Choosing a Hospital

Hi C.,
I plan to deliver my first baby in August in at Salem Hospital. I have 2 friends that have each had 2 children there and had great experiences. I have also heard wonderful things about Beverly.

Hi C..
I live in Lynn and chose to deliver at the Cambridge Birth Center. I can't say enough wonderful things about the Center, but it is really best for women looking for natural childbirth with no medical interventions. The drive was not long (although it did seem like forever as I was in full swing labor and actually crowned in the car). My best advice is to do some dry runs beforehand and through several routes so you are ready for anything.
While Boston does have some great hospitals (having worked in many of the maternity ntis I prefer the Beth Israel), the North Shore does as well. Beverly Hospital is worth looking into. Good luck!

I don't think a hospital in Boston is too far. I delivered my son at Beth Israel in Boston and I live in Beverly, MA. It wasn't bad at all, but I also went into labor in the middle of the night. I thought the doctors/nurses were excellent. I would highly recommend going there and plan on delivering my next child there as well(when the time comes and we decide to have another baby). I have a few friends who delivered at Beverly Hospital and enjoyed their experience.

Hi C.-

i delivered my first baby at New England Medical Center. Loved it. My girlfriends all delivered at Brigham and Women's and they had positive experiences as well. Now that I live in the north shore, I am delivery baby #2 at Beverly. I think it really depends on your OB. Which hospital does he practice out of. That usually drives which hospital you will deliver. If you live in salem I think Salem Hospital has a good reputation. So do the docs at the Womens Health Center on Hutchinson Dr. My physician group is out of Beverly, Essex County OB/GYN and Liberty Tree OB/GyN (they just merged) I love them! Hope this helps.

have you considered the north shore birth center? i had my son there and it was absolutely fabulous. it is staffed by midwives, overseen by the hospital doctors. the rooms are very nice and they have big tubs to relax in.

Hi C.,
The Boston area hospital that I'd recommend is Brigham & Womens as I've had three children who were all delivered there. None of my pregnancies were high risk or complicated but it was reassuring to know that if something unexpected arose, I was surrounded by expert medical professionals capable of giving me and my children the best care available. I appreciated the design of the labor & delivery room and found it conducive to facilitating the labor process. They took great care in considering not only my needs but the needs of my husband and older child/children with pregnancies two and three. Because it is a large hospital, I will warn that it can get very "busy" with the medical staff that constantly checks on you after the birth of the baby. So you won't get a lot of rest but it was the best hospital (in my opinion) to deliver my children. As a matter of fact, my niece who resides in NC was born at Brigham & Women's when my sister went into premature labor while visiting Boston. The Brigham took excellent care of her and she's just perfect!

"Best" depends on what you are looking for. For natural childbirth, I would recommend North Shore Birth Center. I know two women who traveled from Arlington to NSBC to have their babies, and both were glad they did. If your pregnancy is not "high risk," you will do better to avoid the big Boston hospitals.

J. (-:

i dont use any other hospital other than beverly hospital it has one of the best birthing centers in the northshore!
i gave birth to my son at beverly hospital and would reccomend them to anyone i went through the beverly birthng center midwives they are in a little house across from the hospital i couldnt have had it any better when it came to prenatal care and compasionate care!
i hope this helps you

I had my four babies at Beverly Hospital and it was just a great experience start to finish. They really work hard at making it pleasant. The nurses are great, the rooms are good and they do whstever they can to make you and your family comfortable. I also highly recommend my OB - Dr Boyd at Liberty Tree OB/GYN. They have offices in Danvers, Beverly(right behind the hospital) and Georgetown. They have a great practice.

Best of luck!

JCC

I live in Salem and because of a family member's experience, I do NOT recommend going to Salem Hospital. (Contact me personally if you wish.) Beverly Hospital, however was wonderful! I had all three of my children in Beverly and I'm also a doula and have had great experiences there with the moms/ families I worked with as well!

I delivered both of my babies at Mass. General. Easy commute into the city (Tobin Bridge to Storrow Drive, first exit off Storrow) Also, it is a great facility. Doctors and nurses are very personable, and up to date on care. Even in emergency situations (both of mine).

On the North Shore, definitely Beverly Hospital. So many of my friends have had great experiences there.

Ultimately, go where you feel comfortable.

I delivered my son @ Beverly Hospital this past summer and had the BEST experience. I ended up with a c-section and the doctors/nurses were fantastic. Let me know if you need a name of a doctor. One of my friends delivered @ Salem Hospital and also had a great experience.