[Mrs.aLifeofReilly]

I tried looking around the CT gov website for the information (looking for cesarean, induction, episiotomy, fetal monitoring, etc rates) like the MA website has, but couldn't find any.

Could someone point me to the right site, or know how I could obtain the information? Also, any personal experiences with Middlesex Hospital? Thanks!

 

[MamaJenese]

I have no stats for you but some personal experience. I had planned a homebirth and tranfered there in 05. I had 40 hours of labor was at 10 forever and the baby would not drop down. When I transferred the plan was for pain relief. They were awesome. No one made me feel bad, they called me a super hero for going that long everyone was full of support. I got pain relief the baby still not drop, both of us started to go downhill (i was showing serious signs of PE) .. I had a section. They never seperated us. Baby did not go to nursery at all went with me form or to recovery to room. They allowed my midwife with DH into the OR. The nurses were wonderful in helping me to nurse.

 

[earthmama369]

My sister and I were born there, my nephews were born there, and both of my children were born there. They're WHO-certified as a Breastfeeding Friendly hospital and they take that pretty seriously. You can get good breastfeeding support there, both while you're in the hospital and at the weekly support group they offer.

As far as laboring and birthing goes, you really get what you ask for there. One SIL went in with an OB, no birth plan, having done no preparation, and freaking out about the pain. So she got a pretty standard birth experience...nurses who didn't have time to hold her hand the whole time and explain every detail, who gave her drugs when she asked, pushing on her back, etc. My other SIL and I went in with doctors who had a birth plan, doulas for support, and we let the nurses know what we wanted. And they were very respectful and gave us what we asked for. Quiet birthing environments, once for me in a tub my dh set up in the bathroom with our doctor's help, no meds (beyond the antibiotics I chose the first time for being GBS+), no unnecessary interventions for our babies, bonding time. My SIL and I both had one child with special requirements at birth (hence my being in the hospital at all the second time around) and our NICU experiences were also pretty decent, as far as that kind of thing goes. My SIL got bonding time with her son before he was transported, and plenty of support afterward, and I was free to spend as much time as I wanted in Middlesex's NICU, was encouraged to pump, hold him when he was stable, etc. With my first birth, where there were no complications, dd roomed in with me, no one ever tried to take her anywhere without me, they respected our no vax policy, helped us get started nursing, and otherwise left us to our bonding time.

ETA: OK, looking back to your OP. I'll use dd's birth as an example, since she was my "normal" birth. My water broke before labor started, and she was my first. I was GBS+. Instead of staying home, I went in right away, not knowing that I didn't need to. They gave me a heplock for the IV antibiotics so I wouldn't be tied to the bed, and they did a monitoring strip for 10-15 minutes every hour or two. They had a rocking chair in the room and brought me a birthing ball when I asked and a birthing stool at a nurse's suggestion. The nurses asked me to walk around as much as possible to help with the contractions. I walked for hours. They also suggested using the shower and cold soda cans on my back to help with back labor. (DD was a bit posterior.) Our doula suggested nipple stimulation and no one blinked when they walked in on dh helping me out with that. I labored for 22 hours before dd was born, waters broken, stalling out in transition for 8 of those hours. (That really, really sucked.) Pretty much a classic first labor -- long and slow. No one ever mentioned c-section, at least where I could hear them. I never felt pressured to hurry up, at least by anyone other than myself. I ate during labor and drank at will. They offered a mirror when I was pushing so I could see dd's head crown. No episiotomy was mentioned, perineal support was offered. We did have one nurse I didn't like -- she was bad-tempered and brusque -- but she went off-duty 15 minutes after I checked in and everyone else was great. The food kind of sucked.

With ds's birth I wanted a water birth with no monitoring strips or IV. I went in for an NST that morning (I was 41 weeks), already in labor, went home again for a few hours, then came back when things started to get intense. We skipped all the check-in monitoring, I got naked and got right in the tub, and our doctor came in every hour or so to listen to ds's heart tones with a handheld doppler. He worked around me and didn't ask me to move for him at all. (This is the Family Practice Group. They have offices in Middletown, Portland, and East Hampton and are pretty crunchy). No one offered me meds and except for the doctor checking in every so often, everyone left me completely alone, as I had asked. I was in water the whole time. And when things went south at the end, we had a crash team in there in seconds. That part was rough, but they did a good job.

