Labor and Delivery @ Kaiser

Hi T.. My baby was born at Kaiser Lakeview five months ago and I really liked the attention given to us.
My baby was all the time with me in my own room.
Congratulations

hey i delivered at Irvine regional also, last December....itis funny how they tell you that almost no one gets sent to Irvine but almost everyone I know got sent .... anyways I love the new hospital Sand Canyon...it is clean, bright and the baby stays with you most of the time. I would opt for Sand Canyon Thats what i am going to do next time! hope I helped!

I, too, had a wonderful experience delivering my baby at Kaiser. My baby came so fast that our car was still in the loading zone when he was born! But I digress, the experience was great and everyone was very pleasant. Good luck to you and God Bless!

Hi T.,

I had an emergency c-section at the Lakeview hospital. The nurses were wonderful. I had a really bad time with my delivery and one nurse sat and held my hand for almost 14 hours to keep my calm. You have your own room and the baby does stay with you (although my dear daughter was rushed to NICU due to breathing problems) and the nurses encourage you to interact with your baby. I definitely would recommend Lakeview if you have a choice.

I had my son at Lakeview Kaiser 21 years ago. It was my third and I expected an easy delivery like my first two. Well, things didn't go as planned and I had an emergency CSection. I got the oncall doctor, who turned out to be the head of the department that night. From "oh oh" to deliver was 14 minutes! They had one of the lowest C Section rates at 15% back then. THe staff was very nice and I got excellent care. I had a hysterectomy at Irvine Regional and I had the Kaiser surgeon. The staff at Irvine was okay, but I was in the surgical postop ward not the OB. I will say that Kaiser had excellent prenatal care and my post op complications were handled well. I really loved the nurse midwives and just wish my third pregnancy had been as easy as the first two. Good luck. Are you sure you need a planned C Section? Kaiser used to encourage VBAC whenever possible. My recovery was so much easier after the first two. With a CSection and two children already under 5, I was pretty worn out for a month.

Hi T.,
I was also worried about delivering at Kaiser. I had my first baby in Arizona and had a wonderful experience. My son was born Jan 2008 and I did deliver at Lakeview. The team in the labor and delivery room were amazing. I had my son only 5 minutes after getting to the hospital so I didn't get a lot of time with them before he was born, but during those 5 minutes and afterwards they were terrific. They were constantly checking on us to see if we needed anything and see how we were doing and then they leave you alone for some bonding time (I forget their Kaiser name for it) We did go upstairs a few hours later and had our own room and the baby did stay with us the entire time. Again, the staff upstairs was also amazing. Not in your face but gave you what you needed and helped with the baby if you asked. The only negative for me is the food. You don't get to select your meals...you just get what they bring you and it's not the best tasting. But you are able to have food brought in so we relied mostly on that. Good luck! You can take a tour of the facility which might put you more at ease.

I delivered my daughter at Lakeview Kaiser and had a wonderful experience! My sister and quite a few friends have delivered there as well and they too had great experiences. I saw Nancy Gomez during my pregnancy and she was also on staff when I delivered. She is the most awesome midwife EVER!!! Originally I was put in the 'small' delivery room, but once the bigger one was free they put me in there. They had absolutely no problem with the amount of people I had in my room while laboring and delivery. The nurses on staff were also wonderful and accomadating. Truly a great experience for me.
Good luck and I hope your experience is as great as mine.

Hello T.,

I had my now 3yr old son at Lakeview Kaiser, he is my first and only children, for right now!

I enjoyed my entire experenice with the Lakeview staff. I was very scared and nervous delivering my son, I HATE needles and anything medical. But, my nurse that was assigned to me was WONDERFUL and the midwife was EXCELLENT. I did get my own room, my husband got to stay with me was well. Wait I am jumping ahead of myself.

The check in was a breeze, we took the stork tour and did our pre-check in at that time. So, when it was time we pulled up @5:15am the guard brought my husband a wheelchair and they wheeled me right now, along with my Mommy!!!! For the labor and deliver part you have your own room and its huge, there is even a shower just in case you feel a shower will help relax you during the labor. Dean (my son) once he was born never left my husband's sight, whereever Dean went my husband went too.

They allowed 2 people in the labor and deliver room, so I had my husband and my Mom. Although, while I was in labor my Dad and in-laws were allow to walk in and see how I was doing, but when it came time to push, just my husband and my Mom where allowed in.

