At 14 weeks, I need some input on an OB and area hospital. So far, I've mainly used a combo of my RE and a peri, but the peri says I'm OK to go to an OB now.
Here's the deal. I recently learned that my wonderful, suburban OB/GYN in Lawrenceville, near Princeton, only delivers at Capital Mercer in Trenton. He says it has Mercer County's only regional perinatal center, only level III neonatal intensive care unit and other highly select rankings and services that other area hospitals (miserably, supposedly) lack.
So, what's the problem? Capital Mercer is in the heart of a bad section of Trenton, which is the 15th most dangerous metro area in the country and the fourth most dangerous of U.S. cities with a population of 75,000 TO 99,999. (That's according to the 13th edition of City Crime Rankings.)Basically, Trenton has a rep for being gang, grime and grit central. It's not a pleasant place.
Anyway, when I discussed some concerns about using Capital Mercer to deliver, my OB/GYN, the peri and a nurse at the peri's office were highly defensive of the hospital and somewhat aghast at the concerns. Actually, my DH is more opposed to the idea than I am. (I did have my outpatient lap at Capital Mercer, and I've been to the hospital for a few peri visits. All of those visits were fine, and I was pleased.)
Are we off-base in being concerned about actually delivering in an inner-city hospital in a troubled urban area with a reputation for violence and mayhem? My DH is specifically concerned that we might have to deliver in the middle of the night.
So far, the other options I know of are University Medical Center at Princeton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (N.J.) and St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa. Supposedly, Princeton can only handle patients at 38 weeks, RWJ Hamilton at 34 weeks and St. Mary at 32 weeks. (Capital Mercer has one 14 March of Dimes NICUs in the country.)
Does anyone have an recommendations on OBs and hospitals within, say, 45 minutes of Princeton? We're open to options in Philly, though DH says Robert Wood Johnson's (Rutgers) main campus in New Brunswick, N.J., is probably too far.
At the moment, we're slightly leaning toward using St. Mary, but that means switching OBs. Thanks in advance for all
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