Would you deliver your baby at your place of employment?

[BSNbeauty]

I just found out that I'm pregnant (yay!) and debating whether I should choose my ob from where I work or choose another hospital. By the way I work in PP so I'm pretty familiar with the OB team.

Pros: I have awesome co-workers and know they would take excellent care of me

Cons: My job is 45 minutes away and the OB I prefer has a really busy practice and I'm not sure if she would be able to truly dedicate a lot of time to me. Patients love her but complain about the wait for appts.

So my question is: What are reasons you would or would not have a baby at your place of employment.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't, because it would be a pretty bad idea to try to deliver a baby in the office of a small home health agency where none of the nurses in the office have ever worked L&D... especially given that I'd likely be considered "high risk" given my medical history.

The hospital I worked in didn't have maternity services either so this is a non-issue for me. I wouldn't seek medical care at my place of employment at all though. I don't need my co-workers all up in my business.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Congratulations! I delivered three of mine in the hospitals where I worked at, mostly for insurance reasons. Convenience was a big factor with my last one too b/c the clinic is under the same roof as the hospital; I scheduled my prenatals first thing in the a.m., after my shift was over.

[84RN]

I delivered in the hospital where I worked, and I was in L&D at the time. First two kids were in small hospital and I was treated like a queen :)

My third was in a different state after we'd moved, and I was still working in L&D. It was a much larger hospital, and I knew all of the L&D staff, but didn't know the pp nurses. I loved my OB's, and actually picked them because I saw what good practitioners they were and also had good relationships with their patients.

[RetRN77]

I did, although at the time, I was a student, and had already done my L&D/PP rotation. I didn't know any of the nurses in the L&D unit, because I went to the hospital and delivered during the night shift, so I didn't know any of them. I was only in L&D about five hours. However, I did know some of the nurses on PP, some of them mostly because they were friends of my mom, who had only recently stopped working the PP unit. It was interesting at times, but it definitely had its pluses. I received plenty of visits from my fellow students while on PP, because they lived on site, and that was fun. I do not remember any of the PP checks in particular. :) So if I was embarrassed, it didn't last long!

[trishmsn]

I would not, but I am pretty private about my personal life. I had major abdominal surgery in the hospital in which I worked (as a case manager/discharge planner) and had one heluva time keeping my co-workers away. I did not want visitors except for immediate family, and every single one of my coworkers, who spent the day running from floor to floor anyway, was convinced that the huge "NO VISITORS" sign did NOT apply to THEM!! In fact, I heard several of them arguing with my assigned nurse when she (blessedly) stopped them from coming into my room.

In addition, even though it IS a HIPAA violation, I did not want them in my chart..... which they could have looked at sort of "legally" for my d/c plans!!!

On a final note, it has been my expereince that oftimes when the staff knows you are a nurse, they cut way back on the teaching, thinking that you "know all that stuff, anyway". If we are an inpatient in an area we have never worked or studied, we can be JUST as clueless as a "civilian".

[klone, MSN, RN]

I would and I have. I work with an AWESOME midwife team and I know they would take excellent care of me. Plus, unless I want to pay OOP, that's what my insurance covers.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I had two of my kids at the hospital where I work before I became a nurse. But after working there and being in L&D, I decided with our last (surprise) baby I would not.

Same issues as some of the other folks. I'm very private and I work closely with the OB's (all male at the time) and just wouldn't want them to see me in such a "delicate" position.

I chose an OB from a different town and delivered there and I'm glad because I ended up with an emergency cesarean and my son was in the NICU for a few hours just to check on him.

The funny thing is, my nurse the first day was someone I went to nursing school with and she slacked off on the teaching, as one poster mentioned. I think nurses who know you think they don't have to teach you. You are already a mom and you work L&D?!! Why teach?

(This was my first and only cesarean though - I could have used some TLC).

However, I had a good friend who is a nurse and worked L&D with me who was preggers at the same time as me and she chose to deliver at our hospital. She had a great experience.

To each their own!

[Caffeine_IV]

I would and did. My insurance would not have covered me going to an out of network hospital. The nearest would have been 45 min-1hr away. And overall I was very pleased with the care, nothing "wow" about it but solid very good care.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Our insurance covers the next town's hospitals and docs (not to mention other towns). I live in a small rural area where the services needed for all medical issues cannot be found here. So, going an hour and 15 minutes away (75 miles) was not an issue for us thank goodness.

[melissagee]

I wouldn't, mainly because I don't see pregnancy as requiring hospital treatment. I'd want to have my children at home, if I could with an experienced nurse midwife. That's my ultimate dream.

What someone else pointed out about being able to read your chart IMO applies also. Additionally, if my coworkers were in my room all the time, I'd worry about their patients.

In the end though, it's about your needs, finances, and expectations. Congrats!

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

I had my kids where I work. Insurance only covered it there. But I knew we had a great L/D group, loves my doc and midwife, my NICU is one of best in the area. I thought it would be weird but it was actually great. And my friends in postpartum were awesome, yeah a little weird have them look at the hoo-hoo, but with a 4th degree plus laceration with my first, at that point so many people had looked at it I really just didn't care any more lol

[NicoleLynch, ADN, BSN, RN]

First of all, congratulations! Yes, I did have my daughter at the hospital I worked in and had a wonderful experience. Everyone was very kind and professional. I chose to go there because it was the closest hospital, but also because I knew that we would be well taken care of.