Stories from 2009

Hi there, My husband and I just moved to the East Bay (El Cerrito) and must quickly find a new OBGYN/hospital for our first baby, due in April. (We were previously at UCSF, which we loved.) We're thinking of Alta Bates. Does anyone have any experiences/recommendations with this hospital they can share for doctors, midwives etc? Or any other recs re: OBGYN facilities near our area? Thanks very much, Julia

Re: Midwife, Doula, Hospital for Single Mom
Hi, I am a single mom (donor insemination) and I had a very good experience delivering at Alta Bates hospital. I had a natural childbirth and the nurses there were very supportive. Whether you get a private room post-partum just depends on how busy they are. I believe they try to put everyone in a private room if possible. My doctor was Debra Levinsky and she was great overall. My method of conception or marital status was never an issue for her. If you want a midwife, the most recommended ones at Alta Bates are Lindy Johnson and Hsiu-li Cheng. I do not have personal experience with them. My doula, Tomi Knutson, was great too. She was extremely reliable and very open to the possibility that she might be the only support person at the birth. I don't know if she's taking clients right now, but you can call her at 510-502-5799. Feel free to email me with any questions. Best wishes! malynda

I am interested in a water birth or at least the possibility of laboring in water. I've heard that Alta Bates has jacuzzi rooms, but I wonder how likely it is that I'd actually get to use it. Can anyone share their experiences at Alta Bates? My OBGYN is Christine Lee, if that matters. Thanks! Hoping to labor in water

Three important things to know about the jacuzzis there - 1 - If your water has broken they will not let you sit in the jacuzzi tub as there is a chance for infection. So, you can use the shower then, but not sit in water in the tub.

2 - If you have any intervention - IV, fetal monitor, etc - you can not be in the tub. The nurse was not initially satisfied with my baby's heart rate fluctuations and I had to wait until she got results she liked before I could remove the monitor and enter the tub.

3 - You can not deliver in the tub. When you start to have a strong urge to push you will need to get out of the tub as they do not support delivering in the tub.

Keep in mind if your circumstance don't allow entry to the jacuzzi, you can find great relief and relaxation from the shower, too. I did not labor for long at the hospital, but at home, I spent an hour or more in the shower and it was fantastic. Becky

As one other person already responded, they won't let you use a tub at all if your water has already broken or if you need internal monitoring due to potential infection. Best of luck whatever you decide! -- water broke so no tub for me!

Stories from 2008

Now in my fifth month of my pregnancy, due to employment issues I've just switched insurance providers (ultimately a good thing!), but come to find out this new HMO doesn't cover the CNM I've been seeing. Or, seemingly, any CNM in the east bay. My first pregnancy was with a midwife at a birth center, but that was in SF, and I'm over here now. I've accepted giving birth at Alta Bates, but was hoping to do so in the care of a midwife. I'm still looking into ways to get midwife care covered with my HMO, failing that, I'm ok with switching providers, but nervous at the prospect of moving to a traditional obstetrician. So I'm curious if anyone has experience with an OB who is encouraging of natural childbirth, and supportive of things like alternate birthing positions, intermittent monitoring and water birth? Any suggestions are appreciated. New to Docs

Stories from 2007

Can anyone share their recent experiences with childbirth at Alta Bates or Summit? I am moving to the area and need to pick a hospital. Alta Bates has been recommended but you have to share the postpartum recovery room. Any ideas on how much it cost to get a private room and if you can get one if requested? What are my alternatives. I will be moving to Piedmont and want something within 20 minutes. Thanks Maisy Renuka

My one bad experience, which was more far-reaching than all the more numerous nice experiences, was that the lactation consultant was HORRIBLE (and mean to me). I was having some problems, but the advice she gave me basically made it impossible for me to fix the problems and my baby never did breastfeed as a result! And numerous things she did were directly contrary to everything I'd read and advice I'd gotten beforehand (which should have set off warning bells, but frankly just after giving birth, with your first child to boot, you don't really have any bells left). I've heard other people have had problems with the lactation consultants at Alta Bates, so if things are a little rough to begin with -- regardless of whether you do choose to consult the hospital consultant -- go to a support group/la leche league AND contact your pediatrician or a consultant you trust right away. I was lucky that my pediatrician was persistent in checking up regarding the nursing, or I could have also lost my milk supply by following the lactation consultant's advice. (I would generally recommend getting different opinions -- the best I got was from my mother, which I promptly ignored because she wasn't a professional! And also try to keep a high level of skepticism for any advice where you don't keep putting the baby directly to the breast or where you give her a bottle) Elizabeth

