We've committed!

We chose a hospital.....finally!

A huge thank you to my friend Julie who told me about the OB I have been trying to see at PHS moving to a new hospital. The most popular OB in Shanghai, according to friends and expat forums in Shanghai, has left PHS. So much for me seeing her.

I asked Julie if she knew where this OB was headed and she mentioned a new women's hospital . I did a quick google search and was wowed by their website and the pristine conditions of their facility. The website made some lofty claims of one on one nursing during labor (no shift changes), hotel like atmosphere, internationally trained English speaking OB and GYN's and a special care nursery staffed with neonatologists for babies born with complications. 

I booked a tour for this past Saturday. It turned out to be on the same subway line as PHS, just two stops further, and even better.......it's literally right outside the metro station exit. No half mile walks from metro to the hospital. Come December and January, this is a major plus in my book. 

We passed through the security gates and were met by a tour guide. Three couples total toured together. We were the only ones with kids already, so I asked the majority of the questions and at one point realized I was the only one asking. "How many isolettes in the special care nursery? Can we see it? Is it staffed by a neonatologist 24/7? What happens if the complications exceed this nursery's abilities? Do the babies get shipped to Fudan? Who cares for the baby after birth? In the case of a baby boy, who does the circumsicion? How many OR's do you have? What screenings do you do on the baby? Is the epidural administered by an anesthesiologist or anesthetist?" Clearly I have worked for a physician for way too long. Wayyyyy too many questions. 

Shut up, Brie. 

But I did get all my questions answered and hope I asked questions that the new parents to be may not have thought to ask. 

Anyways, here's how the new hospital won me over:

-special care nursery with six isolettes, staffed 24 hours a day with neonatologists

- neonatologists attendance during delivery with assessment of baby following birth. Neonatologist visits baby each day while in hospital. Hearing & hip screening after birth. 

-epidural provided by anesthesiologist

-Stryker equipment and beds (shout out to Tyson at Stryker)

-six large pristine delivery rooms

-six operating rooms

- post partum rooms have walk in showers, kitchenette with fridge, flat screen tv, Internet hook ups, bed for dad.

-for 12,000rmb/nt (gasp! That's over $2,000usd) your whole family can move into one of their birthing suites. It's literally larger than our flat. Two bedrooms, living room, kitchen....cah-razy cool, but Tài guìle (too expensive). 

But really, the big draw for me is being able to see a multitude of English speaking Doctors in a clean hospital. One of the biggest challenges I have faced living in China as a slight germaphobe is the absence of true cleanliness pretty much anywhere I've been thus far. Like, things get washed with murky water and mops that haven't seen bleach, ever. So dirt just gets pushed around. The new hospital was the first place I've walked into in China (besides friend's houses) that felt truly clean. Sheets were crisp white, floors didn't have hair, missing tiles or questionable stains. The equipment all looked brand new and ready to deliver.

So, we committed to a prenatal and delivery package, paid for it and it feels good to have that question of "where will we deliver?" answered with certainty. I'm relieved. 

If only I could get this brain of mine to stop expecting to lose this baby and just enjoy the ride.

Sigh.