Experience Delivering at Mount Auburn Hospital?

Hi L., I delivered there and it was WONDERFUL. Beth Hardiman was my doctor. Everyone was great.. very hands on and attentive. I couldn't have been happier.

J.

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I cannot say enough good about the hospital and staff there! I had both my girls there, and my OB is Dr. MacDonald out of the Watertown office. She is also the head of OB staff at the hospital. They are very helpful, caring, hands-on, will help you with nursing but respect you if you don't want to or supplement with formula. I was so sad when I left after having my kids (I had c-sections so I was there for 5 days each time) that I wanted another just to go back!! You will love it. They also just renovated parts of the hospital and the parking garage so it's easier to get in and out. Good luck!

While we have not delivered children at Mt. Auburn, my fiance has had a knee replacement and heart catheter procedure at that hospital---clean, attentive, compassionate--not enough good adjectives to describe.

They concentrate on the whole family and are incredible helpful.

I had to go to the ER for a tick bite (the head broke off and we could not get it out) they had me in and out in under an hour on a Saturday afternoon--very good experience.

I had my daughter there a year and a half ago, and I felt very well taken care of. I was induced, had a long labor, and eventually a cesaerean section, so I was there a long time and was cared for by quite a number of people.

I wasn't delivered by my OB, although she did come in to check on me, and though the OB that did deliver wasn't one of my favorites from the "meet the doctors" session, I ended up a HUGE HUGE fan of her.

The rooms were nice (I did spend my recovery with a view of the Charles), the food is good, I had access to breastfeeding help at any time, and caring nurses who I felt were really committed to both me and my baby. It's a relatively small hospital, which I really liked, too.

I don't have time to get into more details right now, but I would definitely recommend it.

Hi L.,

I had both my children there and each time had a wonderful experience with this hospital.
Like Jennifer, I was under midwife care but I guess the doctor care is as competent and compassionate.
I took advantage of the tub (I didn't like the jacuzzi while in labor but the warm bath with lavender aromatherapy was great) and it gave me such a relief that I delivered both babies drug-free.
There is always a lactation consultant on duty during the day to help you with breastfeeding if you plan on that and most of the nurses will be very helpful with that to, showing you the correct positions, correct latching on...
I received plenty of information regarding how to care for the baby, for myself postpartum... With the second baby (3 months ago), they also gave me advices on how to handle a baby when you have a toddler at home, care for my back...

The facilities are great, clean, comfortable... with view on the Charles river. You can take a tour (included with the "meet the midwives/meet the doctors meetings and also in the childbirth class they offer - check their websites for details - http://www.mountauburnhospital.org)
Each room has an armchair that converts to a bed for your husband to stay overnight with you. Out of 20 rooms, 18 are single rooms and the 2 remaining double rooms are used only when the hospital is full (it happens only 2-3 times a year). For my second baby, we shared a double room the first night but they moved us to a single one the next morning as soon as one room was available.
They also have a high level of security so the babies cannot be abducted (alarms go on and elevaors/doors close automatically if a baby crosses the yellow line next to the exit door with his bracelet)

Services are also great. You can order food anytime from 6am to 6 pm or order a cold tray before 6 to eat later if you prefer, for you and your husband. The menu is very varied (from salads to soups, from poached fish to grilled salmon, from burgers to cheesecake...)There is a room, next to the waiting room, with a fridge where you can store your own food/drinks with your name on it. It is constantly supplied with juices, cookies or muffins, croissants, fruits... and a coffee machine so you, your husband and your visitors can enjoy free snacks anytime.

If I remember well, they also have a on-line nursery: your family can login on line with a password and see the baby (we didin't use this service, so I cannot tell you more, I guess they have more info on their website)

With my son, 2 years ago, everything went by the book and we were out 48 hours after delivery.
My daughter, on the other side, had respiratory problem and had to stay under oxygen for 10 days and then a week more under monitoring to ensure she was definitely fine. The hospital offered me to use a special room to stay constantly there. I do not used it, as we lived nearby and I could walk there every morning and take care of my son at home in the evening (My parents cared for him during the day but I didn't want to change the bedtime routine). However, for those 2 weeks, the hospital provided me all meals from the menu, as a regular patient.