Stories from 2005

I'm expecting my second child in 2006 and wondered what people who have given birth recently at Alta-Bates Berkeley think of the care they received there. Are the nurses nice? Also, in a post from many years ago someone complained about the nursery security not being so hot. Did recent patients find that to be true as well? I gave birth to my first child at UCSF, where I loved the nurses, anesthesiologists, doctors, security measures at the nursery, etc. Even the view from the hospital room was gorgeous! So I'm wondering if any East Bay hosptial will be a letdown after that! Thanks for the info.

My doula played a very low-key role and was not really in an advocacy role as much as a support for my other support people. That said, I think the hospital is very open to doulas, but you certainly don't need one to feel supported and unpressured. What you do need, however, is an open mind because you never know what is going to happen and how you will feel about it then. If you go in expecting things to go a certain way you will most likely be in for a surprise.

Regarding the security of the nursery, we can't really speak to that. My husband was with the baby for his first check-up. We never left the baby in the nursery by himself. It did seem secure, though. Good luck! Amber

I would NOT recommend going to a hospital for a natural birth without a doula and I am an RN, I know the system and I know what I can refuse, put-off and accept. Hospitals don't intimidate me.

A doula will be with you and work with you through the birth and they will help you look after your interests. Hospital staff work for the hospital so they have a different agenda and different priorities. You can't expect them to be with you the whole time and you can't predict what kind of personalities you're going to run into. Also staff generally changes every 8 hours so even if you have someone you like at the beginning, they probably won't be there the whole time. That being said, you can decrease your chances of medical intervention by going late. They say when contractions are 3 to 5 minutes apart - err on the side of 3 not 5 - and your contractions are intense enough that you have to stop what you're doing and maybe even can't speak through them. If you are in the hospital and your having pain. If you really do not want pain meds, don't tell people you have pain unless you have an idea of what else they can do for you - rub your back, help you focus/ breathe.

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. good luck doulas are worth every penny

The staff at Alta Bates is very competent. But if something goes wrong, their goal is to ensure you and the baby make it through. Our doula's goal was to help me meet my birthing goals, as long as the baby and I were in no danger. Our doula, Judy Ballinger, was wonderful, and her presence is the reason I was able to avoid a C-section or pain meds. She is a nurse and she's trained in acupressure. We found her AFTER our birthing classes, when I was about 32 weeks or so. So it's not too late!

Her website is http://www.doulaplusacupressure.com/pages/1/ Grateful for my doula

About Doulas q I had one and it was SO SO SO important to having a great birth experience. Its one of the reasons I felt so taken care of. I would recommend having a doula to everyone. If your concern is cost, I hear there are doula training programs where you can get a lower cost doula in training. Im not sure how much the doulas in your research are charging for, and we are on a tight budget, but I think it was the best $750 we spent. Happy birthing! anon

All of the other nurses were great, I had a completely natural childbirth and, though I did have a doula, she in no way had to push for me not to have interventions, I think the medical staff there are perfectly used to laboring moms requesting natural child-birth, so if that's what you want, you shouldn't have any problems. Best of luck Alesia

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse asked me if I wanted any pain intervention. When I declined, she said that the nurses would not ask me again, and that if I changed my mind, I would have to ask for meds. To me, this meant, ''We'll go along with what you want'', and I found that comforting.

Later in the labor, my daughter's heart rate dropped enough that I was given (with my permission) an internal monitor (rather than over my tummy, the monitor is inserted vaginally- much more accurate).

Twice more, her heart rate dropped to the point that the OB on call had the OR ready for a C-section. Luckily for me, things stabilized, I was able to go off the Pitocin as my body kicked into labor on it's own (thank goodness!), and twelve hours later, my beautiful baby was born medication-free.

I found the nurses (especially the post partum nurses) to be fantastic. Good luck! kris

The second poster asked specifically about her chance of having a natural birth at Alta Bates without a doula. I can't say, because I delivered my son naturally with the help of a wonderful doula, Treesa Mclean, and it was worth every penny. More than the hospital, though, it seems to be that achieving a natural birth might have a lot to do with your doctor or midwife, plus the luck of the draw as far as your particular set of circumstances.

