Delivering at Gottlieb?

[seventhspice]

I've looked through all the threads and haven't found any mention of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, what it is like to deliver there, and if the nurses are accommodating of natural birthing preferences. I was planning on giving birth there in May.

This is my first pregnancy and I've had no problems whatsoever, so I hope to give birth without drugs or interventions. When I started learning about the laboring process, I found out about electronic fetal monitoring, IVs, and food restrictions, and how those things can sometimes end up contributing to unnecessary interventions during birth. Add on top of that the horror stories about people getting pressured into unwarranted inductions and c-sections, and I'm getting a little nervous about the level of control I will have over my birth experience.

I'm considering hiring a doula or even possibly trying to switch to the ABC at West Suburban, which sounds like my cup of tea. If anyone has any facts or anecdotes about delivering at Gottlieb, though, it would make my decision a lot easier.

Thank you!
A slightly nervous Seventhspice

[chandasz]

Have you contacted the hospital to ask what their protocol is? Or asked your caregiver? Have you taken any birth classes?

I would always highly recommend a doula for a first birth or any hospital birth.

I can guarantee that a Midwife at West Sub will be less interventive.

[Natsuki]

I went there once to meet with my MW's back-up OB (he practices at both Gottlieb and West Suburban). I didn't tour the L&D floor but it was kind of a run-down hospital in terms of how the offices and such looked - I wouldn't want to birth there if there were other options (or unless the L&D floor is fantastic compared to the rest of the place).

[seventhspice]

It's me again.  I just found this post I wrote a while ago.  Thank you to the posters who responded.  For posterity's sake, in case anybody comes across it wondering about Gottlieb, it was awful.  You know how people say the birth of their child was one of the best days of their lives?  I think mine were two of the worst.

First, the bond between mother and child is not a priority.  I had a c-section due to the baby being breech.  After that, I didn't see the baby (or, consequently, get to nurse him) for at least 2 and a half hours.  I know they cleaned him and weighed him and let my family take pictures of him, but otherwise I think I was just forgotten in the recovery room.  I had some nursing issues, and got terrible advice several times.  The credentialed lactation nurse told me, "don't let him use you as a pacifier!" -- only now do I understand what that implies.  Also, a nurse gave me these weird circular nipple guards with drip holes that I now realize expressed my precious colostrum (and not for the purpose of giving it to the baby - just to collect it).  I do NOT know why they would do that to families who are breastfeeding.

Second, a couple of people were just major assholes.  The birth certificate lady, whose forms were totally screwed up, was so mean and insulting to me that I cried, fatigued and hormonal and in disbelief.  Some nurse gave me verbal instructions on how to do the post-operation breathing exercises while I was heavily drugged, not caring when I told her I was too out of it to understand. 

Lastly, the staff was generally incompetent.  I spent the first 12 hours bleeding in the same pad, because no one gave me any more of them, and the whole first day no one came to help me and my IV to the bathroom to clean my teeth or my face.  The garbage overflowed with trash.  They ask you what kind of baby-care information you'd like to receive before you leave, and I received none of it.  They failed to give me the prescriptions on my chart.  But hey, at least I got out of there in 48 hours!  48 hours for a major surgery with little subsequent rest....... wow.

A couple of these things I think I would have interpreted as within normal range of care, not having spent any time in a hospital.  But my mother-in-law has a Masters in Nursing and became so infuriated about what she had seen that she ended up writing a letter of complaint to the head nurse of the hospital.  They didn't care.

It's the Midwives and West Sub for me next time!

[honeybear11]

Thank you, seventhspice for posting that! I started out with the Midwives at West Suburban for my first pregnancy, but then had a molar pregnancy and they referred me to Dr. Gomez for a D&C (midwives can't do ob/gyn surgery). He is a truly wonderful doctor and I had a great experience with him for both the surgery and follow-up (1 year process). My experience for the D&C was actually really great, I had wonderful and very sympathetic and attentive nurses. It was run very efficiently and smoothly. Only complaint I had was that there was a lot of people coming in and out of my room to do different things for me all the time. But I had two really great nurses-pre-op and post-op who were really my advocates.

I am now pregnant again expecting my first child. I had to see Dr. Gomez until they ruled out that this second pregnancy was molar. Then I was free to go back to the midwives. After a year and a half of seeing Dr. Gomez, I was kind of attached. He was almost like my security blanket through this scary process. He explained everything to me scientifically and was very supportive of any concerns or questions I had. I kind of developed a loyalty to him so I felt I really wanted to finish my pregnancy with him and have him deliver my baby. My only complaint are his receptionist and nurses in his office. They are sometimes cold and not compassionate and treat you a little bit like you are a crazy pregnant woman. But his nurse is really well-informed. Several times, I called with issues wanting to speak to Dr. Gomez but only got the nurse or receptionist. I did not receive the answers I needed or at least felt really dumb at the end of the conversation. In once case, it meant not getting the medicine I needed (the right antibiotic after food poisoning) which delayed my treatment by a week.

However, I keep coming back to wanting a non-interventive birth and questioning if that will happen at Gottlieb. I am ok not having a waterbirth. I just assumed since my doctor was so supportive of me I would have the kind of birth I wanted.

However, after reading this post and several others on yelp, I am realizing that the doctor is only one part of it. No matter how wonderful he/she is, if the staff is not supportive or attentive, it will ruin your experience. I am also concerned about bonding with my baby right after birth and getting the opportunity to breastfeed right away.

I am going to go on a tour of both Gottlieb and ABC West Sub delivery and labor rooms now. Then I'm going to meet with the Midwives at West Sub and see if they will take me back with Dr. Gomez as the back up doctor in case something goes wrong.

Anybody have any thoughts about all of this? I am feeling a little alone and scared....

Thank you for writing that, seventhspice!!!

[chandasz]

Hey there. I think you will be happy with the West Sub midwives. You are absolutely correct in thinking that the hospital has a lot of influence over your birth-- especially with an OB. The OB (no matter how great) will not be with you while you labor. They just don't have that kind of time.

West Sub is the only hospital in the area that does waterbirth as well. I had both my children in the ABC room there and if I was planning another and wanted a hospital birth- that's where I'd go again.

When are you expecting, honeybear? I am in Berwyn too and teach natural childbirth classes in Oak Park if you are interested. We also have a great local La Leche group and I'm involved with a really great parenting group in the area too.

Where are you in Berwyn? Always thrilled to see mamas from Berwyn here!