Besides, he was kind of cute. (They are never exactly what we expect!) Since my labors were long I got a bit of everything. Our insurance even covered the birth there. That being said, you can decrease your chances of medical intervention by going late. Good luck and happy birthing - it is absolutely the most amazing experience of your life! The hospital contacted the on-call OB who prescribed lots of drugs (just in case, I guess) but after we made it clear to them that we did not want them, there was no problem and they were not pushed on us. Scheduling was challenging as the doctors' schedules were full;appointments were expected to be very short; andthey were often running behind, leading to long waiting room waits -- all of which sounds minor, but starts to add up when you have weekly appointments. My friends who had delivered there had long and medicated deliveries. I didn't pay for a doula either time, but wished I had my own room the second time around. Happily, my own OB got there in time. The baby's head was not descended at all and I was dilated to 2 or something terrible like that. It got to be ridiculous--the main interaction with the staff was this constant stream of introductions when I really didn't feel very social. I am not a big fan of hospitals, but I would never choose to have a child outside of one for safety reasons. Best wishes to you for a smooth delivery & healthy baby. Facilities seem far more modern and food options during your stay were way better (pre covid though so not sure if its changed). Learn more about how we're managing care and safety during COVID-19. It did not hurt as much as I had expected and I never really felt the need for pain medication. This was what it was like for us with our first kid. Post-care was hit or miss. The last piece of advice I'd give is this: the important thing is a healthy mommy and a healthy baby- how you get there is less important so if you wind up having to get some type of intervention don't let yourself feel like you've failed in some way. :(. Our staff is ready to help. Someone (I think my OB) said that all the nurses at AB are pro natural-birth and really go out of their way to support a laboring mother who wants to do it. security seemed really tight, as only my husband and i were allowed in. "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." Best of luck to ya! I never got to use it as my son was an early suprise but I had a birth plan all ready to rock and roll. This is going to sound hard to believe, but there really wasn't that much difference between the two. Unfortunately, I was ineligible for donating and did delayed clamping instead. Is it normal for Blue Shield to pay the full billed amount, rather than having a better negotiated rate (which would reduce our coinsurance)? Sign up online or call (800) 769-1650. She was incredibly focused and caring. She continued to check in me even when it wasn't her round. With my second, I went into labor naturally after a rather intense office exam at 40 weeks - again, boy was I ready! I took 2 hospital swaddles, and those have been handy for miscellaneous things where I didnt want to use my nice swaddles. anon. We're proud to be pursuing designation as a Baby-Friendly Hospital. I would recommend that if it's in your budget, do get a private room. I gave birth at Alta Bates in Berkeley in late April 2020 and it was great. 2450 Ashby Ave Alta Bates Campus Berkeley, CA 94705. All but one of the nurses I saw after my delivery were terrific as well. My Kaiser doctor especially was very encouraging throughout the birth process. The rooms are older but we did not find that to be a problem. The nurses that I had in labor and delivery were very reassuring and responsive, as were the nurses afterwards (I learned a lot about what to do with the baby from those nurses!). agreed that if monitoring were conducted in 2010 it would likely result in findings of nonconformance with the use . One of my friends recommended that I should have the baby taken to the nursery during the night so that I could recover during the early days in the hospital. Another bonus at UCSF: you can get nitrous during the pushing stage, which I found took the edge off during my first delivery, though I didn't need it the second time around. In any case, the staff seemed completely incapable of dealing with a quick (from their perspective) labor and delivery. I'm a NICU nurse at a different hospital in the same network, and I may be able to give a little insight. I would also say that we took the birth prep class and some details of what they told us would happen didn't; so if something's important to you make sure you make a point of planning to ask for it at the right time, even if you think it's standard procedure (e.g. The bed and the pillows were all covered in plastic, so everything stuck to my sweaty skin and was uncomfortable. The nurse supported my choice not to use the forceps and encouraged me to try longer. But in the end I didn't see any midwives when I gave birth because they're not there 24/7 and I of course delivered my baby during the rare times they aren't about. I had a great experience. All taken, if who delivers you is important, I would definitely consider figuring out where that OB / office has admitting privileges and go from there. And like others said you will get almost everything for the stay. My second child was born two years ago at AB without a doula. I thought the rooms were small but the bathrooms are what I really disliked. New to Docs, I have had two natural births at Alta Bates. Overall, I thought the nurses were amazing - were some better than others? We just spent three months in the Alta Bates NICU with our twins who were born at 25 weeks (they shared a placenta and amniotic sac). ), they talked me through the contractions and breathing and positions to be mroe comfortable. Igave birth at Alta Bates in 2018 and at CPMC Van Ness in 2021 and lived in east bay for both. mommy of two. All of the labor of a natural birth is overseen by nurses. What really convinced me that it was truly time for the C-section was the nurses. But definitely bring multiple grocery bags to lug home all the stuff :). The nurses were all WONDERFUL, the ones during delivery were great and the nurses who look after you after delivery too. She says that it depends on many factors, and that's why they don't say specific things like ''Baby must be born within 12 hours of your water breaking'' or ''No more than 5 unproductive hours of pushing before C-section.''