I also posted about my birth experience (as New Mama) in this very newsletter under the heading ''Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health.'' nicole

Post-care was hit or miss. Once i went to my own room, some of the nurses were great, and one was not good at all. The food was absolutely horrible. Have your visitors stop at whole foods before they come over to bring you and your partner something good to eat.

The nursery - they only bring babies there if there's something going on that they need to monitor. my baby had to go there for half a day or so. there were only a couple other babies there, and the nurses were awesome. security seemed really tight, as only my husband and i were allowed in. They kept baby there longer than i would have wanted, but it really was ok. Though i have nothing to compare the experience to, i'd recommend alta bates fully. it was great.

One of my birthing ladies this year actually went for the epidural and after the fact she regretted it. She felt strongly in retrospect that she was unable to push effectively because she couldn't feel her contractions. She was actually asking the midwife when to push, and we were all watching the monitor to see when she was contracting, and giving her cues. The doctors seemed to be anxious to give her a cesarian section, but the midwives resisted adamantly. It was the support of the birth team of midwives, doula, gifted nurses and relatives that kept the birth vaginal. Go figure. I think she's going for a homebirth next time. a devoted doula

I'm planning to deliver my first baby at Alta Bates in December, and would like updated reviews of birth experiences there. I'm specifically interested in hearing from women who preferred (and hopefully had) minimal medical intervention in their labor. Was the staff okay to deal with when intervention was declined? Overall, is Alta Bates a nice place to have a ''natural'' birth? Thank you for sharing your experiences. An excited soon-to-be Mama

My experience at Alta Bates was a good one. It did not feel like a baby factory. My room was quiet and peaceful, and the nurses we had were extremely experienced, supportive and helpful. Here's my experience:

1) Everything went well until the last 5 minutes of pushing so I was tremendously relieved to be a hospital setting and have the my newborn receive the kind of care he did.

2) They tell you that if you don't like the nurse you have, you can request another one. You shouldn't have to stress about dealing with that, so be sure you and your partner have an understanding ahead of time that he/she is to be your advocate and deal with this sort of situation if it arrises. Or have a doula there who will make sure that your wishes are followed and to be a buffer.

3) I had the intention of having a natural childbirth, but ended up having the epidural. I hadn't slept for days having had pre-labor at home. I was exhausted and the pain was overwhelming. You may have the most thorough birthplan in the world, but what it comes down to is that no one knows what your particular labor is going to be like and you have to be flexible. I was glad that I had the option to deviate from my original plans and have the epdiural. There was no pressure to have one, it was my decision. In the end I think it allowed me to rest to go through hours of pushing, and to have the energy to continue and not use the forceps like the doctor was suggesting. The nurse supported my choice not to use the forceps and encouraged me to try longer. In short, although it was my plan not to have an epidural, in the end I was glad I was at a place where the option was there just in case.

4) It was nice to be in the hospital after the birth. The nurse we had for the post-delivery part was great, had tons of advice, and was very attentive and gentle with our son. It was so nice to be in that hospital bed that you could adjust, to have food brought to you and someone there helping you change diapers and learn to breastfeed. I didn't want to go home for a couple of days.

5) Some of the nurses we had have been doing it for more than 20 years and have probably seen thousands of babies, but yet they still treated the birth like the momentous occasion it was and our son like the unique and special being that he is. anon

A few random tips: The later you show up at the hospital, the less likely you are to have an intervention. The staff is there for you, if you decline an intervention, don't let them pressure you into changing their mind (the staff's priorities and your priorities don't always match, it's that way at any hospital). Hire a doula, someone who has been there before and is 100% on your side. Take some childbirth prep classes (including a hospital tour) so you know what to expect.

Alta Bates was a wonderful hospital, and they respected my and my husband's wishes and I had a vaginal birth with no pain medication which is what I wanted. The entire staff in the birthing room was great, except for one nurse, but I just ignored her and focused on the people I respected and/or loved. I had all these plans, but when the time came to get the baby out, all those plans went out the window and all I did was give birth, and I didn't give a hoot who was there or what they were doing. It was just me and the baby; it was really an amazing experience - my body just took over.

The important thing to remember is that you will be giving birth in a hospital, and if they have to do a 'medical intervention' they will. The hospital is there to help you have a living baby!! The hospital and especially (I think) any in the bay area is not going to make you take anything you don't want to. Sure, some of the staff may suggest strongly, and say ''when I had my baby...'' but this is when your birth partner is supposed to step in and reiterate in a clear and straightforward way that you do not want this or that. You can also ask the staff NOT to suggest any medication (or whatever) to you.

