Which hospital for delivering a baby? Washington Regional vs Mercy vs Freeman

Not for me obviously, I'm too old for that ha. My daughter and son-in-law are expecting in January, first grandbaby, and they're going back and forth on where to deliver. Washington Regional, Mercy, or Freeman (the old Northwest / Willow Creek). They're out on the east side so Washington Regional is closest, but I told them not to pick just on distance.

I've been spending my evenings between Bulldog playoff games and finishing the nursery (new outlets, trim, the works) so I'm no help on the hospital part. Folks say the NICU matters more than the nice room, and I tend to agree. Hope they never need it but if they do you want it right there.

So who did you use and how'd it go? Nurses, billing, parking, all of it. A bad billing story is worth knowing before you go in, not after. And if it ices up in January I'd like to know how bad that drive to Rogers would be.

Appreciate any honest answers, good or bad.

Congrats grandpa! We had ours at Washington Regional last year and I'd do it again. Nurses on the postpartum side were really good, and having it 10 min from the house instead of a drive up to Rogers was nice when things started moving faster than expected.

Only real gripe was parking, the garage was a mess when we went in and we circled a while. Billing took a couple months to settle and the first statement didn't match what insurance said, so call your insurance ahead and ask what's in network. Don't wait on that.

For January I'd tell them to just head in early if the forecast looks sketchy. 49 usually gets treated quick but the side streets and hills around here are another story.

Go Dawgs btw, hope the nursery gets done before the playoff run does lol

Thank you, Kyle, this is the kind of detail Carlos was hoping for. The point about calling insurance ahead is a good one. It's also worth asking the hospital's billing or financial counseling office for an estimate, and asking whether the delivering physician and anesthesia group are in network as well, since those can be billed separately.

For anyone else weighing in, please mention roughly when you delivered, as staffing and billing practices change over the years. Carlos's daughter would also benefit from hearing what each hospital's NICU level is, and whether you toured the labor and delivery unit beforehand. Most offer tours, and they're worth doing before January.

Congratulations to the family, Carlos. Go Bulldogs.

Thanks Stephanie. We delivered last fall, so about a year ago. Staffing could be different now, though I'd guess the nurses are mostly the same crew.

We did the L&D tour a couple months out and I'd say do it. Seeing where you actually park and walk in at 2am would've saved us the garage circling. The nurse leading ours answered a ton of questions too.

Good call on anesthesia. Ours was billed separately, and I think that's a big part of why that first statement didn't line up with what insurance told us. As for the NICU level, I think WR is a Level III but don't quote me. Ask on the tour and get it straight from them.