Delivering at Memorial Hospital--1st Baby

I delivered my 1st child at Memorial 5 months ago and for some reason automatically assumed I would get a private room, for the delivery I did, but not after that. I was a little disappointed my last day there. I felt very rushed and also felt like I didn't receive as much attention as I did the day I delivered. I shared a room with someone and she complained about the same thing and couldn't wait to leave. I thought she was over reacting but then my last day there I felt the same way she did. I had two really great nurses, in delivery and the stay overnight but once I woke up the next morning it all seemed to go down hill. I don't want to make it sound bad, they were really great with everything else. I'm just glad I was able to go home the day I did. Good luck with everything and congratulations!

I delivered my third child at Memorial about a year and a half ago. I was NOT impressed! After delivery I had to share a room and they put me in a room with someone with my same first name which was extremly confusing. She was a first time mom who complaned because my baby cried during the night and I wouldn't put her in the nursry. I mean come one. To make it worse I didn't even stay in the hospital 24 hours after deliver. So less then a day after giving birth I was back on my feet waiting on my now three chilren and my dh. Don't let them rush you out the door! You need those days to rest and to make sure that everythign is good with your child.

I had my daughter at Memorial in Aug05', I had a C-Section, which was extermely scary, but I found the hospital staff to be very comforting. My total stay was about 3days, witch was fine cause I was itching to get home. I was put into a non private room, but they never put another mom in the bed next to me, which allowed my husband to stay with me at all times. He slept in the bed next to me. I found most of the nurses to be vey sweet and attentive. On my second full night after having my daughter she cried most of the night, I kept her in the room with me and choose not to put her in the nursey, due to the fact that there was no one else in the room with me except my husband. The nurses came in regulary to check up and make sure that I was ok.

The only unpleasent part of the whole exp. was right after I had my daughter. She was born a 9:30pm and I was not able to see her until 5:30am, due to her having difficutly in-taking oxgyen, everytime I asked where she was they would just say they would check and them come back with that they would bring her to me in a little while. The part that was frustrating was that nobody would tell me what was going on, finally my husband came to my room and explained what was going on. She pulled through with no problems and we didn't have any other issues thankfully.

Honestly after researching hospitals while I was expecting, I found the Memorial is one of the highest rated Child brithing hospitals in the US.

One of the main reasons I choose Memorail was due to that fact that if there was a complication with the baby and I was at Penrose, they don't have a baby ICU and she would have transferred to Memorial while I would recieve my care at Penrose. Though I had a healthy pregnunacy and a healthy child I didn't want to take the risk of being seperated from her.

Good luck and congrats on starting this journey.

Chirstina H

T.,
My now 3 year old Grandson and now 7 year old daughter, my 3rd child were both born at Memorial. I received wonderful treatment in the birthing room and in my private room. I'm not sure if it was due to my daughter being a premie or the time of year but I spent 3 days there and non of them were bad, I was very well taken cared of in every way. My Grandson's mother spent 3 days there also and he was her first and received wonderful treatment also and she too had a private room. Odd thing is neither one of us even asked for a private room. I hope your experience there will be a very good one and not bad like the 2 ladies who replied before me.

V. H.

As a local labor doula (or professional birth assistant) who has attended births at Memorial, Penrose Community and Evans Army Hospital, I can honestly say that my most positive birth experiences have been at Memorial hospital. This has ALOT to do with the doctor / midwife on call and the nuse assigned to your room. If you walk into the labor floor with a birth plan in your hand, then most likely you will be assigned a nurse who shares the same philosopy as you do, depending on how busy they are at the time. Here is a story from a local doula, who wrote to the doula group that I am a part of, with her first birth experience at Memorial:

"I felt it was important for the local chapter to know how the Birth I did at Memorial Hospital went. First of all, I was there last Saturday. It was a baby girl, and Mother and Baby are doing well. It was not a short easy birth, as it started with the water breaking (8:00am) and no contractions. The mother had no desire for Pitocin however, so we coaxed labor into action at home. We went to the hospital at around 3:30 pm Saturday with her in very active labor. Her starting exam was 5cm. 90% effaced 0 station. The baby was born at 3:26 am. Sunday morning.

What I really wanted you to know, is that I could not have asked for a better experience at that hospital! The entire Nursing staff treated me wonderfully and respected my laboring Mom's birth plan to the T! She had no Hep lock or IV, they monitored only intermittently, they completely supported everything I wanted to do with her! We did not see Dr. Trujillo until it was well into pushing! This was not an easy birth for my petite first time Mom either, but she had no meds, and she had to go above and beyond on pushing as the baby was stuck behind the pubic bone no matter the multiple, constantly rotating, positions we tried (with full support of the nursing staff, by the way). Finally (after much more time than Doctors usually will allow for pushing) Dr. Trujillo gave her just a couple of tugs with the Vacuum Extractor.

They allowed me to stay with Mom and Baby up on the Postpartum floor, so the Dad could go home and rest a few hours, as he was emotionally drained as well as physically. I know that a lot of this cooperation was due to the baby looking absolutely lovely on the monitor every time they monitored her.

But I just had to share that with you.....we even had a shift change and all four nurses involved seemed pleased with me being there and respectful of my knowledge and abilities..."

Please contact me if I can help in any way!

C. M.
Doula & Childbirth Educator
The Westside Birth Connection
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http://www.csdoulas.com
LABOR DOULAS TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF CHILDBIRTH

To be honest with you I had a horriable experence at Memorial. The Labor and Delivery floor was great it was awfull once I got to the mother baby floor. Then the NICU the nurses caring for my son were all very nice but the security was lacking severly.