And in the end, it doesn;t matter how your baby comes out - the important thing is that you get to hold this child you've been waiting a long time to see.

My favorite book was one composed solely of birthstories. I can't think of the name right now, but I loved it. It showed me that you can prepare for a birth but not plan it.... Good luck with everything

What really convinced me that it was truly time for the C-section was the nurses. For three days they were positive and very encouraging, letting me know they supported me and thought I was a trooper (if not a little insane and a lot stubborn). But in those minutes after the drug was introduced I saw their faces and actions completely change, and I trusted their reactions since they had been working with me all along (unlike the doctors who jumped to C-section at the first sign of anything astray from smooth). So... I didn't have the birth experience I wanted, but in retrospect I got to try very hard to achieve what I wanted, and I truly feel those nurses helped me as much as they could. FYI, my son's head (and body) were ENORMOUS, so the C-section was the right call all along. anon

At first I was paired with a nurse who specializes in drug-free deliveries but when I changed my mind she switched with someone else, which was fine with me. It's a good hospital for natural deliveries, I have lots of friends who had no drugs there.

All the nurses were great. My son had a short stay in the NICU and while of course I would not wish that on anyone, I cannot speak highly enough of the nursing staff there. They were incredibly sensitive and caring.

My big gripe with Alta Bates is their billing department. Thirteen months later and I am still dealing with bills! Best of luck. AB mama

When the labor was in the active pushing stages, the nurses were extremely caring, helpful, and supportive--I really feel they went the extra mile to help us have the natural birth that we wanted.

I also heard that they have new delivery room with bathtubs with jazcuzzi, which weren't quite ready when we were there. Best of luck to you. Lucie

They routinely do IVs and add pitocin after delivery. Both of these can be waived by signing a form. It was helpful for us to think these decisions through ahead of time.

I found a wide range of quality amongst the nurses, but ended up with an incredibly helpful and reassuring nurse for the delivery. You can always ask for a new nurse if you are not comfortable with the one assigned.

My baby's birth was one of the most incredible moments of my life. I wish you luck in your decisions. Laura

As for invasive postpartum interventions - they insisted on taking blood from my son every hour by cutting his heel with a razor blade (because he was over 9 lbs. - low blood sugar is the concern). I was able to stop this by agreeing to watch for the symptoms myself. I may have had to sign something. As soon as we could we asked to leave and then it took them 3 hours to find a wheelchair! I swore I'd never go back to Alta Bates.

Hope this helps you be prepared. Barb

I recently gave birth to my first child at Alta Bates on May 4th. I wanted a completely natural childbirth, no interventions, no drugs and that's exactly what I had.

I believe that I had the birthing experience I wanted because I labored at home as long as possiible. I was fortunate and had a short labor, I started regular contractions around 5pm, we made one trip to Alta Bates at 7pm where we were told I was in early labor and we could stay there and walk around, come back in an hour and get checked OR we could go home. I knew that I wanted to labor at home as long as possible, so we went back to our house. I labored there until about 11:30pm, it was HARD getting back in the car but we did it and made it to Alta Bates around midnight. Our baby was born at 1:11am.

When we got into the delivery room one of the nurses tried to give me an IV, when we were told on the tour that IV's are not standard practice. 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.

The nurses were all WONDERFUL, the ones during delivery were great and the nurses who look after you after delivery too. We were planning on staying at the hospital for only one night but the nurses were so great and it was nice having your meals brought to you and nice having a bed that went up and down so I didn't have to get out of bed to nurse and sleep we ended up staying 2 nights!

I highly recommend taking the birthing class that Alta Bates offers. If you have any more questions please feel free to email me. Good luck!! cathy

My husband feels the same and he too felt well-taken care of when he was ''freaking out'' (his words). The staff kept him well-informed and even kepy my parents well- informed, who, unbeknownst to me were just outside my door. Word to the wise: do have some good long talks with your insurance company before delivery. I'm covered by a PPO plan and while the hospital itself was fully covered for both me and the baby, many of the caregivers (such as the neonatologists) contract separately and we are still receiving bills that we're partially responsible for. The post-partum nurses were great (I was on the 4thfloor, near the NICU) and EVERYONE encouraged breastfeeding, pumping breastmilk, and rooming-in with the baby. Overall, despite the fact that I ended up with an emergency C and a baby in the NICU for three days, when all was going great for the first 16 or so hours, I'd recommend Alta Bates as a good place to give birth. We are healthy and terrifically bonded and frankly that's all that matters, IMHO. I'm sure you'll get lots of different responses-- just as many different opinions as there are births! Good luck and enjoy your baby! Alta Bates is a-okay

I also had good feelings about Alta Bates in general. The year before I had major abdominal surgery there to remove fibroids that were preventing me from getting pregnant. I was very pleased with the care I received and that made me feel relaxed and confident once I reached the hospital to deliver.

