Maryland Hospital Recommendations

[RangerPooh]

We are relocating to Charles County Maryland (Waldorf area) in less than a month and are wondering what hospitals have good birthing centers? We're looking for private birthing suites, partner accomodations (pull out couch kind of thing, NOT floor), and have an over all pleasant environment. So far we haven't found anything in the area that sounds very appealing. Anything within a hour drive is ok.

Not to sound snobby but our last birthing center was wonderful! It was brand new, had a pull out couch for daddy to sleep on, whirlpool tubs, private suites, etc. So we're slightly nervious about our upcoming relocation.

 

[Bea]

We used to live in Waldorf and I had one of my daughters there. We had her at Southern Maryland Hospital, in Clinton. Maybe 15 minutes up the highway from Waldorf. I had a great experience there.

My OB was Dr. Braithwaite and she was amazing and worked out of that hospital but her office was in Waldorf. If you are looking for a dr, I would give her a call, you won't be dissapointed.

 

[Christine]

Many people in Southern Maryland go north into the city for birthing centers. I used to live in Clinton but had my daughter in DC. I know very few people that want to use the hospitals there but, as Bea posted, you can probably have a good experience there. Most birthing areas of hospitals are happy places and are pretty nice.

 

[RangerPooh]

Thanks for the responses.

 

[disney1990]

I highly recommend Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.

 

[Christine]

This issue, of course, is finding an OB in Southern Maryland who also practices in those "up north" hospitals. While it's all well and good to pick a great birthing center that's up to an hour from your home, who wants to make all those long-distance OB visits. Knowing that, many OBs in Southern Maryland affiliate themselves with these hospitals. Some go into DC, some go into Alexandria hospitals. Something you want to think about when you are checking into different doctors.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'm also open to looking for OBs up north. With our 1st pregnancy both the hospital and doctors office were located an hour away form us, so we don't mind having to drive to them.

 

[justhat]

I live in DC so I can't really help, but I will say that with my 1st kid, an hour's drive to the hospital would have been fine. With my 2nd, he was born 1 hour and 14 minutes after I got to the hospital! An hour's drive with him and he would have been born in the car cause he was born at 10:03am on a Friday morning so I would have been driving in rush hour traffic, so likely longer than an hour. Oh, and I didn't really wait to go to the hospital, my labor just picked up FAST and out he came!

 

[LaraK]

I had both of mine at Anne Arundel Medical center (which was fine, but not as fancy as you're discussing). Just be aware that traffic here can be brutal...what's an hour one day could be two and a half to three on another. For example, I lived in fear that I'd go into labor on a Friday night....NOT a good time to drive through Annapolis in the summer. (both my babies are July babies)

 

[RangerPooh]

I can understand being a fast deliverer. With DD2 I went from 3-10 in less than an hour and didn't even know it. I was lucky that I had already been admitted. So the local hospital will be a backup just in case. But I've also been induced due to complications and a stubborn baby, so anything is possible.