C Section at TMC

[guineapickle]

Anyone given birth here recently? (2011)

i know they take away the baby for 2 hrs. Don't like it, but have few options. After that, does baby stay in mother's room or do they get shuttled back to nursery unless mom is breastfeeding?

Can't do St.Joe's because I am getting a tubal ligation, and apparently the Catholic hosp. does not do it.

Can't do UMC either most likely, i heard they just switched to fewer nurses on the floor and in the nursery there, so UMC is possibly worse now.

[SundayCrepes]

I worked at TMC and UMC 20 years ago.  I left TMC because I couldn't stand how they treated patients that didn't do what they were told. I loved UMC because I thought the staff was much more pt oriented. Every contact I've had with both hospitals in the last couple decades has always reconfirmed that.

I just went to UMC's website. It says their nurse pt ratio is 1:4. That's pretty amazing.

If you do deliver at TMC, talk with your pediatrician about supporting your decision to not take away your baby. INSIST that the baby go to recovery with you (unless there are legitimate problems either of you is having.)

[swelldoula]

I agree with sundaycrepes about UMC. I'm a birth doula, and I've had not so good experiences with TMC in the last year or so. UMC seems much more progressive and focused on treating patients as people. The staff at TMC prepares every mother walking in the door for a cesarean by refusing to let them eat or drink. Most of the doctors there seem to want their patients to stay in bed with continuous monitoring etc. As a doula, my job is much harder at TMC.

[DoulaAngie]

I've been a doula in Tucson for over a decade now.

My experiences do not mimic Swell's or Sunday's.  I much prefer TMC over UMC.  Northwest is also a great hospital for giving birth.  St. Joe's is good, but they don't do VBAC.  However, they are one of two local hospitals that have telemetry monitoring, so I give them an extra point for that.  I've had two of my 3 babies at TMC, one at Northwest.

However, both TMC and UMC will separate mom and baby when mom is moved to her postpartum room.  Average time apart can be 2+ hours depending on how busy they are.  Dad/Partner can go with baby, but they still separate.  Of course as with anything it is possible to avoid this if baby is fine, but it takes a lot of advocacy. 

If you want to avoid separation entirely and not have to do a lot of advocacy to keep baby with you for that time, then Northwest Women's Center is a viable alternative.  Baby is checked briefly in the nursery as mom is undergoing repair, and then mom and baby are reunited in the post-op recovery room and stay together from there unless there is something wrong with the baby.

[DoulaAngie]

Originally Posted by DoulaAngie 

However, both TMC and UMC will separate mom and baby when mom is moved to her postpartum room.  Average time apart can be 2+ hours depending on how busy they are.  Dad/Partner can go with baby, but they still separate.  Of course as with anything it is possible to avoid this if baby is fine, but it takes a lot of advocacy

Back to update this post.

With a vaginal birth, there is no longer any separation of mom/baby at UMC.  2-3 weeks ago they converted to couplet care.

However there is still a separation of about 2 hours if baby is born by cesarean, however that's after mom & baby have had time to bond and breastfeed in recovery, before mom is moved downstairs to her postpartum room.