I gave birth to my second baby in September 2020 at Mt Sinai (Upper East Side). Like every other mother giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a lot of anxiety going in. Luckily, even though the birth itself was pretty awful, everything else about the process went smoothly. Compared to having my first baby at Mt Sinai UES back in 2018, there were a few things that were different because of the coronavirus situation. I’m sharing my experience in case it helps anyone!
- What is the covid-testing situation when giving birth?
- Do you have to wear masks the whole time?
- Do you get a private or shared room at Mt. Sinai?
- Is the nursery open at Mt. Sinai?
- Can you get food delivered at Mt. Sinai?
- How many nights do they let you stay at Mt. Sinai?
What is the covid-testing situation when giving birth?
We were scheduled for an induction so we had to get covid tested the day before (if you go into labor naturally, you will be covid tested when you go to the hospital). You and whoever your birthing partner is (in my case, my husband) go to a tent next to the hospital and get a PCR swab test (the one that goes through your nose and tickles your brain haha). You have to wait in line outside with a bunch of people who think they have covid, even though you have a timed appointment. It’s one of those situations where you feel like you’re catching covid just standing in line!
Luckily, we both tested negative. When we went in to get induced, my husband had to wait downstairs while I was processed through to the L&D room. Once I was in the room my husband got to join me pretty much immediately. They only allow you to have one support person with you, as well as a doula if you have one (we didn’t).
Do you have to wear masks the whole time?
The whole labor and delivery process was the same as when I got induced in 2018 – the only difference is everyone is wearing masks all the time, even if you test negative for COVID. But, the nurses in L&D told us they were ok with us taking our masks off if no one else was in the room. One nurse even took my mask off my face during pushing and said I didn’t have to wear it … cuz I ended up pushing for 3 hours before finally needing a c-section (my baby was 2 lbs bigger than the ultrasound predicted, ugh). After the baby was born, we tried to wear masks in our recovery room every time a nurse came by, but otherwise, we were mask-free.
Do you get a private or shared room at Mt. Sinai?
One big difference in the whole birth process at Mt. Sinai UES during the pandemic is you can no longer purchase a private room for your recovery. After my c-section, the hospital admins tried to stick me in a shared room with another couple and their baby! I was told they tried to put all the covid negative people in shared rooms by themselves and only double up if they have to – but meanwhile, they have like 20 empty private rooms “reserved” for covid positive patients!
The nurse with us told us that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” so my husband unleashed his inner Karen and yelled at people until we got a private room on the 8th floor. It seems a little ridiculous that the hospital is setting aside the private rooms as though 20 covid-positive women in labor are suddenly going to show up in a day. I think everyone at the hospital knows the policy is ridiculous, so just make sure you raise a ruckus and don’t let them stick you in a shared room!!! I was definitely in no condition to be sharing with anyone after 3 hours of pushing and a c section, it would have been hell on earth. I felt like my nurses were all amazing while I was recovering, but they were pretty busy, so having my husband there for immediate needs was essential (again, another reason not to let them stick you in a shared room – partners can’t stay overnight!).
Is the nursery open at Mt. Sinai?
The nursery was closed because of the pandemic, so the baby stayed with us both nights – not super restful. Nurses were in and out every hour to check on me or the baby so the first night we barely got any sleep. The second night our baby had to be put under the photo lights for jaundice – this normally takes place in the nursery but they had to set everything up in our room instead so it was pretty cramped with equipment. And, kinda hard to sleep when your entire room is filled with neon blue light!
Can you get food delivered at Mt. Sinai?
The food situation at Mt. Sinai was not great during my stay because they were renovating the kitchen or something. So, every meal I got was a limited selection of sandwiches and things that can be heated in the microwave. I ordered food to be delivered to the hospital but my husband had to go outside to pick it up – they don’t let your delivery person leave the food in the lobby like in normal times.
How many nights do they let you stay at Mt. Sinai?
We were discharged after 2 nights instead of the standard 3 for c-section (FYI you only get 1 night with a vaginal delivery during covid), but I was ready to go home by then! The nurses sent us home with all the goodies – mesh undies, pads, formula, etc. I think I only reached into my hospital bag for my phone charger the entire time I was there – I could have come to the hospital with nothing at all and been ok.
All in all, had a very positive experience at Mt Sinai UES and I didn’t feel like covid made the L&D experience any worse than when I had my first baby there in 2018 – other than the potential room sharing situation which we resolved. I also felt very safe and not like I had greater exposure risk to covid while at the hospital.
