Dell McCann

Review of Coliseum Medical Center

I remember when Coliseum Medical Centers had the b...

I remember when Coliseum Medical Centers had the best reputation in Macon, GA. I had both my children there (1979 and 1982), and had surgery there in 1991. Excellent care, etc.

My grandchild was born there two days ago, and I was appalled at some of the practices they cling to in the birthing center. Confining laboring mothers to bed except to go to the restroom, no birthing tubs, pushing epidurals even when the expectant mother says her birth plan is to try it without medication, and more. The doctor asked my daughter in law what her birth plan was, and when she was told "skin on skin as soon as possible", the doctor asked what she meant by skin on skin. And this was not some elderly male doctor; this was a young woman! Staff can come get baby and take it to the nursery or wherever, but no one is allowed to go with baby. (Say if they were taking the baby to have its pictures made, family or mom cannot go with them.)

I live in a lower income county in Western North Carolina, and work in the county with the highest teen pregnancy stats in the entire state of NC. Yet in our local hospital are two birthing tubs, laboring moms are not routinely confined to bed with two monitors strapped across their tummies, laboring moms are allowed to walk in the halls if they wish to help labor along. The cord is not routinely cut until it has stopped pulsating. If the baby must leave the mother's room for any reason, the spouse or in our case when my daughter had her child the mom's mother, are allowed to go with Baby.

The nurse on duty the morning of my granddaughter's birth was on top of her game. She realized both mother and baby were in immediate danger as soon as she came in at the beginning of her shift, and thanks to her quick thinking and the doctor being in the room, they saved both mother and baby. I am convinced we would have lost one or both of them otherwise.

Coliseum Medical Centers really needs to get out of the 70s and 80s when it comes to birthing practices.