Giving birth in Yerushalayim

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:07 am

Hey ladies,

I'm due soon with my 7th IY"H. I had all my six previous births in Shaarei Tzedek. Overall, I like giving birth there - it's a frum environment (and I had 3 of my babies on Shabbos), the midwives are wonderful, it's really close to my house, etc. But I really don't love the before and after care - I had a minor medical incident last time because of a nurse who did something incorrect, plus women come in advanced labor and are completely ignored and made to just stand while the nurses just chat. If I need something like optalgin afterwards and I wait at the dalpek, they just totally ignore you even when you ask them.

I like things I know already, so I'm hesitant to try something else. But I have heard good things (and also bad) about both Hadassah locations. My big issue there (besides being farther out) is all the arabs. My friends who gave birth there had arab midwives - I don't love that idea at all. Would I have a high chance of rooming with an arab? They try to avoid that at ST.

I'd love to hear from some of you who have RECENTLY given birth in other hospitals, and who also have experience in ST, to hear what the differences are.

Thank you!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:25 am

amother DarkPurple wrote:

Idk about Jerusalem but if you can travel to Netanya , Laniado is amazing, lots of the nurses are frum women and they actually care about every birth….

Thanks, I've heard that too. I wish I could, but it's just not practical.

amother

Vermilion

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:36 am

had one birth in shaarei tzedek and one in Hadassah Har tzofim, my har tzofim birth being the more recent one. I can only speak for my experience, so I don't know about the actual chances of rooming with an arab, but I wasn't put with any. I think they try and avoid also, but not sure. That being said, there are defintely more arabs than in ST. But I didn't find it to be tons. I wasn't there over shabbos with my har tzofim baby, but I was there a different time on shabbos and again - less heimish than ST but not bad. They have a nice group meal (on the bottom floor, a lot of stairs from the maternity ward but you can arrange for them to send shabbos food to your room instead).

I was very happy with the staff in triage and the delivery room in har tzofim. I always say, there are bad nurses in every hospital (or good nurses having bad days) so I just daven that I don't encounter them in whatever hospital I am at. But I found the triage staff to be nice and attentive.

I didn't find the aftercare to be amazing in either place. I was in a regular ward in ST and roomed in at har tzofim, so idk about the regular ward there. But I get the impression that they put more effort in the rooming in ward ,based on the fact that when I toured they didnt even want to show us the regular one. I was pretty happy with most of the staff in both places aftercare though, overall.

Elfrida ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:38 am

amother OP wrote:

I like things I know already, so I'm hesitant to try something else. But I have heard good things (and also bad) about both Hadassah locations. My big issue there (besides being farther out) is all the arabs. My friends who gave birth there had arab midwives - I don't love that idea at all. Would I have a high chance of rooming with an arab? They try to avoid that at ST.

They try to avoid it at Hadassah, as well. There are never any guarantees, but people do better when they feel comfortable with their roommates, so its a simple way to help facilitate recovery. It also means they can try to make sure that a nurse who speaks the right language is in charge of those rooms. Ultimately, though, the question is who is there, and who needs a bed.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:41 am

Elfrida wrote:

Yeah I totally get that.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:41 am

amother Vermilion wrote:

Thank you!

amother

↑ Topaz

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:45 am

amother OP wrote:

Thanks - I'd love to hear why, if you're willing to share!

Less Arabs / the ones who work there are from the more friendlier towns not East Jerusalem necessarily
Rooms are nicer
More spacious
Great doctors
Good experiences not just myself but from friends

May you have an easy and safe birth!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:49 am

amother Topaz wrote:

Amen, thanks so much.

amother

Heather ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 4:56 am

I gave birth at hadassah ein kerem and had a great experience. I had a Jewish roommate. The only thing I didn’t like was over Shabbat most of the nurses were Arabs and they weren’t as good as the Jewish ones. They took a very long time to come (or didn’t come at all) when I called and one nurse answered the phone (not urgent) when I was in middle of talking to her. Other than that I loved giving birth there.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:04 am

amother Heather wrote:

Thank you! That was very helpful. Was your midwife jewish or arab? Did they give attention to you when you first came to the hospital?

