Pros: Location, good receptionists, Penn is a good hospital.
Cons: The actual midwives. They market themselves as supportive and nurturing, and in support of empowering women to make their own choices, including low intervention. In reality, they are a just cost-saving solution for the hospital. Once you are delivering, they rush you along, try to stress you out, and push unnecessary interventions on you because they want things to go faster. It is not a healthy environment or approach to birthing.
Especially terrible, Victoria Ferguson and Nancy Hazle. A couple of the others might be better, but you don't choose who is there when you deliver, so if you want to be treated with respect on the day of delivery, steer clear from this practice.
Pre-natal care was fine, and uneventful. I had a healthy pregnancy. Then, during my (healthy, uncomplicated) labor, Victoria kept angrily pacing in and out and telling me I was taking too long, yelling at me that the doctor won't be happy when he hears this baby isn't out yet, and telling me I better take Pitocin or the doctor will cut me. I did not take Pitocin, I did not get cut, I minded my business and had my (second) perfectly healthy baby with only a minor tear. But I did this through the nonstop aggressive and unprofessional behavior of a midwife who only cares about churning births out quickly for her doctor boss. I am in the medical field, so I knew my rights, as well as what was necessary and what was not. I could understand that her threats had no ground in true medical risk. Most patients do not have such a luxury, and I imagine would end up with an experience that leaves them with regret and more damage than necessary.
My baby was big and healthy and latched on right away. Victoria told a nurse to go get formula ready. I reminded her that I would be breastfeeding, and they tried to convince me that I "would not make enough" and "it's only colostrum." They tried to discourage me from planning to breastfeed exclusively. I insisted that I would, and this was my second baby. Victoria rolled her eyes and huffed away, making some comment about "let her do whatever she wants." This is not what I expected from a practice that says they support breastfeeding. If you have done any preparation, you know this is nonsense. Colostrum is exactly what a newborn needs, and most women do make enough. All women should have the chance to try. I have been nursing my baby for over a year now, first 6 months exclusively, and she has not had a drop of formula. I have no problem with formula, but they should not have tried to discourage my breastfeeding plans.
Then while I was recovering and happy with my baby and family around me, Nancy came to visit. I thought she was coming to check on me, but she asked my family to step out. Then she lectured me about how I had caused Victoria stress by not listening to her, and that the doctor had gotten mad at Victoria that I had not delivered quicker. I was in disbelief at this unprofessional intrusion. I do not need to hear about the politics and relationship between the midwife and her boss. My baby is healthy. I am healthy. Nothing else is my concern. I believe birth practice should be driven by medical needs, not the schedule of the boss.
I was so fed up with them, that I did not even go there for my 6 week post partum checkup. I drove all the way up to New York and had my old OB do my checkup.
To compare, I delivered my first baby with an OB practice (doctors, not midwives), who said they supported natural birth. Even though I had some complications, they were supportive and calming the whole time, and I knew that my and my baby's interests were top priority. In this case, things actually did take a very long time, and every time I was scared about that, the OB held my hand and told me everything was going to be fine. I trusted them completely, and when intervention was necessary, I knew that they had our best interest at heart, not a schedule or their wallets.
So if you are looking to be respected while you deliver your baby, and if you are looking to have you and your baby's health put first, find a different practice. You will not get that here. read more