I haven't had a chance to post for a week (probably a good thing...for my part I was getting too snarky!
) because lo and behold, our little daughter who was due in mid-April decided to have an advanced screening... yowza! In short, everyone is doing great and it is good to be home.
Why I post this here on the community forum, though, is because of my new perspective on a Lakewood gem, Lakewood Hospital. I always valued having the hospital close. We used it when my daughter had a bad reaction to a spider bite and found the ER a good place who did well with kids. This was after taking my daughter at a younger age to Fairview (who specialize in kids) but had mediocre treatment.
But boy howdy were we impressed with the Birthing Center at Lakewood Hospital. We chose the hospital not due to location but due to the fact they had a Midwifery service and that is my wife's preferred method of OBGYN care and child delivery (as we did so with my oldest daughter in Cincinnati). We haven't regretted it.
Maybe they are all like this on the west side but we found the nursing staff (who are the REAL backbone of any successful childbirth and after care...even with a Midwife who tends to spend a lot more time in the room prior to delivery than most doctors) to be excellent start to finish. I have a lot of hospital experience from personal and professional involvement and usually expect a shift or two to be lacking in enthusiasm, bedside manner or what not but that wasn't the case with Lakewood. From day shift to the nurse at 3 AM (guess which one we got to know better
) they were all excellent, professional, sympathetic to individual needs for attention or privacy.
I bring this up because I always hear about Fairview's center but never about Lakewoods. In talking the nurses on the team I found that the Clinic does little or nothing to promote this excellent center. I know Fairview has more specialists for difficult birthing complications (severe ones, not just ones that require C-Section which happen at Lakewood) but it is sad when the Lakewood Birthing Center doesn't have enough of a budget to afford new rocking chairs in the rooms (which was our only complaint).
Yet with the lack of funds or marketing, the unit still says they have continual, if slow, growth every year based a lot on word-of-mouth. It was certainly the case when we were there a week ago. The place was hopping. In addition to great follow up in hospital they have a room reserved for mom's to return if they need help with breast feeding. While this is cool, this was sadly a compromise put in place when the Clinic cut home visits following birth where these issues could be covered (and as anyone who had children and breast fed knows, it isn't as easy as it looks for everyone).
Still, it was awesome. If anyone on here is considering children in their future or haven't picked a place to have their child, I do not hesitate to suggest they look into the Lakewood Hospital Birthing Center. It was an awesome experience (above and beyond the regular awesomeness of having a new baby!). Maybe some more word of mouth and praise will bring the little unit that could a bit more recognition. And heck, maybe some new rocking chairs.
Take care,
Phil
