Opinions/experiences at Cedars? Versus St. John's?

I delivered at Cedars... although St. John's sounds amazing :-) I had a good experience. I had a C-section so was there for a few days. I really liked the staff, they were very accomodating and understanding of a new mom's concerns. The rooms were a decent size... big enough for Daddy to stay and the food was not too bad. I would definitely do it again.Good Luck!

I had my baby boy at Cedars 4 months ago, and it was FANTASTIC! The nurses were SO Sweet and Kind and Warm! I stayed 3 days, so i had a few different nurses, and each one was wonderful. The rooms are not as nice as Saint Johns sounds...mine was kinda small. But they do have big windows, they will bring you a cot, the food wasn't bad at all, and they do have a great restaurant downstairs if you want. (OH and starbucks!) and some of the rooms have been upgraded with flat screen TV's with built in DVD players. Free wifi also.

But above all..the nurses! They way they handled me and my baby! As a first time mom, I was so nervous and unsure, they were so helpful and kind. They really treated my baby like he was a family member. And the lactation consultant was so patient and helpful and sweet.

And check in is so fast! I walked up to the window for a scheduled Csection, and they were waiting for me, my room was all ready. they had lots of chairs on hand for my friends and family to come in to my room if I wanted.

Such a great experience!

OHHH..and they sent me home with a bunch of pampers! :)

I had my son at Cedar's and really disliked the experience. There are a lot of women giving birth there daily, and it feels busy. They have you check in at Triage before your birth - we had to wait 45 minutes while I was 10 centimeters dilated, to get them to call my OB and get me into a delivery room. (Ask your OB to have you put directly in a room!) I had a natural birth, and it was one of the few that my delivery nurse had experienced at that hospital. There are residents all over the place. The recovery rooms are small, but fine. There is room for a cot (no pretty wood floors or flat screen tv's). There is a lounge to go to if you walk with your newborn that was lively. We had no peace - the nurses came in constantly, and quite a few had poor bedside manners. I am going to Good Samaritan this time, the hospital is sweet and much less populated. However, the recovery rooms are TINY.

Hi I had both my kids delivered at Cedars. It was a good hospital, but it didn't have all the luxury amenities that you loved about the other hospital. I have, however, an unbelievable ob, who delivers only at Cedars. And for me, that is the key- a very good doctor. If you find one I would stick with her or him throughout the pregnancy. So I would make a choice of insurance based on the doctor. Just a thought.

I had both of my boy's at St. John's and LOVED it!!!!
My experience was just as you descibed,except, I had an amazing experience with the lactation consultant who was the only per son to catch my son's tongue tie.....:-)
Anyway, my friend's, who have delivered at Ceder's, and I have compared experiences and Cedar's is undoubtedly a much larger and busier hospital where as St. John's doesn't have the volume that Cedars does.
In my experience and of most mom's I've talked too, the care and attention one gets from St. John's is unbelievable and usually talked about- I havn't heard many people RAVE about Cedar's, only that they have been given good care.
Which is the most important thing anyway.
Good luck to you!!

Hi,
I have a 2 year old that I delivered at Cedars--and I truely regretted it!!! My Dr suggested I go to St. John (many times) as apposed to Cedars (because of all the reasons you mentioned) but I didn't listen to him --silly me... :-( I really wished I had. I had one nurse that was nice and another that was so rude I wanted to punch her in the face. They are NOT the same as St. JOhn--in anyway. When I was in labor they drugged me up so much and gave me sooo much epidural that I was almost unconscious--I kept telling them I dont' want anymore but they kept saying no no you shouldn't be in pain--and would pump me up with even more epidural. My sister and husband got in a fight with the staff over this until they finally stopped. Because I received so much epidural I had a lot of complicaitons later. I wasn't able to breastfeed (I had NO milk no matter how much I tried and supplements I took) and had such a long recovery. I was ready to push around 3 am--and they wouldn't call my Dr--they kept saying 'let him sleep a couple of extra hours'!!!! Can you believe that???? They still hadn't called him in the morning and he came by himself at 6 to check up on me to see what's going on... and was so angry that the hospital hadn't called him and they gave me so much epidural.
I was pregnanct again this year but had a miscarriage in August, so I had to have a D&C and it was done at St John. I had SUCH a wonderful experience there I can't even describe specially because it was such a difficult time for us. The hospital, a nurse, and the anesthiologist called me the day before the next day, and the nurses even called for 2 days after that to make sure I was ok. I was in shock how caring they were and the amount of personal attention I receieved. I am enever going back to cedars again.
Also--my cousin had a horrible experience there as well with her 1st delivery but has no choice but to deliever there (her dr only delievers there)so she did with her 2nd pregnancy as well but wasn't too thrilled either.
Good luck!! I hope you can change back to St. John!!!

The comments I heard from friends who delivered at Cedars were "Yucky" and "It was OK." Not like the comments from St. John's. Why don't you go get a tour? Sounds like you have time since you just delivered!! Congrats on the baby!

I had an appointment C-section at Cedars and really did not like it. First, they rescheduled three times (I was all ready to go to the hospital and hadn't eaten anything and was called and told that they couldn't do it until the next morning, then changed to the afternoon). Mind you, it was a busy season for babies, but still. And am I the only one who was separated from my son for an hour afterward? They sent the mothers to a recovery room and my husband went with the baby. I was stuck downstairs with no word on how the baby was doing until my mother arrived to let me know all was totally okay. Maybe I was hyper stressed since it was my first time out and it will be less stress for you as a second-time mom, but I didn't like the experience. The staff & facilities, however, are great, so don't let that part concern you. Best of luck to you!!

Loved Cedars! Had two c-sections there & the staff was very courteous to me & my husband and babies.

Hi G.,

I delivered at St John's as well so I know just how great it is - your description was right on! I too lost my previous doctor, but found a another great Dr/group that delivers at St Johns. My doctor is Dr. Lillian Morris, their website is http://www.smwha.com
I'm 28 weeks pregnant and have found the doctors & staff to be great.
Hope this helps!
H.

Hi G.,

Having worked as a doula I found Cedars to be much more restrictive and rule bound than either St. John's or Santa Monica UCLA. I also always found the staff at St. John's and the process of waiting for a delivery room much more hospitaable. All the best to you and your family,
K.