*Paging Curlygirl* OB-GYNs and Hospitals for L&D in NYC

[blushingbride]

Hi Curlygirl...I original posted this under the TTC thread, but then I thought to just create a new thread for this. As a fellow New Yorker, I was just reading up on which hospitals were most reputable for L&D, it seems like NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell are ranked the best in NYC followed by Mount Sinai Medical Center and NYU. Currently, my OB-GYN is affiliated with NYU, but does it make sense to switch to a doctor who is affilated at one of the top hospitals? Was your recommended by someone or did you do research beforehand? Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated since I would like to start off on the right foot with a good doctor and hospital. Have you heard anything about NYU?

 

[curlygirl]

Hi blushingbride! To tell you the truth, I''m one of those anal people that has all of their doctors affiliated with the same hospital and I learned this from my parents! All of our doctors are Columbia Presbyterian doctors. My OB was recommended by my gynecologist who I have gone to for over 10 years. He doesn''t deliver babies anymore so when I got pregnant, he said he could refer me to someone at another hospital but wanted to keep me "in the system", so that''s how I ended up with my OB who I LOVED, even though she didn''t end up delivering my baby because she wasn''t on call that day! So I didn''t really do any research, I just got lucky that I was already connected to a great hospital system! They have an office on 60th and Madison so it''s just a few blocks from my office and that made it really convenient for me to get to my monthly appointments.

I don''t know too much about NYU. I have a friend who had infertility treatment there and had a successful IVF on her first attempt. She is now 7 months pregnant and I''m pretty sure she likes her doctor but I don''t have any firsthand experience with that hospital--even though I live mere blocks away from it!! We had to haul my laboring butt up to Washington Heights to give birth!!! Fortunately it was a Saturday morning so we got a cab with no problem and didn''t have to deal with traffic. My pediatrician is affiliated with Columbia as well but if, god forbid, there was an emergency with my daughter, we would definitely just go to NYU. I''m sure it''s a great hospital, I haven''t heard any negatives but I don''t know from my own experience. Have you checked the New York Magazine best doctors/hospitals issue? I''m sure you can look it up online and see what it says. I think if you are comfortable with your ob/gyn and feel that you''re getting good care, there''s no need to switch things up now. You''re in NYC, most of the hospitals here are quite reputable and I would definitely put NYU in that category. Let me know if you need any other advice from a New Yorker. I''m more than happy to share my experiences with you!

 

[blushingbride]

Thanks Curlygirl - I''m thinking of going under my DH''s insurance so, since I''m doing that soon, I was thinking now''s the time to switch if I need to. I did read NY Magazine''s best hospitals/doctors list online - NYU was ranked 3rd for births. Did you have a private room at your hospital? I''ve been hearing that a lot of the hospitals here have private rooms which are first come, first serve or you have to pay extra for them. I can''t imagine having to share a room with someone, but I guess that''s the price you pay living in NYC right?

 

[curlygirl]

Oh duh, I totally should have mentioned the insurance thing! Make sure you use in-network doctors/hospitals. I am very lucky that my insurance is accepted by my doctors or else it would have cost something like $20,000 just to give birth to a baby--and that was just a normal, vaginal birth! I ended up paying about $1200 out of pocket because they jack everything up and charge you for every little thing but I was ok with it. Just make sure you take everything they give you: diapers, wipes, pads, squirt bottles, etc. because you will be paying for it!!

And yes, I did have a private room! I requested it when I did my pre-registration and was fortunate that they had one available after I gave birth. It cost me $400 for the 2 nights I stayed there but even if I had stayed for 4 nights, it still would have been $400. For me, it was worth it! DH got to stay with me and I just felt more comfortable without having a stranger sharing the bathroom, etc. Now my girlfriend just gave birth at Cornell and had a horrible labor experience, ended up with a c-section, rough time. She''s a spoiled brat (but I love her for it!) so she got a private SUITE for $800/night!!!!! It was beautiful but not worth it to me! I can''t imagine shelling out an extra $3000 for a fancy HOSPITAL ROOM!!!! It''s not a vacation! But I do recommend a private room if you can get one at a good price!

 

[blushingbride]

Thanks Curlygirl...gosh, there''s so much to consider even before you get pregnant! Fortunately, not TTC just yet, but will be soon. I just want to make sure I''m in good hands when it does happen. Also, none of my girlfriends here in the city have given birth yet so, I really have nobody to recommend doctors or hospitals. Thanks for the advice!

 

[janinegirly]

may i ask what insurance plan you girls are under (or are thinking of enrolling for)? I just completed benefits for the year...went with Oxford, hope it''s a good one. We''re not even TTC yet, so not going crazy with researching it all, but I wanted a solid one jusssst in case

 

[blushingbride]

Well, right now my job offers me Unicare, but DH has Oxford and it seems that every hospital/doctor excepts that so, I want to change to his plan.

Janinegirly - do you have an OBGYN in the city?

 

[janinegirly]

yes i do, but she was with my old plan so not sure if i''ll stick with her. plus i just went to her for annual stuff, so didn''t research too much. I do notice a room fulll of pregger ladies in the waiting room whenever i go though!

i think oxford is widely accepted and i noticed they covered fertility treatments too..so i''m thinking it''s an all round solid plan.

 

[blushingbride]

I agree with you on that. Now, I just need DH to help me get on his plan and I''ll be all set! Have you heard anything about the hospitals in the city regarding L&D?

 

[janinegirly]

i''m afraid not..but i figure that''s still awhile away and I can always change plans in a year if necessary.

i have a friend who had a baby 4 mo''s ago, so next time i meet with her i''lll hit her with tons of questions and let you know what i learn

 

[blushingbride]

That would be great thanks! I''m in a wedding next Sept. for my good friends and her sister gave birth in the city last year so, when we meet to plan the shower, bachelorette party, etc. I''m also going to hit her up with questions. I think she gave birth at Mount Sinai and from what I heard, she did NOT have a good experience there.