The care was also amazing. When my daughter was still on the nursery and I was discharged, I would wake up in the night to pump milk for her and call them. They were always so nice to me, telling me how she was doing and at what time they expected her to nurse, so I would decide to sleep through the next feeding (f. ex. at 4am) or walk there and feed her (at 6am). Each time I walk there, whether at midnight or 5am, there was always a nurse on duty just taking care of her, and often rocking her or singing to her. A nurse taped some nice back-and-white drawings in her bassinet... They cared for her with as much care as I would have. I felt very confident in the team and I am very thankful for all their efforts and skills. To give you some example of how nice they were:
1) one morning, one nurse who saw how obviously exhausted I was (hard to be separated from your baby plugged to a machine!) installed me on an armcahir converted to bed, behind a screen and carefully installed my plugged baby on my belly and we both napped 2 hours like that. It was like being in heaven. I craved so much sleeping and touching my baby and this nurse found a way to offer me my 2 biggest wishes!
2) After a week, my baby was to undergo a heart ultra sound. The nurse on duty (different from the previous one) asked me how I fell and as always I bravely answered that I felt OK. She told me it was OK to worry and cry and she offered me her arms! I cried half an hour uninterrupted in her arms. I needed it much but couldn't let go at home (my parents were already so worried and could trust only me to know everything was OK as they don't speak english and also I didn't want to cry in front of my son.

I'm sorry it's a quite a long answer. I hope you'll feel confident in the hospital because it's really a great one for facilities, services, competence, care... When I gave birth to my son, still in the delivery room, my husband asked me how I felt and I answered "ready for a second one". I believe you'll have as great experience as I had and wish you all the best.

I delivered both my sons at Mt. Auburn in the last 2 years (the second one was born two weeks ago). I was under the care of the midwives there -- I could select to have all my appointments and the delivery with a midwife instead of the OBs. I really love the midwives and their approach to pregnancy and childbirth. They are more on the natural side of things (encouraging natural childbirth, little or no medical interventions, etc.), but also really listen to the mother about what she wants during the delivery and are very supportive of her choices. They are also able to call in an OB or other specialists if the need arises during the delivery.

Overall I've had wonderful experiences at Mt. Auburn. The labor and delivery rooms are very comfortable (and at least some overlook the Charles River, which is nice if you're able to pay attention to it!) They have various birthing aids, including some jacuzzi tubs and birthing balls if you're so inclined. The delivery nurses are awesome, too. The recovery rooms are plain, but functional. The food is really quite good, and you are able to order meals for yourself and your husband. They even reminded my husband to order dinner for us as I was in labor recently, so that we would have something for after the delivery.

I thought the staff was very good there, and they give you a lot of helpful information. They are willing to answer questions about anything anytime, and will help with breastfeeding even in the middle of the night. There is now a checklist of things to do before you leave the hospital, which I found very useful. You can even call in with questions after you go home.

I would definitely recommend Mt. Auburn, and especially the midwives. Hope you have a great pregnancy and delivery!

I delivered my first two children there and had no problems or issues. I wish I had delivered my third there because I had a horrible experience up at Lowell General so I would recommend Mt. Auburn anytime!

I had my son there and it was a good experience. My sister inlaw had both her kids there and says the same. My OB wasn't on call so I had the doctor on call and she and the nurses were great leading up to and through labor. The experience was great all around, the only thing that I would have preferred to be better was the help with breastfeeding. I didn't feel that the nurses were too attentive. But that is the only concern I had. They offer a few classes or more like sessions on how to bathe your newborn, etc. We went to that one only and it was helpful since it was our 1st child. I would deliver there again!

Oh, and very helpful with all the paperwork, etc. Not just when you are ready to leave but naming the child and taking care of paperwork that goes along with that.

Good luck!

Hi L.,

I had both my girls there. I had good experiences both times and they were six years apart. My OB is Dr. MacDonald. She wasn't working at the time of both deliveries but the doctors there took good care of me. Postpartum was a good experience as well. I took full advantage of the Lactation consultants. I recommend doing so. I believe there are about 3 on staff and they were encouraging and helpful. Nurses were attentive and helpful for both delivery and postpartum. Our pediatrician is not affiliated with Mount Auburn but the one there was very nice. Good luck.

Dear L.,
Congratulations.
I deliverd at MAH last October, and had a great experience. The labor and delivery department was fantastic. Absolutely wonderful. The nurses were outstanding. So supportive and attentive. I felt very cared for. The post-pardum dept I am less enthusiastic about (where you go after you deliver), because the nurses weren't quite as wonderful as the L&D dept, but overall I was extremely pleased. Would highly recommend MAH and would deliver there again...
Good luck and best wishes,
~Z.

Hi L. - I love Mt. Auburn. Can't say enough wonderful things about it. They were awesome to the whole family. My husband stayed each night with us (I had a Csection) and they took such good care of all of us. The food was pretty good and they fed him all meals too, plus snacks. The doctors and nurses couldn't be more attentive. We learned so much from them before going home that I can't imagine how we could have been more prepared. LOVED IT! Hope to deliver there again in the future. Congratulations and good luck! - J.