Hospital Newborn Photos

One thing I forgot to mention in my birth story (HERE & HERE) was that I wasn't offered hospital photos of my baby after giving birth at LIJ. While I wouldn't have necessarily ordered a huge photo package, I would have loved to have been given the option!

I can't blame this on the hospital though, as it seems that the outside photographer, Our365, didn't visit with everyone. When I logged onto the hospital's online nursery (a cool concept, because you can send curious relatives to the site) it seemed they skipped whole days at the hospital. Annoying.

Luckily, my family is camera-happy so we have lots of photos of Andrew in his first hours, but if you want a formal hospital photo wherever you give birth, you may need to ask. Perhaps have you significant other remind you to ask for the photographer or write the request down in a birth plan and bring it with you. I know I wasn't thinking about anything but getting to know my baby and the whole thing just slipped my mind!

Some photos from when Andrew as brand-spanking new:

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Part 2 of Andrew's Birth Story

Continuing on! Sorry if I left anything out... this story was just getting too long and out of hand!


When the time finally came to push, our delivery room at LIJ burst into full medical TV show mode! The table was raised high, bright overhead lights were put on at the foot of the bed, and the room was filled with 2 nurses, 2 residents, and, eventually, Dr.'s Charnes and Kanarek's covering doctor, Dr. Sturim.

Without going into too much detail, I pushed for 22 literally breath-taking minutes and out came Andrew at 12:02 am! He was 7 lbs 2 oz--a far cry from Dr. Charnes' 9 lb estimate--and had red hair. They placed the baby on my chest, my husband cut his umbilical chord, and then the nurses whisked him to a nearby table to clean him up, weigh him, and take his footprints (you get a copy of the footprints when you leave). Meanwhile, Dr. Sturim took care of delivering the placenta and sewing me up--thank God for the epidural!

Dr. Sturim was super nice, but it was my nurse, Jillian, who really supported me the whole way through. She was the one who held my hand earlier while the epidural was inserted and coached me and my husband through the actual delivery. She was AMAZING. She also tried to bend the hospital rule which allowed only two delivery room visitors so that my dad could come in to see the baby, but was stopped by her (evil) supervisor. I was a bit sad, but Jillian made sure to wheel the baby past my dad on his way to the nursery.

So, after spending an hour alone with Andrew before he went to the nursery, nurse Jillian came by to clean me up and prepare me for transfer to the postpartum ward. Oh how I missed Jillian after that! I felt a little bit lost in postpartum--a nurse swung by immediately to show me where and how to use the bathroom and to ask if I needed pain medication, of course, but after that it was my roommate who basically showed me where to find diapers, extra pads, the dinner menu, etc.

The nurses in postpartum kind of just assumed I knew what to do with a newborn. I thought that they would make sure I knew how to diaper, feed, and bathe Andrew, but you have to be sure to ASK OFTEN for that kind of instruction. Maybe we caught the nurses on a bad night, but my roommate and I felt a bit neglected and my roommate was even told "no" when she asked to be taught how to bathe the baby! Also, we weren't told we couldn't carry our babies into the hall but needed to push them in their bassinets. We were yelled out when we left the room not knowing this... whoops.

They also threw a ton of paperwork at us to fill out and didn't explain much. For example, I was told I needed to watch a video on shaken baby syndrome and fill out a form proving that I had, but nobody would tell me how to watch that video! I was also sent off down the hall to slide Andrew's birth certificate application under a mysterious door... I really was so confused!

Also, on top of being sore like I had run a marathon and unsure about how to take care of a new baby (depsite reading a million books and taking classes), I couldn't figure out how to get the baby to latch on for breastfeeding. The lactation consultant I requested came by and squeezed my nipple really hard, grabbed Andrew by the neck, and shoved him toward my boob, before she finally left saying that we should give it a rest and try again later. Eventually, I just asked the nursery for a bottle of formula because I was afraid Andrew would starve!

Checking out was also a bit of a mess. They wanted me to stay another night, but I opted out of that because I had actually already spent two nights in the hospital (Andrew was born right after midnight.) So, they took FOREVER to get me the forms to leave. They kept forgetting forms and finally, when we could leave, it took forever to get transport.

All that said, my transport was such a nice guy and when he wheeled me out into the sunshine of that unusually balmy January day, I was just overall happy to have a healthy little man and to be healthy myself... and I thank LIJ and my doctors for that.

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Andrew's Birth Story & Thoughts on LIJ

As promised, our little boy's birth story, which I'm breaking up into two parts because it is looooooooooong!

On January 14, my husband and I headed to Dr. Charnes' office for an ultrasound to determine the size of our baby. I was 6 days past my due date, and Dr. Charnes found that my amniotic fluid was low and estimated that baby Andrew weighed 9 lbs (yikes!), so off to Long Island Jewish she sent us for an induction. (Dr. Charnes actually said to us during the u/s "Lisa, I think your pregnancy is ending today..." before launching into the explanation, which scared the hell out of us!)

