I am 19 weeks based on my EDD; (could be up to a week further along according to the sonographer who did my nuchal translucency scan) .
I cannot stand my stand the current clinic I am with. Considering I am paying a hell of a lot more than I did in HK, the standard of care and level of courtesy I have received from this place is horrendous. The receptionist are rude and the nurses spends more time gossiping than doing their jobs. I have met 3 of the 4 doctors at the clinic because the person on duty when I go into labour will be delivering my baby (YES YOU CANNOT CHOOSE). One looked and sounded like she was on weeds, the next one I saw for about 30 seconds who did not offer a scan but put a doppler on my belly and then left and finally the last one had the bedside manners of a SKUNK!
I am not a difficult patient and am fairly easy going, very low risk. I would like to think I am a model patient. I don’t question doctors on their judgement, show up early for my appointments and am polite to everyone in the clinic. Argh, I miss Dr. Hon and nurse Cody!
Mr. P suggested that we switch doctors. So yesterday I found myself on the wrong side of town in a basement office of a new obgyn. I was suitably underwhelm as I stood at door to the office, once inside however the difference with my first clinic was stark. The receptionist is friendly, nurses are warm and the obgyn, a real gem.
The only hiccup with switching doctors is that the new obgyn delivers only at Lenox Hill hospital which unfortunately does not have all private post-partum suites. My insurance does not cover private rooms unless of course I am put in there if they ran out of semi-private rooms. This is a nightmare given that C was born in Hotel Matilda Hospital where there is all-day room service dining. It costs USD 500 a night for a private room. I may as well book myself 2 nights at the Peninsula or some other fancy hotel at the price!!
Here’s the dilemma, choose the doctor or choose the hospital (not that NYU Langone is that much better)?
Modern Nomads 
Choose the doctor…
Yeah, that’s what we will be doing.
A pleasant nice doctor over a fancy hospital room any day! That is of course if you could afford both, the better.
I gave birth in a public hospital here in OZ as at that time i didn’t have private health insurance. I also don’t get a particular OBGYN and only saw midwives (many of them as they go by whoever was on duty that day) for my prenatal check-ups but they were brilliant and friendly. I did ended up getting a room with only me and that’s only because I was a C-sec patient (normal v delivery get to share with 3 other mothers). Even having a room all to myself, it was a normal room nothing fancy about it but the midwives and doctors on duty were so fantastic and I was made to feel very special. So yes, definitely a friendly human over a fancy room. lol
I am hoping for another easy birth which would mean a 2 night stay, so I am not too fussed with the hospital. Happy to be checked into a nice hotel down the road if needed! Hah!
If I had to pick between the two, I would choose doctor, but honestly though, NYU is big and has a lot of choices in terms of ob. I think there’s probably an ob you would like that’s affiliated with NYU. Can you ask around for recommendations?
by the way I remember touring the maternity wards in the closest hospitals near me, chose the best hospital, and asked for recommendations of an ob affiliated at that hospital. I asked ppl I know but I found the nurses in the maternity ward to be extremely helpful. check for maternity ward tours including cornell and maybe Columbia if it’s not too far, and ask a nurse there for recommendations.
Thanks for the tip; unfortunately we are slightly over the half way mark, I don’t think I will be looking around anymore 🙂