Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Claud2001 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 09:08 PM

Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Has anyone delivered at Saint Catherine's Hospital in Smithtown? I would like to hear about your experience. Also, how are the L&D nurses, and what is their facility like?

kptoys Posted: Jul 02, 2003 09:17 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

And Claud why would you need to know this... do you want to tell us something???

Claud2001 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 09:48 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

I just wanted some feedback for future consideration.

swags1016 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 10:10 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

My girlfriend delivered there--

She delievered there during the nurses strike so she had a lot of issues with the scab nurses!! Prior to the strike they were great with her.

Claud2001 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 10:14 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Swags - can you elaborate on the types of 'issues'??? Just today, I had a Mom tell me that she had the exact OPPOSITE experience - she said her delivery was wonderful - even during the strike. So, I'd be interested to know the nature of some of the issues your friend had. Thanks.

jennbaby Posted: Jul 02, 2003 10:15 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Yay Claud???!!!

kptoys Posted: Jul 02, 2003 10:16 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

for Claud

anna Posted: Jul 02, 2003 10:20 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Claudine. I have heard nothing but great stories about St CAtherines as far as their maternity ward. IN fact. i'm switching my OB next time I need one
At first when we first moved here, we heard that St. Johns (before it was 'St. Catherines) had a bad reputation, but when it changed to St CAth it got much better. I still heard and saw 'eh' expressions from people about the hospital in general. THEN to top it off, my dad had gone there to the ER (LONGGGGGG Story) and I Wasnt at all happy with the Dr's or that particular experience wasnt great there. and of course I let that keep me from delivering John Anthony there.
But I did AFTERWARDS here such GREAT things about their maternity ward. Id say about 10 out of 10 things ive heard are all rave reviews.

Sometimes I hate when one bad experience makes us choose to not go to a certain place...

swags1016 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 11:01 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

The reason she chose St Catherine's was their great reputation. Like I said they were great with her during her visit. She was an emotional mess by then because it was just a few months after 9-11 and hubby is a NYPD and was not around much. She was crying they were comforting and wonderful.

When she went into labor (I don't remember if her water had broken or not yet. I know the mucus cap was gone a few days prior) she went to the hospital, they hooked her up to some monitor and said you are not in labor. She is not a complainer. She knew brackston hicks (sp?) and this was not it. They sent her home. 2 hours later hubby took her back she was in bad pain. Again she was in full labor but not dialated much. She was crying and doing something with her feet (never understood what she meant) the nurse tells her again - you are not in labor and if you are acting like this now I can only imagine what you are going to act like when you are in full labor! That was a little cold and rude IMO and hers. She got hysterical and hubby said if you discharge her I am going to bring her right back I know my wife and she is in labor. So they let her stay and told her they would check on her in an hour. It was something like that- then when they checked her again she was 5 or 6 centimeters. She was not given an epi. until late because of this whole thing.

She said that she would deliver there again but they were not the same sweet nurses that she had met on her walk through.

I have to say when we were there the nurses seemed so attentive to the babies.

Like I said these were the strike nurses not the nurses that were normally there. I will ask her tomorrow if there was anything else.

michele31 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 11:21 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Not sure about the maternity ward but my stepmother had a surgery in St. Catherines and hated the overnight stay there. they do not have enough nurses (but that is also a common problem in many hospitals) and there was a women screaming stuff all night and no one would help her so it was very difficult to listen to it all night.
again, this is NOT in their maternity ward though.

drjenn10 Posted: Jul 02, 2003 11:38 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

I am a doc who has privileges there and it is a great hospital. The nurses are so sweet. I plan to deliver there when I am pregnant.

anna Posted: Jul 03, 2003 08:24 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Dr.Jenn, just wanted to say God Bless you, I admire Doctors ! God Blessed you with your special talent to make you what you are today !

drjenn10 Posted: Jul 03, 2003 09:00 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Thanks Anna, most people do not like doctors(myself included). It was a lot of hard work but definately worth it. Besides I get to play with babies all day long!

MichelleW Posted: Jul 03, 2003 09:58 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

I was there in May. After my MC I had to have a shot of Rhogam because I am RH negative. Instead of sending me to the ER to get the shot for some strange reason the blood bank tech takes me up to Labor & Delivery DUH!!!!. Needless to say I was upset and crying, HOWEVER the nurse on duty was the most caring compassionate person.

She apolgized profusely for the error in judgement and was a very warm caring person. Exactly the type you would want to be around

jennbaby Posted: Jul 03, 2003 10:09 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

drjenn i admire you also

Claud2001 Posted: Jul 03, 2003 02:01 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

MichelleW - I am so sorry that you were treated that way!

michele31 - hmmm...that sounds awful. But, it doesn't sound like something that has to do with the care provided by the hospital. Some ill people just make a lot of noise b/c they are hurting or sick or just miserable. Despite being well-cared for, they are disruptive to other people staying the hospital.

How was your stepmom treated?

Imagin916 Posted: Jul 04, 2003 11:57 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Dr. Jenn, I give you credit for staying on OB. Many good docs are flying the coup with this malpractice crap, and I am glad that there will be good docs like yourself to deliver our babies! I have a question for you if you dont mind..How do you feel about delivering patients in a hospital without a high level NICU? I would be afraid to give birth in a hospital without a good NICU in case something went wrong. Any thoughts on that? What about anesthesia during circumcision? Sorry for the questions, but just curious to know!

drjenn10 Posted: Jul 05, 2003 08:00 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

I am actually in Peds. I thought about that myself delivering at a place without a NICU. They do have a neonatologist onstaff and would transer a baby immediately to StonyBrook if necesary. If you knew that you were going to deliver a child with problems then I would not deliver at St Cath. As far as anesthesia for circ, the procedure takes about 5 minutes and is not worth the risks. They do use a numbing cream now which helps.

Stacey1403 Posted: Jul 05, 2003 09:14 AM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Claud one of my friends just delivered her there in April, I will ask for more details when I talk to her but I know her hubby LOVED it!!! He said her Dr. actually(with his guidance of course)let him deliver the baby himself. He said it was the most amazing experience. It was also their 3rd child I will be sure to ask my friend on a whole how her experience was though

Claud2001 Posted: Jul 05, 2003 02:10 PM

Re: Need opinions and REAL experiences on a hospital...

Stacey I'm not sure my DH would ever be that brave - to deliver our child himself! But, kudos to your friend's hubby! I give him a lot of credit! Thanks for following up w/more detail, tho...I would appreciate hearing more from a Mom who recently delivered there.

Regarding the NICU - I am in complete agreement w/Dr Jenn on this - if you knew you were a high risk pregnancy (or delivery), than I am sure most OB's would advise their patients to deliver in a hospital w/a NICU. In fact, it is extremely rare that an OB would only deliver at ONE area hospital. Most will give their patients a choice between two at least.

And, my son was circumsized w/o anestesia...it is not medically necessary. DH stayed w/him through the procedure, and the baby was just fine sukking on Daddy's pinky.