After stopping at home to pick up some last-minute supplies, we drove calmly to the hospital in New Hyde Park. The hospital is undergoing a bit of construction on a new women's center, so we decided to bypass the parking garage for valet parking at the hospital's entrance. The valet cost--like $12--was totally worth it. (Note: Unless you find a spot on the street, you're going to have to pay for parking at the hospital. Annoying, I know.)

The hospital lobby was super crowded, but I was strangely calm and we made our way to the delivery side of the maternity ward, which was thankfully peaceful. I checked in at the nurse's station, saw Dr. Kanarek, who was on-call until later that evening, and was soon set up in a delivery room. Then, Dr. Kanarek did a preliminary exam and he estimated baby to be no bigger than 8 lbs--I was so happy to hear that!

The delivery rooms at the hospital are really small and we only had one visitor's chair. Be sure to ask for another chair if you are going to have two people in the room with you for the long haul. My mom and my husband just rotated, however, since my labor progressed relatively quickly.

Getting hooked up to the antibiotics for Group B Strep and the pitocin was a piece of cake. The nurse inserted the IV super delicately and they slowed down the antibiotic drip when I requested it because my arm was hurting (completely normal with antibiotic). My husband kept an eye on the contraction monitor and about four hours into the induction, I decided to get my epidural. That's when it got a little rough!

The anesthesiologist's assistant came in to take my medical history. After I mentioned some back problems, he launched into a speech about not recommending I get the epidural because I could hurt my back during pushing, not being able to feel when I was in a painful position. Despite him being super stern about it, I decided to go ahead and get the epidural anyway. The insertion was scary, especially because they wouldn't let my husband stay in the room and I kept feeling shooting sensations down my left leg (again, completely normal), but I held onto my amazing nurse Jillian for dear life and soon I was pain free... for awhile!

At this point, I was about 5 centimeters dilated and Dr. Kanarek came in to break my water. I spent the next couple of hours dozing, watching some TV, and flipping over to my side after a scare when baby's heartrate dropped, and about 3 1/2 hours later the returning pain and pressure meant that it was finally time to push!

TO BE CONTINUED!

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Our baby is here!

Sorry for the long delay between posts! Our baby boy was born a week after his due date on January 15 via induction and its been both a wonderful a hectic seven weeks getting used to being a first-time mama. Now that the little one is taking semi-regular naps and we have breastfeeding almost down to a science, I hope to resume our regular posting schedule!

The next post will be a review of my birth experience at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New Hyde Park. Funnily enough, neither Dr. Charnes or Dr. Kanarek were on call to deliver my baby. But, the attending doctor and the LIJ nurses (who did most of the work anyway) were wonderful. The postpartum care, however, left much to be desired...

I'll also write soon about our pediatrician, Dr. Paul, who practices in both Glendale and Astoria. We are super pleased with him and are glad he was suggested to us by a friend (I never did quite get around to interviewing any of the other pediatricians I researched. Oops.)

I'm looking forward to future posts and imparting some of the still-limited mama wisdom I'm gaining. My but the learning curve is steep, but I hope you'll learn along with me!

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Our Third, and Final, Birth Prep Class at LIJ

We finished up our Birth Preparation Course at Long Island Jewish with a third and final class on 12/16. In this last class we practiced breathing techniques and watched our 1990s-era birth video, as per usual, but we also ended class by spending a good amount of time talking about baby care... which was great!

I was really glad to have the opportunity to ask nurse Brenda about certain things such as care after circumcision (lots of vaseline), what baby should wear home from the hospital (she recommended a two-piece outfit so that baby's belly button remains uncovered), etc. And, as always, she assured us that we WILL be able to get through labor once the time comes. Oh how I hope she's on-call the day I go in!

All in all, I do believe the birth classes at LIJ are worth the $190 fee. While we didn't make it to the free breastfeeding class yet, we learned a lot in the prep classes that will be specific to our birth experience at LIJ and therefore is not included in any baby books. Also, perhaps most important, my husband was able to learn about labor, delivery and childcare--God knows he will never make it through this own baby care books, regardless of his super sweet intentions!

Now, we wait until our baby boy arrives! I'll be sure to post about our birth experience at LIJ as soon as possible.

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Our Second Birth Prep Class at LIJ

We finally got around to going to our second of three birth preparation classes at Long Island Jewish hospital last Wednesday! We had started our class series way back in October, but had to postpone when my husband caught a bad cold (we definitely didn't want to pass any germs along to our fellow classmates.)

