Or community hospital? Many of those hospitals are very family friendly, close-knit and have very positive labor/delivery experiences. If you don't like the hospitals in your area---keep searching til you find one that you do.

M

I personally haven't delivered at those hospitals, I have had several friends deliver at Huntington.
My SO was born at Huntington 38 years ago, and my MIL still talks about how great they were (he was preemie, got very sick, almost died, then she needed a hysterectomy in the middle of it all). Our most recent experience was a friends delivery a year ago. I have only heard positive things about them.
Congrats!

My brother (37) and I (34) were both born at VHH. I've delivered all three of my children at VHH...ages 14, just turned 2 and my youngest is 5 months. (We even drove all the way from Chino Hills so that I could deliver there for the last two). Aside from getting poked 6 times for an IV because of my small veins and a sour tempered anesthesioligist during my first delivery, my experiences were good. The nurses I had were friendly and knew what they were doing . I had LOTS of visitors (including children) during my labor and post delivery without and issues. Several friends have delivered there and have not had any issues either. I'd suggest visiting both and talking to your doctor.

I'd be petrified to go to that hospital after reading these posts. Geez, they should be condemned

Labor and delivery should be an amazing, peaceful experience, not dreaded because of the facility it will be at! I sent you an in box message here with more of my thoughts! :) Remember, YOU are delivering this baby, and YOU are paying the hospital to use their services. There are peaceful ways to work with even the most difficult facility and staff.