We also had a doula. That helped my husband a lot to have another person to advocate for us during delivery. The nurses and doctors were great in interacting with the doula. I was able to to do whatever made me feel better during the delivery. It did not hurt as much as I had expected and I never really felt the need for pain medication. The pain relievers your body produces are amazing. The main thing that helped me was being relaxed and confident that I was receiving good care. That allowed me to focus on the birth experience. Good Luck to You! Julie

After several impersonal, extremely short visits with my OB during my 3rd pregnancy, I decided to transfer my care to The Birth Home in Pleasanton. It was our last pregnancy, and I wanted more nurturing care. I worried beforehand about transfering care, driving to Pleasanton for appts, etc. but these turned out to be non-issues. The prenatal care was extremely personal and caring, provided by highly skilled staff, and the birth experience was amazing and beautiful. Our insurance even covered the birth there.

When I arrived in labor at 2:30 in the morning, we were greeted with soft candlelight, beautiful music, and open arms. The Birth Home is a truly wonderful place and we had an amazing experience. If you have the opportunity you should check out the Birth Home (they have tours every Saturday). http://www.thebirthhome.com Good luck! happy mother of three

Recuperating, I was very happy with my experience with my first daughter but quite unhappy last time around. The difference? Nursing care. With my first child I was assigned a team of 2 nurses, one to take care of the baby and one to take care of me. The nurses made frequent visits to my room, they taught DH how to change diapers, they helped with brestfeeding and pumping, helped me get out of bed (after a c-section), encouraged me to walk, etc. This time around we only had 1 nurse which I only saw at the beginning of her shift. Half the time she'd pay no attention to the baby, they never changed a diaper, barely helped with anything and we had to be on top of my medical problems (rising blood pressure and intense pain). Some of the nurses were the same, but obviously they are much busier and are looking after many more patients now. I won't have another child, but if I did, it wouldn't be at Alta Bates. anon

As info, I delivered my first child (in 2001) at Mills Peninsula in Burlingame so I have a basis for comparison with another hospital. That experience was not at all what I expected (4 days of false, but very painful! labor, then pitocin, then epidural, but 15 mins of pushing so it all worked out fine in the end), but, in my opinion, the nurses, doctor and hospital were far superior to Alta Bates. I delivered my second child (in 2003) at Alta Bates and while it was a relatively quick, natural birth with no interventions (just what I wanted), it was a chaotic mess! Fortunately I had a doula who got me through it all (I would STRONGLY suggest you have a doula at Alta Bates). I arrived at 8 centimeters dialated (I had nightmares of being in labor for days and told to go home like last time so I probably waited longer than necessary!). In any case, the staff seemed completely incapable of dealing with a quick (from their perspective) labor and delivery. I arrived at 11:35pm and he was born at 12:02am. I remember laying in the bed during transition (in a bit of pain thank you very much!) watching not less than 8 people scurry around like chickens with their heads cut off and thinking - HELLO I'm having a baby here, does anybody care? Three different people came up to me and said that they would help until my nurse got there, she never did as best I can tell. I think it was a candy striper who tried to put the IV in (after several pokes it finally just fell out and my doula got it through to them that I had been drinking water and was hydrated enough to do without). Given the number of births at Alta Bates I was rather shocked that they could not deal with a quick L&D - maybe the night staff is not as well trained?? Who knows but they did insist I get up right away and of course I fainted (luckily my husband was there to catch me before I hit the floor!). Then since the baby was large, he needed glucose testing and the same blankity-blank person who couldn't do an IV, stuck him twice and couldn't get a proper blood sample which then turned into a battle because I wouldn't let her touch the baby again! Finally they got someone else who did it properly. But overall, it was not a particulary fun night.

The care after the birth was okay (we got a private room thank goodness or I can't imagine what that would have been like). Overall, and certainly in comparison to Mills Peninsula where you labor, deliver and recover all in one private room, it just did not impress me as a very good hospital. If I were having another baby, it would not be at Alta Bates.