. Really though, the nurses are a big part of laboring at Alta Bates. I'm planning to deliver there in July. I believe that I had the birthing experience I wanted because I labored at home as long as possiible. for whatever it is worth, on the days we were there, we never had a problem getting the room. - they let me go right up to 42weeks without trying to freak me out. If at any time they'd told me my baby was in any distress I'd have done whatever they recommended. Every (what seemed like) 10 minutes a nurse, aide, orderly or someone would come into my room! Remember this is the Berkeley/Oakland area, the staff at AB have seen pretty much everything, so your desire for natural childbirth is not a big deal for them to understand. I have a couple friends who have had to have c-sections because their babies didn't turn, so it's something to consider even though you'll have to decide before you know if this will help you or not. i had a fabulous doula the first time, which pretty much left the nurses with nothing to do but check my monitor readings. Meanwhile, I had developed some kind of a systemic infection (they think) and my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. I had a wonderful experience. So we had a good opportunity to sample Alta Bates' services. Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. Earlier in my pregnancy, I had planned to find a doula to assist but when I found out how expensive they are I had second thoughts. They did not accurately record what I had been given. My husband feels the same and he too felt well-taken care of when he was ''freaking out'' (his words). Even more disapointing, my extended time in recovery meant that I could not be with my baby during those important first bonding hours. The doctor I had was Samantha Varner. They will try to match you with a nurse who fits your needs. I felt like they were caring for me at Kaiser -- finding the expert I needed and getting them to call me --whereas I was having to fend for myself, find the doctors I needed, and leave multiple voice messages via the PPO model. anon. Alta Bates is a hospital, and they have a Women and Infants Center where you can deliver your baby http://www.altabatessummit.org/clinical/women_infants.html. you get two nurses - one for you and one for the baby and although the ward was full, every time I wanted anything - pain medication, questions about my baby, whatever, day or night, they were there with a smile and a caring hand, easing my way into motherhood, when I was so tired and sore after the bitrh. I paid double for an anatomy scan at Sutter whatI did at a teaching hospital in Boston. 2450 Ashby Ave . I lived in Oakland in 2010 but delivered at CPMC because I tried to change doctors at 30 weeks and couldn't find an OB that was taking late stage patients. Happy Mama, I delivered at Alta Bates with a midwife and doula. After discussion, we decided that if I had the epidural catheter inserted, but w/ no drugs administered, she would feel better about allowing me to continue to try to deliver naturally. But overall, I really loved it and highly recommend CPMC. I did not have a doula. I delivered around Noon, and the other poster delivered around Midnight, so maybe it is a difference in the quality of staff on different shifts. Though my triage nurse was very rough and callous ( I literally felt violated when she examined me), the nurses who were with me were very comforting, gentle and knowledgeable. a devoted doula, I just wanted to add something about Alta Bates. massage to avoid an episiotamy (sp? I last delivered there in Mar 2021 so someone else may have more recent info for you. They were two very different birth experiences because of what happened in my labor, but I still have some good info for you. I hope that helps! We only had one dud of a nurse in postpartum. "In 2010, Alta Bates provided $4.8 million in charity care," said Dan Johnston, a researcher with the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy, the research arm of the California Nurses Association, at a city council meeting on July 16th. Everything about it was night and day from Sutter. My room wasn't covered until the insurer was notified that there was no choice but to have a private room, then it was written off. If you've had a positive Alta Bates or UCSF c-section experience, I'd also love to hear who your doctor was, as I'm flying blind. Theonly negative I recall from the experience were the large number of different nurses, doctors and other paper-pushers who seemed to come into our room about every three hours 24/7. It seems like a systematic problem. I had cord blood collected both times. I think she went in initially and it hadn't broken then, but a couple days later it had broken, but when she called the 2nd time she wasn't asked to come in and double check. I wonder if there are any updates and/or reactions as to the utility of storing privately and/or donating the cord blood. This is all assuming your pregnancy is uncomplicated, You don't have a family history of giving birth very very fast, you live within 30 minutes of the hospital, you water (if it breaks at home) is clear, etc, etc. (This would be