Would you give birth at the hospital where you work?

Jolie, BSN · Jul 6, 2008

I desperately wanted to deliver at the hospital where I worked. The quality of care was excellent, and I trusted my co-workers to care for me and my baby.

Unfortunately, with a high-risk pregnancy, and living 30 miles from my employer, it was not practical.

I fully understand your concerns, though. Privacy issues were not a concern for me, as our unit was well-run, and privacy of staff members was respected and protected. Also, I worked on OB, so I had no concerns that my hospitalization would impact on my desire to change units.

Our insurance also favored us delivering (or planning any hospitalization) at the hospital where we worked, but exceptions could be made if one could demonstrate a need to go elsewhere, such as NICU services or high-risk OB that were not available at our facility.

Good luck to you!

Belinda-wales, RN · Jul 6, 2008

Why or why not?
The insurance plan offered at my hospital isnt the greatest at all...for hospitalization it is $250/day plus 20% if I stay within the specific hospital network...with a 50% discount if I deliver at the hospital where I work and pay the balance within 30 days of the bill. If I stay within network but outside the hospital system, its $500/day and 40% copay. Get this, if I go out of network, its a 60% copay! If it werent for the discount, I would be against it, simply because for one thing I just dont know how comfortable I would be with the situation. I currently work on med/surg as a new grad and eventually I would love to switch to mother/baby. Im not sure if me being a patient there could help or hurt me getting a job there. Plus its just the whole privacy issue. Its a very small community hospital.
How would you feel about having your baby where you work?

Omg- What health care company do you work for with such awful benifits- any hospilization with our firm costs staff $150 that is it!:imbar

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 6, 2008

Without a doubt I would give birth where I worked. My coworkers are awesome and would provide me with the best care for both me and my baby. We are a fairly small facility as well and though everyone loves a baby - we respect our momma's and babies privacy first and foremost. I think you'll find that at most OB departments.

However, I'm not having anymore kids so it's not really an option for me :lol2:

yeSICU · Jul 6, 2008

I gave birth at the hospital I work for. I trust the hospital system I work for and am familiar with it. Plus my mother also works there, my two best friends, and I live two blocks away from it (that came in handy because my hubby was across the state when I went into labor and I drove myself in...lol). It just made sense for me. I don't work mother/baby, but the staff there is excellent and if anything went wrong I felt comfortable knowing that there was a NICU in house. If anything I think it would help you get a job on that unit because you could get your name out there. What better compliment than choosing the unit you want to work on as the unit you give birth on. Just a thought.:heartbeat

Congratz and good luck!!!

hoppermom3 · Jul 6, 2008

I would definitely deliver where I work if I were able to have more children. Several of my coworkers have delivered with us and all have been very happy. When I first started, I thought it would be weird to do SVEs, pericare, etc... on a coworker, but it really isn't.

The biggest challenge is reminding the employee that she is a patient this time, and does not have to take care of everything herself!

RXtech · Jul 6, 2008

I was in your situation when I was pregnant with my oldest 12 years ago. I really didn't consider any other options, because they just weren't financially feasible at the time.

It was a little weird having people I work with examining me and seeing me so vulnerable, but not so uncomfortable that it really bothered me. I think the main disadvantage was that I really tried to be a "good" patient and didn't speak up when I was concerned about something. This hospital was not exactly progressive when it came to birth and breastfeeding, and even though I had read about walking around during labor, or not giving supplemental formula, for instance, I was reluctant to argue. Now that I'm older and more confident, I would have no problem conveying my wishes, but at the time I was young and a little intimidated by the older and more experienced nurses. I think if I had been at a different hospital and the nurses were strangers, I wouldn't have been concerned with what they thought of me. LOL

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Jul 6, 2008

I'm hoping to have a homebirth next time around, whenever the time comes. However, if I end up for whatever reason needing a hospital birth, I'd go where I work.

I second those posters who say it's not as strange as it sounds to look at coworkers' breasts/perineum. In the last couple weeks I've cared for a couple doctors (one attending, one resident) who delivered there and it really wasn't strange at all. They just wanted to be treated like new moms, which is what we do for a living anyway!

And I know my coworkers would respect my wishes regarding my baby, and I'd know which L/D nurses to pick. :)

feebebe23 · Jul 6, 2008

If your concerned over privacy....for example if you have something in your medical history that you would not want your co-workers knowing. Talk to your doctor about it. I have had co-workers with this similier issue.....and can usually "fudge" a little to make sure your privacy is not compromised.

For example....nurse on another floor had a C/S for HSV....but we put on the board that it was a CS for another reason. Only myself and the MD knew what was going on.

Maybe this sounds a little shady to some people....but I knew I was doing what was right for the pt.

CEG · Jul 6, 2008

No, probably not. As hospitals go its okay. If I wanted an epidural and didn't mind induction, pit, AROM, CEFM etc (like most of our patients) it would be okay. I am not into that and in fact planning a homebirth this time around. If I chose to deliver in a hospital I would probably deliver at another hospital in our system where they are natural childbirth friendly. If I have to have a c/s for some reason I will deliver in our hospital. My co-workers are nice people who I would enjoy sharing the experience with, we just do not have a similar mindset and I wouldn't want to have to fight to give birth the way I desire.

Oh, and I know all the docs too well to trust most of them to take care of me in labor. Sad, but true.

crysobrn · Jul 7, 2008

I'll be doing it again in october (this is the third baby I'll deliver in my unit). Our insurance covers 100% hospitalization at our hospital and only 50% of any other out of network hospital so money is a motivator for me.

But also the closest hospital I'd consider delivering at is an hour away. I have never really been uncomfortable til I'm around 7cm and I figure by the time I decide to get up and go I need to get there... I don't have time to be driving an hour.

I'm fine with delivering where I work. I love most of the girls I work with. I do feel the pressure for interventions because I do have a history of two 10 lb deliveries and my new OB (the one I had for the others left a year ago) started pressuring me for an induction at the first prenatal appt... I was like hmm can we at least get to the third trimester.

I'm hoping that things go off without a hitch and I don't **** anyone off too bad when I refuse constant monitoring and just want to be left alone. The only thing that makes me nervous is that if something did go wrong I don't want my nurse to feel bad cause it's me. One of our nurses when delivering her first pushed for 3+ hrs and almost ended up a c/s, didn't have the greatest strip, refused a vac etc. Eventually she did end up delivering with a vac and I still think that the nurse that cared for her was traumatized and hates to do labor for anyone she knows now.

landonsles · Jul 7, 2008

I'm going to sound like the poster above me...LOL

I will be delivering on my unit in October, too. And this will be my third on this particular unit.

My youngest two were delivered there before I worked on that unit; I loved the care I rec'd, so decided to work there. And that's the only hospital that my OB delivers at, so it is a no brainer for me.

(It also helps that I don't have to pay any of the hospital costs with our insurance!)