So, I told the my staff that the only way I will get pregnant again is if they promise to be here, because my experience was the GREATEST thing. They made me very relaxed, without drugs!!!! Although, at about 3pm I asked for drugs because my body was jumping off the bed, I wanted that to stop.

The recovery room, I had by myself and my husband stayed with me. There is a recliner type chair that pulls out. Dean stayed in the room with us, only to leave for a bath with Daddy in tow and for his little boy surgery again with Daddy by his side. I was a little jealous that my husband had so much time with our little man, but it was great that he could be there with him, while I lay in bed with 4 layers of stitches. I had a big boy, 9lbs 2oz. 21 1/2inches and I am only 5'2" and about 112lbs.

I know this is long, but I did have a wonderful experience at Lakeview and I recommend Lakeview.

Best of Luck,
M.

I deliverd at Lakeview and loved it. I was there for three weeks before delivering and most of the nurses were nice and sensitive towards my husband and I. I had my own private room during my three week stay and once my baby was born I know he was taken care of. Unfortunately, my baby was in the NICU so I didn't have any experience with having him in my room.
Good luck!
ceci

I had a wonderful experience. I had my own recovery room, and when it was decided my son was going to have to stay, my doctor let me stay an extra day. The food was good and the staff was helpful. They send you home with a bunch of stuff. The send away for the birth certificate and give you info to get the social security. Also, they will make arrangements to have a breast pump rental set up and if there is anything wrong a nurse will come visit at your home once a week for the first couple of months.

I had a real tough time with the end of my pregnancy. My boy was 6 weeks early and I got bels palsy and PIH/ Eclampsia, but I never had any doubts that we would both make it through fine. The doctors and the staff took real good care of both of us, and I didn't have to worry about anything. I never saw one scrap of paperwork and I was never left wondering on what to do next.

I hope this helps. It sounds like your situation's a bit different, but I think the basics are the same, and I can tell you I had a great experience. Oh yeah, this was at Kaiser Bellflower.

I just had my 4 month old at lakeview and I work for kaiser. Sand Canyon has the recovery room that can allow the SOFTING HOUR. The first hour of life your baby will be placed on your chest and you and daddy can bond in a warm quiet room.
Lakeview just doesn't have the recovery rooms set up that way yet. I had a c-section at lakeview. It went very well. It was supposed to be planned, but baby came early. The nurses were great and Dr. Kohorn was awesome.
I wish you the best of luck!!
Baby rooms in with you at either location. As soon a syou are getting put back together in the OR daddy and baby go to the nursery. You will go to recovery by yourself for 30-60 min. at lakeview.
at SNC daddy and baby stay with you during the 30-60min recovery period.
Insist on seeing the lactation consultant the first day. If this is your first baby I want you to know about the MILK CLINIC. both lacations have it. it is a clinic that staffs 3-4 lactation consultants that are great!! it is free too- no co-payments!
I have a friend that paid $100 an hour to see one. You can see the lactation con everyday that you are in the hospital and then throughout the next weeks of baby's life.
All rooms at lakeview are singles, unless the event of the hospital being completely full, then you might have to share, but that is extremely rare these days.
Again good luck. I wish you the very best birth ever!!

I delivered at Irvine Regional for the same reason as you...I did that for both of my boys (OCt 05, Oct 07). Now they have the new Irvine Kaiser right that is close to Irvine Regional...can you go there? My sister delivered all three of her kids at Lakeview and was happy there and treated well. If you have specific questions email me and I'll ask her. :) We've had really good luck with Kaiser. My son had to have sagittal synostosis surgery and they were awesome there!!!

I delivered at Kaiser Lakeview and my experience there was fantastic. The delivery room was very nice, and I had it all to myself from the minute I checked in and through my recovery period. Yes, the baby stayed with me at all times. The nursing staff, doctors, and pretty much everybody was very, very kind and considerate. I really couldn't ask for a better memory of my delivery. That said, I delivered vaginally - I don't know how c-sections typically are handled. But my experience really couldn't have been better!

Hope that helps!

Hi T.! I delivered Madelynn at Lakeview Kaiser and had a really great experience. You have your own room, unless they are overcrowded. Your little one stays with you except to go for their bath, which I went with her for that. I didn't have a c-section so I'm not sure how that part of the process is, but all of my nurses were very nice and nurturing. My midwife was Marci Salmon and I also saw Hillary Askanese....both amazing women. There was one nurse who was a little pushy and tried to get me to give formula when Maddie couldn't latch on, but other than that one nurse I have no complaints at all. I hope Olivia and your family is doing well and best wishes on #2!! Oh, they also have a foldout chair in the room for your hubby and I agree with another response about the food......pretty awful. We brought food in.

