NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns — Local services in New York

So sad to be posting this review however my husband and I are truly traumatized and all of my worst labor fears were made true by the conduct of this hospital.

As a first time parent this was nothing I could have imagined my experience to be at the hands of the hospital.

I was trying to have a natural birth w/no epidural. When I went into labor at 3:30am , I called the office who instructed me to go in based on the timing of my contractions. I still chose to labor at home as long as possible before I went in later that night. I instead was sent home from triage and told by the OB on duty that they were having a “surge” of deliveries and was selfishly taking up a bed from someone who needed one if I wasn’t willing to labor at home until I was 8cm - which would feel like the pain was so bad I couldn’t speak through contractions, or was soaking a pad an hour with blood. I explained that it was THEIR OFFICE that was calling me and instructing me to come in and she callously told me that if I kept calling them enough of course they were going to tell me to go in. (I hadn’t continuously called them). I labored for two days before coming back in and refusing to leave.

The several PAs and OBs that came into triage to talk to me told me that management was refusing to admit me unless I agreed beforehand to an epidural. I was crying and trying to explain I was trying to do it without the epidural and they said that management was prioritizing patients who needed pain management so unless I would immediately get an epidural I couldn’t be admitted. I said fine. We waited several more hours in triage before two doctors came in and said I was being sent home because management wasn’t convinced that I was going to agree to the epidural. At this point I was begging for it just to get admitted.

They said- fine we will take you in but your room won’t have a window. (See photo below).

I got put in a room that felt like a jail cell -completely suspended of all my sense of time. The back wall was painted black and chipping and I had several panic attacks to my husband throughout my labor- crying that I was willing to do whatever to get out of there and was going nuts having no idea what time of day it was .

I of course immediately received the epidural and then was immediately made to start pitocin and a cervical balloon to move my labor along.

Very long story short I labored completely deliriously in this dark room for another day and a half before it all ended in an emergency C section as the baby’s heart rate wasn’t stable.

God knows what would have happened if I didn’t insist on being admitted and followed that OBs instructions- or if all of their unnecessary interference and forcing of medical procedures on me caused all of this after the healthiest pregnancy one could ask for.

Anyway, throughout my stay and sharing my experience with EVERY provider I encountered they all said the same thing: most of the patients they deliver for don’t even receive their care at Weill Cornell. They drive from far and wide just to deliver because of the amenities and a Chanel gift bag you receive at discharge (that apparently is going viral on TikTok) They have expressed begging management to stop with the gift bags as they are overworked.

I was a patient my entire pregnancy at Weill Cornell and they ruined my birth experience and put me and my baby at great risk. I can’t even think about it without crying.

If you’re curious about the amenities check out the room you could get.

And spoiler alert: there was no Chanel gift...

Absolutely wonderful birth experience. I requested to have an elective C-section from the beginning of my pregnancy and I appreciated that my doctors gave me all the information regarding not just my birth plan but my plan for my family in the future and that helped me decide between a vaginal and C-section birth. As a woman, I have heard horror stories from countless of women and a social media about how terrible C-section is how difficult C-section is, how traumatic C-section can be. But for me, I appreciate that I entered the procedure with the mindset that it was going to be an elective C-section and I felt mentally prepared for the upcoming recovery. And the entire birth experience with the surgery was absolutely a blessing. I feel so grateful and privileged to be able to say I had a wonderful birth experience at Alexandra Cohen and I truly contribute that to the entire staff and including my surgeon, Dr. Andrea Dobrenis. The recovery process at the hospital was phenomenal. My entire family was very impressed with the staff. Very impressed with the education by the doctors and very impressed by the care by the entire treatment team and the biggest perk, very impressed by the gorgeous room. After our three day stay in the recovery suite, we learned so much from the nurses there, and we gain the confidence to be able to take care of our little one before we got discharged. I truly am amazed at how easy the transition was to motherhood and how calming and relaxing the child birth experience was. I truly accredited this to Alexandra Cohen hospital. We traveled from New Jersey and both my husband and multiple friends/family members said I was a bit crazy to do this commute and a bit crazy to commit to delivering in New York City when we have other great hospitals nearby. One of my closest friends delivered at this hospital and her experience to me truly felt magical and I felt also that I would be in very good hands. God forbid there was a medical emergency during the birth, I had full faith and trust in the doctors and that is what really kept me at this clinic for my entire birth experience. I did not worry about my own health during the childbirth and I of course, did not worry about my child’s health because I knew this hospital had the resources to be able to take care of us if the worst case scenario ever did happen. And to me that peace of mind was well worth the commute and well worth the time, money, and energy to deliver at this hospital. I will be delivering my next kid here and I’m constantly raving for people to choose this hospital for the entire treatment and amazing care I received. I am forever grateful and thankful...

This review is for dr. Abdelmalek and also the team at antepartum. I gave birth 6 months ago and have been back and forth about writing a review. Firstly I did not end up using this doctor for delivery or Alexandra Cohen hospital. I had a history of miscarriages and preterm labor, which I told this doctor. At around 27 weeks I started to feel some pressure and lost my mucus plug, I told the office and I was dismissed saying its growing pains. Fast forward to 30 weeks I went in for a visit and complained of pain again, reluctantly he examined me and discovered I had a short cervix. I work as Respiratory Therapist so I asked to be placed on bed rest as my Job gets very busy and hectic. I was given steroid shots incase I went into labor. Fast forward to a couple weeks later my pain increased, I went in one night and I was 3cm dilated and progressed to 5cm dilated. They prepped me for delivery, placed a epidural however this doc came in and insisted he did not want to induce me because there was no need. My labor stalled and after one week of being gaslighted in the hospital they sent me home. When i would have contractions they would chart that I am anxious. They charted I was 5cm dilated for the whole time I was there. I was discharged at 35 weeks and when I expressed concern about being home this dilated and if I should have a plan to go to closer hospital (I live in NJ) a doctor at Cornell said I can deliver on the street if I want. when i returned to the office I once again told him I can barely walk he didn't examine me, He told me maybe its my weight. I have all of our conversations recorded fyi. Literally a couple days later i walked into another hospital I was 7cm dilated. They broke my water and I delivered within a hour at 36 weeks with a healthy baby. I feel like certain demographics get treated differently. My husband and I also are in healthcare for a very long time and can read through when the team is gaslighting you. I'm not sure why he insisted on getting me to full term, they kept mentioning NICU, which my husband worked NICU at Cornell which is the sad part. Even a full term baby can end up in NICU. My baby was healthy. As for indications, as per my gyn now, being 5cm dilated is indication enough, I also had gestational diabetes which is indication. He kept me in active labor for weeks, I am so traumatized and scared of being pregnant, I work right by this hospital and I literally have PTSD walking by the facility. Due to being in labor so long I had to get pelvic floor PT. I would be cautious with this facility, unless you fit their criteria of...