https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 06:42:58 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1366202 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 09:47:42 +0000 SupernovaJ 1366202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: ah that sounds wonderful! Best of luck on your delivery! Hope your doula experience is great. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1365901 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 04:58:14 +0000 ElbieKay 1365901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SupernovaJ: Thanks for the feedback! I am due in 4.5 weeks at this point. I wound up switching to an OB who delivers at Morristown. I hired a doula too, and she and the OB both speak highly of each other. They have some huge labor rooms with tubs at Morristown so that is going to be my first choice and we'll see how it goes from there. Fingers crossed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1365758 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 22:48:40 +0000 Anagram 1365758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SupernovaJ: I was considering Valley as well, because I work near there and heard rave reviews from coworkers. But I live in hoboken, so I ended up going to Palisades. I wouldn't suggest Palisades for someone going for a natural birth.</p> <p>They are improving, but have a lot of kinks to work out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1365522 Tue, 21 Jan 2014 20:52:00 +0000 SupernovaJ 1365522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>not sure where you netted out on this, but we're delivering at the holistic birthing center at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. Also northern NJ. It's an option for mothers delivering at Valley who want a more natural birth route and they have a great doula program as well! good luck with L&amp;D! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1206106 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 16:35:30 +0000 ElbieKay 1206106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tidybee: Thank you! My obgyn delivers at SLR, so that's where I would go if I stick with NYC. I am just concerned about too many interventions and wondering if a midwife practice might be a better match. My doc does support delivery at the birthing center at SLR, but it sounds like most women are risked out of there anyway. So, maybe I should look for a more supportive environment. It is such a difficult and stressful decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1206096 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 16:23:19 +0000 Tidybee 1206096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: Just wanted to mention that I was at NYU and had an amazing experience. it is a "baby-friendly" hospital, so DD stayed with me the whole time, they encourage breastfeeding, skin-to-skin, etc. I went into L&amp;D without any kind of birth plan because I wanted to be flexible and see what it was like and what I could handle. My nurses were amazing and showed me all kinds of ways to help labor progress without meds. They have a doula on staff that I could have hired. They offered the shower, but I just wanted to lay in bed. My doctor kept encouraging me to keep going without the epi if I felt like I could. At the end, I needed it (literally at 9 cm, they put it in) but my doc and nurse wouldn't let me self-medicate because they didn't want me to overdo it. I ended up still feeling everything but just not as intensely and I could almost "enjoy" (as much as one can enjoy it) the experience. DD was sunnyside up and instead of marching me off to a CSection, my nurse had me lay in certain positions to get her to turn. During the actual delivery, my doc did a lot of massage and I didn't tear at all. I'm not trying to talk you into anything...just wanted to share my wonderful experience there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1205396 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 19:10:38 +0000 ElbieKay 1205396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tidybee: Thanks! That is where my neighbor delivered both of her kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1205394 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 19:08:25 +0000 Tidybee 1205394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: hi from another Hoboken gal!! I gave birth at nyu so I can't really help you. A lot of Hoboken moms gave birth at palisades and were really happy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1205329 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 17:55:31 +0000 ElbieKay 1205329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sadieloo: Thanks! I would love to read the feedback. laurak [at] gmail.</p> <p>FYI, my teacher followed up with this comment about Lonnie: "Lonnie has a big personality and kind of an ego, which I truly believe she uses to help women. She has all the confidence in the world in birth and in her patients." That sort of jives with your "rough around the edges" comment.</p> <p>Thanks again for your help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1204851 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 13:55:31 +0000 Sadieloo 1204851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: ok so i asked the Montclair Moms listserve and it seems that Lonnie runs the show at mountainside and everyone had really positive experiences in the maternity ward. The hospital and ER, however, are another story. One woman private messages me saying that her pediatrician told her to never go there. Everyone spoke highly of Lonnie as well. Maybe I met her on an off day, or our personalities didn't mesh well. I just found her to be a bit rough around the edges. It seems that others have had different experiences though. I may also be biased since Lonnie was an hour late to our consult. Anyhow, if you want to send me your email address you can read through peoples responses. Hope this helps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200932 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:29:09 +0000 ElbieKay 1200932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sadieloo: My Bradley teacher raved about Lonnie, and someone in my class uses her and feels very comfortable with her. That is why I am looking into her practice. What did you dislike about her?</p> <p>Thanks for asking about St. Joe's for me. I appreciate it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200828 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:28:04 +0000 Sadieloo 1200828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: also wanted to mention that I wasn't a huge fan of Lonnie when I met with her for an initial consultation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200824 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:23:56 +0000 Sadieloo 1200824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: yeah, I hear you. My OBGYN was in the city as well, but I decided I wanted to work with a midwife. I also work from home so it is much easier for me to get to appts. I can ask my mo. Friends here and on a couple of the local listserves for opinions if that's helpful.</p> <p>Edit: I don't really know why, but everyone has told us to go to St. Joe's. Let me ask around. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200822 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:22:42 +0000 ElbieKay 1200822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sadieloo: P.S. Why do people say to avoid Mountainside? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200819 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:19:01 +0000 ElbieKay 1200819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sadieloo: Thanks for your reply, Sadieloo. Yes, the practice is the Childbirth and Women's Wellness Center.</p> <p>I work in Manhattan, so every minute counts in terms of commuting to appointments. That was one reason I originally stuck with my gyn for my pregnancy.</p> <p>I will research Avalon too. I have read about them before, but this specific midwife practice was strongly recommended to me.</p> <p>My husband and I considered buying a house in Montclair before moving to Hoboken. It's a great town, but we weren't yet ready to move all the way to the burbs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200815 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 07:13:45 +0000 Sadieloo 1200815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: hey neighbor (sort of). We moved from Hoboken to Montclair in August and I'm guessing we were considering the same things you are. Are you looking at the Childbirth Womens and Wellness Center in Montclair? I don't know much about the birthing center, but everyone here has told us not to go to Mountainside if at all possible, even if it's 3 min away. </p> <p>I gave birth at Morristown Medical Center last month with Avalon midwives, who I love, love,love and the hospital was great too (great nurses, a free postnatal massage, private rooms, etc.). We had a tub room for L&amp;D, unfortunately I didn't get to use it because I was fully dilated when I got to the hospital and pushed the baby out before the tub was full. Also, morristown wasn't much further from hoboken than montclair for appts and such. </p> <p>Quite a few of my mom friends here used Avalon and also love them. Feel free to ask more questions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/northern-nj-moms-has-anyone-delivered-at-the-birthing-center-at-mountainside-hospital#post-1200790 Thu, 07 Nov 2013 06:07:54 +0000 ElbieKay 1200790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am looking for feedback/experiences there. I'm not sure I want a NYC hospital delivery factory experience, and I have heard great things about a midwife practice there. I am 24w4d along so need to decide soon if I want to change providers.</p> <p>I live in Hoboken, so the NJ hospital is about a similar length drive (30-45 mins) from the NYC one.</p> <p>Thanks in advance for your feedback! </p>