Marie Fordham

Review of Crozer Chester Medical Center

I am typically not one to leave reviews online, bu...

I am typically not one to leave reviews online, but due to my terrible experience at Crozer-Chester Medical Center I felt it was necessary. I am a young woman who gave birth on 7/29/20 to my first child, my daughter. I was happy with my OBGYN s maternity and prenatal care at Crozer-Chester, so, despite my moving back to Chester County with my family, I decided to continue there to give birth. My labor experience was absolutely fine. And then I was transferred to the postpartum floor. After the first night, my daughter lost some weight and was having trouble latching on for breastfeeding so the hospital pediatrician recommended I stay another night. After spending more time with the lactation specialist, the next day I felt more confident in taking my baby home. The Dr. and I agreed that he would check in later in the day to make sure she was still eating well. But, shortly after, he came back in and stated that as he was doing his billing he noticed for the first time that I was taking a prescription medication, which I had listed at admission and took with the knowledge and support of my Ob/Gyn. He said that because I had taken this mediation he wanted to keep my baby in the hospital for observation. By then, she was eating well and was a healthy baby. I stated that since she wasn t exhibiting any withdrawal symptoms and is otherwise healthy, I would like to still take her home. I, also, already had a pediatrician appointment scheduled. I was shocked when the Dr. then threatened to call CYS if I insisted on taking my baby home from a hospital, mind you, in the midst of a pandemic! As a new mom, this immediately tore me apart. I had just gone through labor, was still extremely hormonal, exhausted, and fearful of being a single mom. Discussions that followed with this Dr. made me feel extremely belittled and hurt and took a tremendous toll on my mental health. From the beginning, I had always been honest with the hospital doctors by explaining that I was in recovery and had almost a year sober. I feel that due to the stigma associated with addiction and the staff s ignorance and lack of knowledge regarding the recovery process I was bullied and treated as less than. I offered to bring my baby to her pediatrician appointment the next day, and even tried transferring her to a different hospital for a second opinion, but he was not satisfied with these choices. He even had the audacity to ask personal questions, such as, why my daughter s father was not there during her birth. I felt trapped and torn since I was being told that if I tried to take my baby home they would call security and child protection services, despite her not having any withdrawal symptoms. I became depressed and fearful of asking any of the staff for any help or even leaving the room. Then was told that I could not stay at the hospital with my nursing baby but could only visit her during the day. The thought of my newborn being in a hospital alone without me - during a pandemic stressed me out even more. The threats, bullying and discrimination I experienced at Crozer-Chester is something I will never forget. In a place where I should have felt safe and comfortable after giving birth, I felt trapped and depressed instead. For these reasons, I, personally, will never choose to go back to this hospital again.