Good Luck with your birth wherever you end up delivering... Not an Alta Bates fan

My OB insists that her practice (Berkeley-Orinda Women's Health, sharing delivery call with ObGyn Fertility Group) doesn't have any hard and fast protocols regarding the timetable of labor and delivery. I asked specifically: 1) how long after my water breaks do you want to have the baby delivered, and 2) how long will you let me push? 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.''

Does anyone know if this can really be true? I will be giving birth at Alta Bates, and I suspect *they* must have timing protocols, even if these two offices don't.

All experiences and/or information welcome (about these specific practices or Alta Bates). I'm scared of getting caught in some doctor's perception of ''failure to progress'' where I end up being induced without a true need. Don't Want the Clock Ticking

With my second, I went into labor naturally after a rather intense office exam at 40 weeks - again, boy was I ready! - and while at the hospital, my labor dropped off a bit. They asked me if I'd like some pitocin to speed things back up, but I didn't feel pressured and I opted not to. Things sped back up on their own and I delivered within an hour of the question.

With my third I had prodomal labor and my labor stopped and started for days. But, again, no protocols and I delivered naturally.

I just want to point why there might be protocols. 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. The baby's head was well descended into the birth canal & the c-section was anything but straighforward. Lots of pushing, pulling & tugging - and the baby was severely distressed. The jury is still out on whether she'll be developmentally normal. So protocols develop for a reason. If at any time they'd told me my baby was in any distress I'd have done whatever they recommended. I think we get too focused on having our ideal labor experience rather than the healthy baby that should be the real focus. 3x mama

anxiety can be your worst enemy during labor and delivery, not that you shouldn't have any (not possible), but that your should feel psychologically comfortable enough so it doesn't take over. that being said, let me speak to your specific concerns. any specific time limits that you speak of for pushing and for labor after the water has broken would be dangerous if applied to everyone without regard to individual situations. many doctors get nervous if you are not fully dilated by 20 or 24 hours after the water has broken because of the danger of infection. so they take your temperature and maybe draw some blood to see if your white cell count is rising. if they want to induce or ''augment'' ask if there are signs of infection. you can always say no, you can always ask them to leave for a few minutes while you discuss it with your partner, doula etc. this goes for anything doctors want to do with patients in the hospital - theres lots of pressure to conform without questioning but you as the patient always have the final say.

the other question about pushing I found a little confusing - labor progresses while you're dilating. you don't push until you are fully dilated - they check you and tell you when you can push. if your labor goes on and on and it doesn't progress that means your dilating very slowly, they may think about augmentation (basically induction as far as I can tell except the labor has already started) but again there are other factors like your own comfort level, fatigue, and preferences. if you are very tense sometimes pain meds can help you relax and things move along, but sometimes they slow things down or stall the labor out.

if you push and push and the baby isn't coming, it may be the position of the baby or it stuck behind a bone. there are many low tech things you can do before and during labor to help things go smoothly. exercises, positions, breathing techniques, pressure points, pain control techniques (the book I mentioned has some good ones), etc. some of these are things you can learn from a doula. a doula can also help you make decisions in the hospital and make sure your wishes are respected - they do not make decisions for you but they might suggest some questions to ask if you are unsure about what to do. birth is very individual and there is no way to know ahead of time how things will go. you have to be flexible and let it happen - noone is in control of the process but your body knows what to do, trust it. ilona_who@yahoo.com

My water broke the morning of my due date. It was a mere trickle and I wasn't positive that it was my water. My midwife sent me to AB to get checked out... yes it was the water, no, I'm not having contractions and yes, the baby's heartrate is just fine! I'm convinced having a midwife made all the difference! I'm fairly sure that if I had stayed with my OB (from whom I switched 5 days before my due date!), my labor would have been induced with pitocin that day at AB. Instead, my midwife, Jeri Zukoski, told me to go home and make a special castor oil omlette the next morning. 2 hours after eating the omlette, the contractions began. Long story short, my son was born 41 hours after my water broke! Feel free to contact me. I'm skipping a lot of the details here. susan

>From what I hear, you're already ahead of the game by delivering at AB. They're very open to alternative deliveries. The epidural rate is less than half at AB compared to John Muir (90%!).

