This review is 6 months overdue! I delivered my 2nd child with Barbara, who owns Valley Birth. I…read morewas not able to deliver at the birthplace due to complications with my first birth, so I delivered at Einstein Montgomery with Barbara (this was all planned and the staff at Einstein Montgomery are amazing). All of my prenatal visits were at Valley Birth.
I delivered my first child in California at Cedar Sinai with the nurse midwife on call since I was not able to have a home birth with my planned midwife (had to transfer due to prolonged labor). I had an amazing midwife and doula team and they both were able to be present for the birth, but home midwives do not have rights at hospitals (Barbara of Valley Birth has rights at Einstein Montgomery so no need to worry about that if you do have to be transferred). Cedar Sinai is a baby friendly and mother friendly hospital, and Einstein Montgomery is even more so even though they may not be listed as so on the corresponding websites.
The only negative thing I can say is that appointments weren't always on time. It was just Barbara and one other midwife when I was there and they gave their patients as much time as they needed to discuss any concern. Barbara is very knowledgable about everything birth and will give you all the info you need; she doesn't rush you when you are in the room so appointment times do go over. Maria also had to change appointment times with me if Barbara was at a birth, which doesn't happen in OB offices with multiple doctors on staff.
The other reviewer is right in that you are not a number when walking in here. Everyone knows you by name and face - Maria at the front desk, the nurses and of course the midwives. You also get a bit more privacy than an OB office - when you enter, you go to the bathroom and weigh yourself and use cups in the bathroom to provide urine sample.
When I first moved back to PA, I had visited with Holy Redeemer Women's Health since that was recommended by my friends. I visited once to confirm my pregnancy and was treated as a patient, not a person, and that is not what I wanted. Also, I would've had to meet with their 6 OBs and I was not guaranteed a certain OB at birth. I wanted to know the person who would be delivering my child.
Valley Birthplace has a waiting room with a bookshelf full of books on childbirth, breastfeeding, infants available to borrow and it also has toys so that your kids can play.
They have 2 birthing units. I think you stay for 6 hours after the birth, but you can ask Barb the specifics (she will meet with you in the birthing unit the first time you meet with her). They have all the medical equipment and medications you would need at a hospital.
As for Einstein Montgomery (if you choose to have Barb deliver at hospital) - it is brand new - I think a couple years old (nothing like Einstein in Philly). It is beautiful. Tons of free parking - no garages. Views of open farms. Rooms are great. You can bring aromatherapy, flameless candles, decorate it with whatever affirmation quotes you like, listen to your own birthing music. The nurses I had were wonderful. The food wasn't my favorite, but that's hospital food. There was plenty of room for a doula and partner in the room. They were so mama/baby friendly that my baby was not removed from the room for one second. You can deny certain procedures that in other hospitals they may treat you different because of (I suggest you look up birth plan or wish list to see which newborn procedures you want to do before you get to the hospital; it's always good to be knowledgeable). PCNGuide.com (the site corresponding to Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn) has plenty of worksheets and templates to help you decide. That is one of the best books with all the info you should need. Download 2016 PCN Guide all PDFs combined on first page of that site. It was written by Penny Simkin, who is the most famous doula in the U.S. and who has prepared over 13,000 women, couples and siblings for childbirth.
As for other books I recommend while pregnant: Spiritual Midwifery has lots of personal/inspirational stories which can help you to get in the right mindset when close to birth - it was written by Ina May Gaskin, the most famous midwife in the U.S. who started "the farm". Sacred Pregnancy by Anni Daulter is a beautiful weekly journal that will help you to emotionally prepare for childbirth/document your feelings through each week in pregnancy. If interested in prenatal yoga, Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful by Gurmukh changed my views of childbirth - I became a prenatal yoga teacher because of her.
I have so many more books I can recommend (I even created a site - babycliffnotes to summarize my favorite books but got busy after baby #2 so feel free to visit). There are also prenatal yoga sets there all for free.
Also, if you need a doula in the area, or have any questions feel free to contact me :)
