In honor of Cesarean Awareness Month. I would like to highlight the importance of choosing your birth location carefully.
In this specific case I am talking about choosing between two hospitals. There are differences in hospitals and their policies and it can have a big impact on avoiding a cesarean!
I actually have quite a few hospitals that moms can birth at in my area.
But to simplify things, I am going to look at just 2: Hoag and Saddleback.
I would say they service the same type of women. Middle – Upper Class Orange County Moms.
They are both nice/comparable facilities. Here are the most obvious differences a mom would notice on the tour.
Hoag might “look prettier” and they get a steak dinner the night after the birth.
Saddleback has Telemetric monitoring, so a mom can walk the halls and get in the tub and still be monitored.
But the biggest differences lie in their cesarean rates from 2008.
Hoag’s cesarean rate is 37% and Saddleback’s cesarean rate is 30%
Interesting enough I just got something in the mail from Hoag about the courses they offer.
What Women Should Know About Elective C-Sections
Saddleback not surprisingly has a
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Class
Their VBAC rates from 2007 is not surprising.
Hoag’s VBAC rate is 3.7% Saddleback’s VBAC rate is 15.9%
Needless to say, when a mom asks me where the best place to birth is, I recommend Saddleback. I share the statistics and the experiences I have had as a doula and from the birth stories I have heard my students share.
Tomorrow I will share the Tale of Two Moms. 1 birthed at Saddleback and 1 birthed at Hoag.
Pingback: The Tale of 2 OC Moms – Your Birth Location Matters! « Enjoy Birth Blog
Is it me, or does the “what women should know about elective c-sections” link not work properly?
Here is a link. http://sfnet.ehoag.org/ServiceSearch.asp Then search for What Women Should Know About Elective Cesareans (last one on the list) and click search. The info will come up.
Hoag also has a 98% epidural rate! Bleh!
I am an RN at Hoag Labor and Delivery, and our patients are all educated individuals, no one forces them get an epidural. They choose to get an epidural. It is their right to choose their birth experience. I support their choice, epidural or natural. If someone asks my opinion on elective inductions or elective c-sections, I discourage them on both. We also have a very impatient society and a very scheduled society that likes to know where when and how something will happen. Doesn’t work that well for waiting for your body and baby to be ready.
Kathy
I am also an RN at Hoag in Labor and Delivery. In no way, shape or form are epidurals pushed on any patient. Patients make their own, educated, decision on whether they would like an epidural or not. Often times, I see patients who come in with a doula who end up with an epidural. What are the statistics on that? Hoag does double the deliveries that Saddleback does, so it makes sense that our c section rate is higher. Do you tell your followers that most of those are repeat c sections by patients who were offered a TOLAC? Or that some of those are emergency c sections, in an attempt to save the life of the baby or mother? I think it is unfair for you to degrade Hoag just because you prefer Saddleback. I am sure Saddleback is a nice facility with great amenities, but so is Hoag.
I actually really like Hoag as well. It is a great hospital. I wish there were more up to date statistics and more information to share with moms about different hospitals. I know in many hospitals even Saddleback not all OBs offer TOLAC. It is hard to find an OB who will support that. If you want to share OBs at Hoag that truly support VBAC I would love to know their names. That would be great!
I don’t think double the deliveries would change the cesarean statistic rate as it is a saying the percentage of patients that are having cesareans.
So if Saddleback had 100 patients – 30 would have a cesarean. If they had 200 patients – 60 would have a cesarean
If Hoag had 100 patients 37 would have a cesarean. If they had 200 patients – 74 would have a cesarean
So that doesn’t explain why your c-section rate is higher.
Of course some are emergency cesareans. Some may be moms who have chosen elective cesareans. But the statistics say a higher percentage of moms at Hoag are getting cesareans. There are so many factors that may play into this.
I support my doula clients in their decisions, if they want an epidural that is fine. Honestly I imagine your epidural rate is probably the same as any other hospital in the area.
It is true that many moms are not patient in waiting for their babies, I wish more were. Sometimes it is the OB who is pressuring moms into inductions as well.
I had my second one at Hoag with a C-section. My OB is not comfortable with the idea of a VBAC. I am not pregnant yet, only doing research. Although I had great care at Hoag, I struggled with the recovery aspect of the C-section for months. My first birth was vaginal and I would like my 3rd and last to be vaginal as well. Has there been an update on VBAC friendly docs in my area (Irvine-Newport)?