BTW, I'm hetero, so I can't address that part of your question. But the hospital staff was very kind and can't imagine them treating non-heteros any differently. Feel free to contact me. susan

Re: childbirth in San Francisco (Feb 2005)
I know you did not ask this directly, and you may already have a doula, but justed wanted to share from my 2 births at Alta Bates where my birth plan was similar as yours- no unnecessary interventions and preferably no drugs- there was a wide range of nurses present each with their own philosophy and ability to be respectful of my birth plan and I would not have been able to proceed the way I wanted (and no interventions became necessary)without the support and advocacy from my doula and also CNM-midwife. They were invaluable advocates and intermediaries to the hospital staff. also I found myself temporarily changing my mind about no drugs at a few moments and actually too late, and the doula helped me stay focused and knew how to differentiate that it was just at the moment and still overall not what I wanted and that I was managing well- plus it was too late; whereas I beleive some of the nurses would have conceded to my request as a matter of litigious obligation. Sorry I don't know about the hospitals in SF but juste wanted to share what helped me in having 2 hospital births in the ''manner'' which I chose.... Best wishes.... happy natural hospital birther

Stories from 2004

Delivering at Alta Bates without a doula

i'm hoping that i will be able to have a second natural delivery at alta bates and wondered what other people's experiences have been without the support of a doula or midwife. i had a fabulous doula the first time, which pretty much left the nurses with nothing to do but check my monitor readings. for financial reasons, i may have to forego a doula this time, which makes me a little nervous. there are some old postings about the pluses and minuses of alta bates nurses in the archive, but nothing recent. can i expect the alta bates nurses to massage my back, encourage unusual birthing poses, talk me through my contractions, etc as my doula had? anon

I would recommend being very vocal about your needs. They can bring a rocking chair into your room and can find a birthing ball also. One of the nurses that I had told me that they are especially eager to help women deliver without intervention. I was very pleased with the L&D nurses that I encountered. Good Luck. Joan

If you feel confident about your own knowledge and experience (I reread the book my natural birth method was based on before going into labor) then my guess is that you'll have a good experience unless you think your OB may be the problem. anonymous

Anyway, you should contact the L&D dept. at Alta Bates and inquire about the free doula program to see if it is still available. If you don't get one, rest assured that the nurses will take good care of you. mom of 2

All of those great things notwithstanding, I'll probalby hire a doula the next time around. I now know how important an excellent support person is, and I would be too nervous not to be so lucky again!

Someone has already given this suggestion, but I'll repeat it again, when you arrive, be clear about your hopes and desires and they will try to match a nurse that is experienced in providing this type of labor care. Good luck! Nina

Hi, I'm not familiar with Dr. Thomas, but did want to comment on natural birth at Alta Bates. I had my son nearly there three years ago, and I just had another baby at Summit. Both were drug-free deliveries, with two different OBs. In neither case did anyone pressure me AT ALL about having drugs; both docs and all the nurses were extremely supportive and didn't bring up drugs at all after I told them I didn't want any. They encouraged me to walk, move around, find any position comfortable throughout my labors (though frankly this ended up being mostly lying in bed because I hurt too much to move). At Summit, I noticed that in the bathroom of my delivery room there was a page posted on the door--apparently written by a Summit doc--that listed all the benefits of breastfeeding and was, at least to my ear, a bit of a rant against bottlefeeding. I had the sense I'd be severely lectured if I didn't breastfeed. So as far as being supported in your quest for a ''natural'' delivery, I'd say--don't worry about it. From what I've experienced, you'll be able to walk or squat or swing from a bar--pretty much whatever feels right to you. The nurses are kind people, and they don't seem to have any sort of agenda about drugs or getting you to assume some particular position. But don't be surprised if you get to the pushing stage and all you want to do is lie down! :-) Good luck. Drug-free mama

In planning for the birth, I had not really expected that a private room would be necessary - but after the long labor and the c-section, we splurged and asked for one. My husband was able to stay with me the whole time as a result on a fold out bed. That was a great comfort. Alta Bates also had a little fridge in the nurses lounge with juice and snacks, and my husband went in there often to get us small supplies. Over all, it was a very good experience. I hope that yours is as well. All the best! DM

Both times, however, I found the post-partum care to be pretty bad. The first time the night nurses were giving me all sorts of competing information about breastfeeding, which was extremely confusing for a new mother. Also, they left my IV in long after it should have been unhooked. The second time I had no IV, so that wasn't an issue. But there were no diapers or wipes on the cart and I had to go out to the nurse's station several times to request them. One nurse also spilled juice all over my floor the first night and despite my repeated calls, no one came to clean it up. So by the next morning I was tracking sticky juice all over the floor, which attracted dirt, which was just gross, given that I had just had a baby and wanted things to be clean. (Of course, the baby wasn't on the floor; it's just a psychological thing.) Also, someone took my ice pack away after a few hours and never replaced it with another, when I think the mom is supposed to use one for 24 hours.