my negative experience: They charted I wanted an epidural when in fact I did not, but I still needed the IV for the IV Fentanyl that I did have, so nothing really changed, and when someone said something about the epi, my husband said, no she wants to try IV relief 1st, be sure your hubby or birth partner knows your wishes if you can't communicate it yourself!). Alta Bates is a-okay, I had both my boys at Alta Bates, amazing nurses who more or less were key to a great experience, drugs weren't offered, you had to ask so a ''natural'' (that would be a LOT of pain? I had a difficult and traumatic experience at the old hospital, but the 2nd one was so much better as the entire staff was aware of my medical problems and high risk status and brought extra operating room equipment in to be prepared. Not a clueless Brit any more. I think the staff are VERY responsive to the mother's wishes for her birth and very helpful. Good luck and congratulations! In fairness, perhaps this would've happened when I needed weekly appointments at Kaiser, and/or perhaps it would not have happened if I hadn't switched late -- maybe they would've scheduled me in advance for all those weekly appointments in weeks 37-41. Pay your medical bills online or contact us for billing questions. My wife had a long history with her doctor from Kaiser Martinez, but we delivered with her doctor when she transferred to WC. My experience in September of this year was that the post-partum nurses were helpful and nice, but incredibly busy. My OB never pressured me to get a C-section, but did suggest that studies showed it was unlikely my labor would progress after being stalled for so long. During your hospital stay they will provide formula and bottles, swaddles, diapers and wipes. I went into labor on a Monday night, and delivered by c-section on Wednesday morning, so I had the opportunity to see many of the residents and nurses. Go figure. Over all, it was a very good experience. My doula, Tomi Knutson, was great too. (Of course, the baby wasn't on the floor; it's just a psychological thing.) I asked for a gray washbin which I highly recommend, as I keep next to my sink to put babys dirty bottles and my pumping pieces until I have time to wash. Did not provide diapers, but I also didnt ask. Those two facts and the fact that I didn't want to cross the bridge and deal with traffic and tolls while in labor made me research AltaBates. We offer the following services and amenities for patients and visitors: There are numerous ways to get to our three campuses. I am trying to figure out where to deliver - UCSF or Alta Bates. In fact, I ended up with an on-call doc from my OB's practice, rather than my regular doc, and the nurses sort of ran interference with him to help support my wishes (eg, they warned me that he liked to do a lot of episiotomies, which I didn't want and didn't have, thanks to their warning). They were incredibly sensitive and caring. I still don't know if I was given high doses or why I still felt such severe pain. I worried beforehand about transfering care, driving to Pleasanton for appts, etc. And the visitation rules were not strictly enforced which was good for me. Alta Bates Mama. :-) Good luck. I'm not sure if this is universally true, but I think based on our birth experience at Alta Bates in 2017, the thing they do now is let the cord blood transfer to the baby before cutting it. My labor stalled out (the pediatrician later said it sounded like a dehydration problem), they put me on pitocin. There were others that were really kind too. We have a Blue Shield PPO policy with 20% coinsurance. Happy to go into more detail if you want -- contact me. My husband and I are taking a Bradley class, which is boosting my confidence that we can avoid a hospital horror story of our own but perhaps I'm being naive. In fact, I think I had PTSD for a while afterwards. I may be a bit late chiming in on this one, but when I was in the childbirth prep class given through Alta Bates prior to the birth of our first baby in Nov. 2007, we were told that although there were a couple of jacuzzi tubs in the hospital that if you wanted to guarantee a jacuzzi birth (all safety considerations provided) that if your doctor agreed to do it, that you could rent a tub to have in your room once you started to labor. Several nurses told us that it was impossible to adjust the temperature correctly in that room, they called the facilities man, who diddled with something, but the nurses said that everyone just left the door open all the time to try to get some cool air in. This nurse said IV's are always done, but my husband insisted that I didn't want one so they didn't give it to me. When I gave birth to my daughter in November 1999, I was able to get a private room. The nurses were really great and attentive. Yes, the Alta Bates Caf is located on the ground floor. A friend of mine labored too long (also at Alta Bates) and finally had to have an emergency C due to distress of the baby. There were some nice little things at CPMC like the steak dinner the night before discharge, but trying to get across the bridge in labor would be no picnic. Since you love UCSF, you might want to double check about whether you can keep going there. Also I had an epidural at 8 cm( i was natural until then) It dropped the pain from a ''10'' to a ''5'', a welcome relief! In response to your inquiry about giving birth at Alta Bates: My husband and I were referred to Alta Bates by Kaiser for the birth of our son. When they first checked me in, they knew to ask if I was trying to have a natural labor (they knew this because it was on my birth plan). Alta Bates does have one or two rooms with a tub that you can labor in. They do take insurance but our out of network for everyone. FYI I'd do some research on pain relief options so if all doesn't go according to plan you know what you'd like. Bill, You'll probably get lots of messages for this questions, since so many of us here in Berkeley delivered babies at Alta Bates. Check-ups, screenings and sick visits for adults and children. forooza, I am interested in a water birth or at least the possibility of laboring in water. Berkeley pediatrics are AMAZING. How is Alta Bates Summit Medical Center rated? room and the recovery room was teeny (my poor husband). Katherine, We just had our baby at Alta Bates in July. Oh my gosh. So I got an epidural and continued laboring. And you can still push. The lactation consultants who came around helped a lot with figuring out how to latch and showing me different positions I could feed in (and I went back to see them after - Kaitlin in the Lactation Center is amazing). Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation Alta Bates Campus Birth Center 2450 Ashby AvenueSuite 3040 Berkeley , CA 94705 (510) 204-3977 Adriane, Berkeley Parents Network, founded in 1993,isbased in Berkeley, California andis a 501(c)(3) nonprofit online network for parents in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can always ask for a new nurse if you are not comfortable with the one assigned. We also had our own bathroom in the new hospital, which we didn't in the old hospital- it was awkward to share with another family when you are mostly naked. So as far as being supported in your quest for a ''natural'' delivery, I'd say--don't worry about it. I also found this comforting - while my actual OB never saw me, her team did and they were at least knowledgeable about my case (note I had a very complicated twin pregnancy, and developed severe pre-e). The doctors, hospitals and other healthcare services of the Sutter Health network provide a consistent level of exceptional, personalized care to patients and often receive awards for the quality care they provide. The nurses were the best. I would say that, overall, we had a very positive experience. Had a c-section at ucsf and was happy with the experience. Good luck in a safe, healthy and happy birth for your baby. Yes, the rooms are a bit old and dirty, but hospital rooms in general are dirty. Heather, I gave birth at Alta Bates this past May, and felt very good about the nurses and the facilities there. The first time, I was two weeks overdue and had lots of stress tests and scans for amniotic fluid levels before they would induce me. If you are there for a while and able to walk around, there is also a garden you can visit off of the L&D floor. I had a long labor so went through 4 shifts of L&Dnurses and I can say they were all great. I had a great birth experience -- both times! I'm looking for recent birth experiences atAlta Bates, and I'd really love some reviews of Dr. Madhavan. I can certainly say that my experiences at UCSF were amazing and I highly recommend UCSF to women in the Bay Area seeking a natural delivery in a hospital setting. The evaluation of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Berkeley also includes data from Alta Bates . What type of care do you need? Thanks so much for helping out a hapless foreigner. Good luck! Once I was in surgery, baby was born in 7 mins. As much as I didn't want a c-section, we found out during the surgery that the umbilical cord was wrapped around both baby's arms like suspenders, so there was no way she was coming out naturally, and it also explains why the pain was so intense, but yet, no progress was made. You are also very likely (though not guaranteed) to be able to deliver with a midwife when you go into labor. Luckily my insurance covered the astronomical cost. 3) I had the intention of having a natural childbirth, but ended up having the epidural. So apart from the L nurse and the OB on duty, I felt really good having my baby there, especially since they have one of the best NICU in the state, in case something goes wrong - and a healthy living baby is much more important than a nice nurse at L Anne. The labor and delivery rooms are run down, small, and grimy. He was condecending. I wish you luck in your decisions. - been there and loved it, I recently gave birth at Alta Bates (8-27-05) and found it to be an excellent experience. But keep in mind that unlike a doula that is there the whole time w/ you, if you're in labor for a long time the nurses will change shift to shift. Just a suboptimal experience. good luck doulas are worth every penny, Yes, you can have a positive, drug-free birth at Alta Bates without a doula or midwife - I've had two of them, the most recent just in September 2005. We woke up at sunrise to see a panorama including both bridges. I have been with Kaiser for almost 60 years. The stories on the Website are almost all from 1998 and previous. The hospital and especially (I think) any in the bay area is not going to make you take anything you don't want to. I had my son nearly there three years ago, and I just had another baby at Summit. I don't know. I just want to supply a positive Alta Bates experience. Throughout the entire experience (He was there for 6 weeks), I didn't once feel as if his or my health was at risk. Copyright 2023 Sutter Health. (All the Oakland and Richmond maternity patients go there). The labor and delivery nurses especially were helpful and terrific. We had a fantastic nurse who was just wonderful with my daughter. The hospital's policies seem pretty liberal as far as letting you walk around, labor in different positions, have music in the room, turn the lights down, and otherwise chart your own course. Their blankets are thin and pillows are flat/lumpy. Obviously,nice is so relative. If you can't afford a doula, make sure you're very clear when you arrive at Alta Bates that you want a nurse assigned to you who likes working with natural delivery.
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