The Hospital Experience

I admit it. I initially wanted to deliver Cooper where all his siblings were born - back in Peoria at OSF. Dr. Lee was there, it was familiar and ... well, tradition. I even had it all worked out in my head. Well, thankfully, calmer heads prevailed and I gradually warmed to the idea of a local doctor and hospital. Still, I wondered if my experience here could ever compare. I couldn't be happier with the end result.

Because both of my doctors ended up being really special to me, I'll do a little bit more on them later. We ended up at Lutheran Hospital - just down the road from our house. It is a large hospital and the Labor and Delivery Unit hasn't been as "updated" (decorating) as some of the other hospitals in the area. However, when I consulted with various nurses and docs in the area, an overwhelming majority was convinced it had the superior nursing care. It also has an amazing reputation for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and while I hoped we wouldn't need it (and didn't), I wanted it on campus. True, I didn't receive a complimentary Vera Bradley diaper bag, but my experiences there were so positive I could write a commercial on their behalf.

One very special thing they did was to throw a small "birthday party" for Cooper. They made a special point to invite the kids and sent up a tray - complete with a cake and "champaign." They even sent the cool plastic flutes. Claire still uses hers. To a 7, 5, and 3 year old kid, this was really living it up.

When our insurance stated it would pay for 96 hours post C-section, I decided that sounded like a vacation. With the room service, housekeeping, and free nursery care, it almost was. I could have done without the incision, catheter and IV, but hey - you can't have everything. The "pain pump" was pretty alright too - I could push that handy little button every 15 minutes. Never had that in Peoria. Definitely an upgrade.

I did miss home. When I glimpsed the NICU and all the little babies with all the issues surrounding their families, I was so aware of how blessed we were to have stayed only four days and going home with a happy, healthy little guy. A huge heartfelt "thank you" to Lutheran Hospital and all their staff. You've made a lasting impression on this family. God Bless.