Hi T.,

Congrats on your latest little one! I delivered both my boys (4 and 2) at Lakeview, so it has been a couple of years, but overall my experience was average. No major issues, but overall not a place I wanted to be. My first was born on a day when everyone went into labor, it seemed, and I got the last, tiny room. That meant after he was born they took him out into the hall to assess him ect- there was no room for the warmer in my room!! They then hurried me upstairs (in a wheelchair that didn't have foot rests!) to my post-delivery room so they could free up my tiny room for the gals in labor in the hall.

My second son's delivery was much better. I got a great, large room and didn't feel as rushed out as the last time. We received good care, not great (nurse didn't believe I was fully dilated because my labor was only 3 hrs. I had to insist she check me; I was bearing down!!). Lakeview is noisy (intercom goes off all night and day in your room), but the staff we encountered were friendly. If I had my choice, I would have gone elsewhere for baby #2, but insurance choice was limited. BTW, baby #2 was born at 6:30 am and we were home by 8 pm that same night. My husband and I didn't want to spend the night- that should tell you something!

With Kaiser it seems like your care is kinda based on luck and timing- first come, first to get the best care. But, Sand Canyon may be better, being a new hospital. Good Luck!!

I delivered my 2nd at Kaiser Southbay - and had a WONDERFUL experience. I wish I had delivered my 1st one there!

Hi T.,

I delivered at Kaiser Lakeview December 2007. My experience there was great. I'm not sure how much a planned C-section would vary from a vaginal birth, which I had. I will tell you the birthing room (I am guessing you won't be in) was very nice, spacious and remodeled. The room you are in afterward is private, but otherwise not too impressive. Our son did stay with us the whole time. He only left our sight for about 20 minutes to get circumcised. Of all the nurses we had (the have 8 hour shifts) there was only one I didn't care for too much. Overall we were treated well and I have no complaints. Of course my son was very healthy and I didn't have very much intervention, if you will. I don't know if my experience would have been any different had their been complications. Hope this helps, but if you have specific questions or would like more information let me know.

DO NOT USE KAISER ANAHEIM UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO!!!!! The staff at that hospital is TERRIBLE! They were rude to me on the phone and in person WHILE I WAS IN LABOR! Long story short I was bleeding uncontrollably by the time I finally showed up at the hospital because they told me I wasn't in actual labor (3 times over the phone). The nurse had the nerve to get mad at me for "not cleaning up well enough" before I urinated in the cup after my arrival. I went in because I couldn't walk anymore due to the contractions and I was dilated to 8 when they finally checked me. After all that, there wasn't a labor and delivery room and therefore I had a baby in a room so small that the clear bassinet that they put the baby in had to be kept outside of the room and I gave birth with no pain killers with the damn door wide open! I have also heard a couple other horror stories from that hospital as well.

I can not vouch for Kaiser Irvine. I got to go to Sand Canyon to have my son and I was treated so well that I could go on for days about how WONDERFUL my family and I were treated. Irvine hadn't opened yet.

Good luck!

~V

T.,

Congrats on the new baby!! I just had my second son at Lakeview in January. It was no problem. I had a c-section and I had a private room after recovery. I was in the recovery room for about 1 1/2 hours. The baby is able to stay with you at all times. I don't know if you have ever had a c-section before but it is hard to take care of the baby the first two days. It is really hard to get up. The nurses are really understanding and are ready to help you with anything you need. I don't know if they are still doing this because it was a pilot program when I was there but they did a celebration dinner my me and my husband. The food was really good. We got cheesecake and we also got to choose our meal. They also gave us Martinelli's Sparkling cider with champagne glasses. It was really nice. The doctor's are very good about answering your questions. The hospital is very clean and the rooms are cleaned very often. I had my first son at Kaiser Sunset in LA and Lakeview is so much nicer!!!Hope this helps!! Good luck!!

S.

Double Thumbs up at Kaiser Lakeview. I had both my sons there and had a great experience both times. The CNMs are willing to work with you for your perfect birth, and the care after was really good. The baby stays in the room with you. Congratulations!

BTW, stay as long as your insurance lets you; don't go home early just because you feel well. Let them take care of you both, so you can get some sleep before you head home. Good luck.