We started out the evening by meeting nurse Brenda in the maternity ward at 7pm for a quick tour. She showed us a birthing room, which we thought was nice--private, with a cd player and tv and a bathroom without a shower--but a bit small. She then pointed out the recovery rooms, which seemed bigger and are either private (for $565 per night) or 4-bed (free).

We also swung by the well baby nursery where several adorable babies--including a 9.5-pounder!--were sleeping peacefully. Brenda told us that at LIJ all well babies are taken to the nursery an hour or so after birth for 3 hours of monitoring while mom is transported to recovery across the hall. After their time in the nursery, babies can stay with their moms unless she wants him/her to be returned to the nursery.

After the tour, my husband and I headed to our 7:30pm class where we spent 3o minutes on the floor practicing breathing techniques. This had us laughing but was very helpful none-the-less! I suggest bringing a lot of pillows, however, to keep you and your husband comfortable (sitting on the ground is not fun for my non-flexible bloke.)

After a quick food/bathroom break, we then watched a birth video that explained all of the many possible birth interventions--epidurals, inducement, cesarean sections, etc.

We ended the class with a Q&A session where Brenda really calmed my fears about getting an epidural if I felt I needed one. From Brenda's answers, however, I did have the sneaking suspicion that LIJ is a hospital that prefers its delivering moms to take pain medication. I'm starting to believe that if you want to go natural, your best bet is to find a midwife or a doula to be your advocate on the big day!

In our next class session we'll be going over baby care basics. I'm really looking forward to it and to entering the home stretch of pregnancy. Just under a month to go!

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Our First Birth Preparation Class at LIJ

We attended our first Preparation for Childbirth class last night at Long Island Jewish and it was pretty much what I expected it to be--a mixture of both really great info and a really scary birth video! Our class leader, LIJ nurse Brenda, was great, though, and turned a blind eye to the many groans and giggles coming from the four couples in her class.

We started off by discussing how far along we were and our greatest birth fears. We then went over some of the discomforts of late pregnancy and what we and our partners could do to alleviate them (massages please!)

We also discussed the three things we all needed to do before we reached 36 weeks:

1. Pack TWO hospital bags. The first should be a small bag with only the things you will need while in labor--a toothbrush and toothpaste, hair ties, a lollipop to keep your mouth from getting too dry (no tootsie roll pops allowed!), things to occupy you between contractions (an iPod, book, etc.), cell phone, your focal point for Lamaze, etc. The second bag should contain your overnight items and baby's first outfit and should be kept in your car until after delivery.
   
2. Find a pediatrician. Ask your friends, OB/GYN, or insurance company for recommendations. You'll want to have a pediatrician before you go into labor so that you can take the baby in for his first checkup soon after.
   
3. Get a car seat and learn how to install it properly. LIJ hosts free car seat check-up events. Click HERE for more info. The next sessions are 10/17, 11/8, and 11/14. You can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236 or visit their website HERE to find a certified car seat technician nearby who can help you out.

Following a quick snack and restroom break, we headed back into the classroom to watch the first 20 minutes of a video about childbirth, which scared the pants off of everybody! Our instructor then discussed the signs of labor and had us finish up the class with some deep breathing on our floor mats (you should bring a mat and two pillows).

Next Wed, we are going to take a tour of the maternity ward, which I'm really looking forward to. All of the labor and delievery rooms are private, but the recovery rooms have 2 to 5 beds (unless you want to pay $565 out of pocket per night for a private suite!) You do get to stay in the L&D for at least an hour after birth, though. Also, your baby stays with you 24/7 at LIJ, unless you want to send him to the nursery. I am very pleased about this!

Next week we'll also watch more of that darling video and discuss medical interventions (epidural, c-sections, etc.)

While the class costs a pricey $190 for 3 sessions and a breastfeeding class, I would definitely recommend it if you can't find something cheaper in your area. We had a good experience and while my husband may be a bit more nervous, I"m feeling a bit more at ease! :)

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Birth Preparation Classes at Long Island Jewish Hospital

So, I really need to get on the ball and register for a birth preparation class! I'm 21 weeks pregnant on Friday and I really wasn't thinking about signing up for a class until my first appointment with Dr. Charnes a couple weeks ago. My previous doctor didn't even talk about childbirth classes (see below posts for my previous doctor horror story), but Dr. Charnes actually gave me the class registration form at my appointment!

If you need to sign up for classes at Long Island Jewish, you can also visit their website HERE. Clicking on "register" on the right-hand side will bring up a form for you to print and fill out.

I really am looking forward to the classes and the hospital tour! With the baby kicking up a storm now, my stomach getting bigger, and classes in the near future, everything is becoming more of a reality. My husband even said yesterday "I want to sign up for a class to be a good dad." I don't think he'll need to be taught that, but it is incredibly sweet of him to think of it. :)

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