 

[kjbrown92]

I had all 3 of my kids there. I wasn't very "natural" at the time, looking back (just uninformed). No birth plans except I told them I didn't want pain meds. We didn't go to childbirth class either. I labored for 12 hours, no meds. By the time I had her, I was VERY out of it (probably my way of dealing with the pain). I had an episiotomy. As soon as I actually delivered her, I "woke up". They did the quick clean off and gave her right to me for feeding and all that. I have to say I thought the nurses there were amazing. Bringing ice chips for DH to feed me, seeing what I needed, having me try different positions and having me breathe and all that. The lactation consultant was very good. DD1 didn't want to nurse at all until my milk came in though.

With next child, my water broke, we went to hospital and I had him 4 hours later. Again, no meds. And no episiotomy this time. However, he was 9.5 lbs. and I do not have a large frame. I had a 3rd degree laceration and DS broke his collarbone on the way out. Recovering from that level of laceration vs. the episiotomy of the first one was way longer. The lactation consultant again, was great. Since DS couldn't lay on the side that had the broken collarbone, they worked with different positions so that I could still nurse comfortably.

With 3rd child, they did an ultrasound a couple weeks before my due date to see how big she was getting, so we wouldn't have the same problem as DS. Found out she was breech. The next week they tried to turn her and she wouldn't budge. I ended up with a c-section and she was fine.

Everything was very supportive there. They encourage the husband to sleep in. The rooms are like living rooms, with a pull out couch for DH, rocking chair for nursing, etc. I loved the experience there.

When first TTC, I did go to one practice that had midwives, and I was not impressed, so I went with Middlesex OB/GYN, which is probably pretty standard in terms of what they do. If I were to start over, I might have done things differently (birth plan, doula), but I can't now.

 

[Mrs.aLifeofReilly]

Thanks for the feedback and personal experiences. CT must be one of the states that doesn't publish maternity statistics?

 

[MAMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs.aLifeofReilly CT must be one of the states that doesn't publish maternity statistics?

Yes, outrageous, but true. Massachusetts is one of only 2 states that is legally required to publish them (New York is the other).

Quote:

But as we will see in the next chapter, obstetricians in the United States have great lobbying power, and they have fought hard to prevent regulations and laws that would hold them accountable for their actions. In forty-eight of the fifty states, doctors and hospitals are under no obligation to disclose maternity care statistics (rates for cesarean section, labor induction, episitomy, and so on) to the public, which makes it very difficult for a woman to find out in advance how she is likely to be treated. When something goes wrong with her treatment, it is all but impossible to find out what happened or who is to blame - without filing a lawsuit. A severe lack of information is one of several reasons that in the United States obstetricians are sued more than any other medical specialist.

from Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First
by Marsden Wagner
(an excellent book worth reading)

 

[Mrs.aLifeofReilly]

MAMom- I know, it makes me so mad. I've actually read that book and loved it. It is a few years old (the book), so I was hoping maybe CT had started publishing stats (wishful thinking eh?)

I'm just trying to get some concrete info for a friend and it is frustrating to hit the brick wall. I looked at the Birth Survery too, but they don't have much detail, just a general star rating by contributors.

I thought when I filled out the birth survery for DS's hospital birth, that I remembered writing comments too. I wonder if they are planning to publish comments eventually - I'd find that much more useful than star ratings.

 

[Girlprof]

I did not give birth there but I have several friends who did and I went to their BF'ing support group (which is great). My impression is that the hospital is super, but some of the OBs that work there, not so much. I have also heard great things about the Family Practice Group though. I can't remember anymore why we decided not to use them. As far as I know, there is no practice delivering at Middlesex where you would be guaranteed midwifery care. Unfortunately - I think the hospital itself is pretty ready for midwives but there isn't a MW practice in Middletown.

 

[kjbrown92]

There were midwives at the first practice I tried in Middletown but I was not impressed at all.

 

[Mommyto2girls]

I delivered both my girls at Middlesex with no pain meds adn there was no pushiness at all. I absolutely loved my experience there both times. The nursing staff was so awesome. My first daughter was delivered by Middlesex OBGYN. And my second one was delivered by Dr. Byrd. She was fabulous...she is in practice on her own (she was with Crescent Street OBGYN) but she left because she told me they would not allow her to practice medicine that way she wanted. She totally leaves everything up to the patient..she puts all the options out there but does not make you feel bad if you choose not to do the "traditional" thing.

Good Luck!