That said, both times I had one post-partum nurse who was great, so I guess it's luck of the draw. And because the birth experiences were so lovely, I'd go there again in a heartbeat, but I'd bring diapers, wipes, a mop, ice packs, and maybe have my doula stop by for an extra visit to help with breastfeeding!

I had cord blood collected both times. The first time I had only just met the doctor minutes before the operation (Dr Rory), and I don't think he had collected cord blood before, but he read the instructions I provided and seemed to have no trouble. We did have to pack it up and call the courier ourselves, but we had no problem getting access to a phone. (Though Alta Bates did misplace the box it was supposed to go in, but after searching, they gave us another box, which was fine.) The second time it was done by my obstetrician, and we had discussed the collection in advance. In fact, since my son had some respiratory distress, and my husband spent several hours after the birth with him in NICU, my obstetrician himself packed up the cord blood in the box, put on the labels, and called the courier for me, while I was in recovery (which was very sweet of him.) It pays to educate yourself on how the collection is done and how to pack it up and send it, in case you need to tell the people at the hospital. I think there may be less cord blood to be collected after a Cesarean than a vaginal births, and also it varies from person to person. It's probably unrealistic to expect a specific amount.

I too recommend getting a private room, if possible. Otherwise maybe it's better to go home as soon as you can manage. The Alta Bates staff do come in to check you relatively often, and if there are more people in the room to check it makes even more disturbance while you are trying to recover. Although seeing a lactation consultant in the hospital can be helpful, I found I needed one much more after I got home and I had more milk and was nursing much more. (Meaning it can take a few days for problems like nipple soreness and clogged ducts to develop.) I advise collecting names of lactation consultations in advance of delivery so you have someone to call when you get home, and not just when you're in the hospital. Karen

Stories from 1999-2000

I am Kaiser patient also. My son was born in January of this year (1999). Because I am an Oakland Kaiser member I delivered at Alta Bates. (All the Oakland and Richmond maternity patients go there). I had a wonderful experiece (although it was not a wonderful labor.) 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. Based on my experience the complications of the merger between Alta Bates and Kaiser have been worked out. There were 19 babies born on the day shift alone while I was there, so it was a very busy ward. BUT I didnt' notice it at all. There was a nurse in my room with me the entire time, and all 4 of the nurses who cared for me were great. (I had my mother and my husband in the room with me for support, but found the nurses to be very helpful.) There were plenty of Kaiser residents on hand so whenever anything came up I had a dr in the room right away. I saw about 6 different residents, but was primarily cared for by one, who eventually ended up performing my c-section (with one of the Ob's from Oakland) and also doing all of my exams while I was in the hospital. I had never met him before, but I felt very comfortable with him, and by the time he checked me out (the following Sunday) we were joking around. He even knew my name and my baby's name and would say "Hi" to us when he ran into us walking the halls.

The after care experiece was good too. I did have to wait about 12 hours to get a single room (which I did pay extra for, Kaiser will only cover a double room.) because of the large number of babies born that week. But the nurses and the nurses assistants were generally very good. The hospital food wasn't that bad. And the visitation rules were not strictly enforced which was good for me. I never had any pressure put on me to check out early either. (The dr did tell me that since he, or another resident, was there 24 hrs a day I could check out anytime I was ready... even if it was the middle of the night.)

Overall, I would have to say that I was pleased with my experience. In Lamaze class the instructor joked that after a couple of hours in labor we wouldn't care who was in the room. I doubted it when she said it, but once everything started it was really true. Hope this helps.

I would suggest that you go to Alta Bates and take a tour of the facilities. Our experience there (last September) was fantastic! We took a childbirth education course there (4 weeks) which really helped us understand what to expect during the birthing process. Once we were admitted, the labor and delivery nurses were superb - caring, intelligent, sensitive and extremely good medical practitioners. The regular nursing staff in the recovery post-partum rooms were good, very attentive and supportive of breastfeeding, although much busier than the L&D nurses. (After all that one-to-one attention in delivery, it's a little hard to be one of many patients again...) Take the time to find the right practitioner first, and then discuss your options for hospitals. Best of Luck!!
Adriane