LovesHashem ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:04 am

I think all Jerusalem hospitals get overwhelmed, nurses chat sometimes, ignore patients, that just how it is. No place is perfect. Aftercare isn't neccesarily great anywhere there.

I room in and rely on my husband to help self advocate for me for the first 24 hours at least.

Brit in Israel ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:21 am

I had this discussion with my sil on Shabbos, I have only given birth in SZ and have had all 3 times an amazing experience.

My sil has given birth twice in Bikur cholim (not sure if they are still open her husband is a kohen) once in Hadasa ain kerem (for a vbac) and the last one in SZ. She is due after Pesach and said the only one she will go back to is SZ. She said the whole experience was much better than the other places.
Another sil just gave birth to twins in SZ after giving birth twice in Hadasa hatzofim and she was also going on about the space of the room and the after care in Sharai Tzedek she thought it must have been a special ward they put her on but it was one of the regular wards ive been on.

I have also visited this sil and another one in Hadasa hatzofim and the aftercare areas always gave me the icky minging feeling. (I didn't have that feeling when my DD 9 months was hospitalised there for a few days. It was a much cleaner nicer ward and I didn't leave the hospital for the days she was there)

↑ Brit in Israel ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:25 am

Success10 wrote:

I love Shaarei Tzedek. I think your negative experiences were just based on who was staffed at that time, and they could happen anywhere. I would not risk trying another hospital.

This, there is always staff having a bad day in each place.
What I found really nice was when I went with DH to get another tube of numbing cream from the receptionist, and DH spoke for me, I was only in Israel for a yr or 2 so didn't know ivrit, the nurse straight away bashed him down for speaking in my behalf whilst I was next to him until he said I dont speak ivrit that's why he was asking it for it so she straight away was apologising and telling him how amazing it is when the husband makes sure the wife gets what she needs and doesn't make her do it when there is a language barrier. LOL

amother

Pansy ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:30 am

In every hospital they try to place women with roommates they will feel comfortable with.

I have given birth in three hospitals, I would go back to HEK but if their rooming-in is full, they don't have flexibility and your baby will go to the nursery. That's a dealbreaker for me. In SZ if it is full they give you "shehiyat layla" and move you to a rooming-in room in the morning after people are discharged.

↑ Brit in Israel ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:44 am

I will add about SZ (I don't know the case with the other places)
If they are not full they let you stay another night.
2 of my babies happened to need to stay in for a test on day 3 or 4. One they weren't sure if she will need it they were waiting for the Dr to come in ,so when we spoke with the nurse who came to tell me that I'm going the next morning etc and I mentioned I might have to stay because the baby she said either way if I want she can put me on a list to stay an extra night if I feel I need it if the ward doesn't fill up, this was for if the baby medically doesn't need to stay.
They are able to charge your kupat cholim without it affecting you so they prefer that then an empty bed.
Also you can ask them for any medication or creams they have the full size they give when needed without charging.

amother

Ecru

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 5:57 am

I had the worst experience of my life in SZ. My older kids I went to Bikur Cholim and loved it. After they closed I went to SZ - in SZ I told them I have quick births and there was a complication, the doctor only came 2 hours later, by then they couldn't deal and I ended up with a c section, the baby was left in a dirty diaper until it stuck to his skin, I was after c section and had a bed added into a room with nothing to hold onto when standing up and the nurses refused to help me because it's supposed to be good to get up on your own. That's only true if you have a bar to pull on. I was labeled allergic to penicillin and they gave it to me anyway, when I started an allergic reaction they refused to believe me and said it was psychological. I had to get a medical askan involved just to deal with the allergic reaction. They gave my baby a milk bottle without my permission. They refused to bring me food to the room even though I couldn't get up. They kicked my husband out half an hour after c section because it was after 10pm so no visitors. I have never, ever imagined such an experience. I guarantee you I would not go back. It wasn't about one specific nurse, it was the entire experience. Total lack of interest and caring.