Since my daughter was born in the UK, I really have no idea about the best labor and delivery hospitals in Baltimore. So, I started with my playgroup to find out about some of the most common hospitals downtown moms choose—Johns Hopkins, GBMC, Mercy, and St. Joseph’s—and was surprised to find that pretty much everybody was happy with their birth experience, and all either were returning or planned to return should the time come.
Part 1 of this series (Johns Hopkins) begins here, and Part 2 (GBMC) continues here.
Mercy
I spoke with two people about Mercy and reviews ranged from the lukewarm to the exuberant, though both said they would return a second time.
Pros included the downtown location, the excellent labor and delivery nurses, and in one case, a wonderful NICU staff.
“I had a wonderful experience with the labor and delivery nurses. However, once I had Ella, I did not have such a great experience, and Ella ultimately ended up in the NICU. The NICU was wonderful. I cannot say enough about how great the NICU nurses treated us,” says Kristin Lesniewski, who delivered her daughter there in November 2007.
Erin Karpewicz, who also delivered daughter Ava at Mercy in November 2007 listed among its assets “great labor and delivery accommodations, including one room with a whirlpool if you want to do a water bath. They also have a midwifery practice there and encourage a child-centered birthing experience, breastfeeding, etc.”
Cons included a less-than-helpful postpartum staff and spare recovery rooms.
“The maternity ward accommodations were pretty sparse, but I didn’t really have time to notice. The lactation specialist they have that comes around and helps you is really great, though,” Karpewicz said.
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Read Part 1 (Johns Hopkins) here, Part 2 (GBMC) here, and stay tuned for Part 4 (St. Joseph’s) on Friday.
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