We are very lucky here in the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex to have so many options available to expecting families as they choose the best place to welcome their baby. We have lots of hospitals, birth centers and hone birth midwvies. A large part of having the birth that you hope for is matching your needs and desires with a birth place that will best help you achieve them…and that is not always at the hospital that is located closest to you. This series on options in the Dallas and Fort Worth area will be helpful if you are considering your options of where to deliver your baby and it will also be helpful if you have already chosen where your baby will be arriving but you want a few more details as you are making final plans for the big day. This series will highlight several of the area hospitals and birth centers where we often go with our doula clients, so if look for all the posts in this series to find out the 411 of having a baby in DFW.
Today we talk about BAYLOR FRISCO.
Baylor Frisco is located in the south western corner of Frisco and is convenient to the Dallas Tollway and Highway 121. It is less than a 20 minute drive from from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Lewisville, Allen and The Colony – basically all north Dallas suburbs.
Parking – Easy and FREE. All parking is close to the main entrance.
Food – Excellent food for both partners during their stay (As far as we know, this is the only hospital in the area that feeds *both* of you during your stay.) The cafeteria is small but has great food options. Unfortunately it also has very limited hours. Snacks including ice cream, (good) coffee and pastries are available free throughout the hospital including in a snack area on the labor and delivery wing. A celebration meal of steak or lobster is given to the birthing woman and her partner on the last day of their stay. (Please note: Laboring women are usually restricted to clear fluids or ice during labor.)
Rooms– Large and relatively new.
NICU info – Level 3
Breastfeeding Support – In the past, Baylor Frisco was designated by the state as a Baby Friendly Hospital, which meant it met a high level of being breastfeeding friendly. That has changed over the last few years and it is not as supportive of breastfeeding as it was in the past, but it is still provides the average support of the area.
Can you get in the tub or shower during labor? There are no tubs in the labor rooms, however rooms have large showers that may be used.
Will your healthy baby go to the nursery? Probably not, as it is not a standard procedure and in most cases your baby will stay with you after delivery.
How will you be monitored? If you do not request intermittent monitoring, the default is that you will be on continuous monitoring throughout your labor. If you request intermittent monitoring they will honor that request unless there are medical needs that do not allow it (use of pitocin or epidural included). Typically women who request to be intermittently monitored have 30 mins on the monitors and 30 minutes off. During the 30 mins of monitoring, the belts are re-attached and thus the woman must remain close to the bed.
Is Telemetry monitoring available? Yes (assuming they can find the device and that it has a working battery, which has not always been the case).
Saline Lock available? Yes
Is Baylor Frisco supportive of women planning a natural birth? Yes, though this varies by provider.
Does Baylor Frisco offer Family Center Cesareans? No
Is Baylor Frisco VBAC friendly? No
What is the Cesarean Rate for Baylor Frisco? 15.5 % of low risk births were via Caesarean in 2012 (the latest data available) www.cesareanrates.com
Are doulas able to support women in the OR during a Cesarean delivery? No
Other notes – Baylor Frisco is partially owned by some of the physicians that work there. Women sign a disclosure upon admittance saying that they understand the ownership structure and that their doctor may benefit monetarily from the profit the hospital makes from their care. If you are ever concerned about any test or procedure being performed, obviously ask about the risks and benefits. This holds true no matter where you are!
Do you have other specific concerns about having a baby at Baylor Frisco or would you like recommendations for specific providers we have seen give amazing care to our clients? Call us and we can chat about it!
Contact info : Baylor Medical Center at Frisco
5601 Warren Parkway
Frisco, TX 75034 www. bmcf.com