Birthing Story at Metro North Hospital


I think most pregnant woman living in Quezon City has at least once typed-in on the search bar of Google the words "maternity package in Quezon City." I should know, because I did it in my three pregnancies. And I always end up getting search results on hospitals except the one I was eyeing for. Haha!

maternity package quezon city


Warning: This is a long post so you'd better get that kornik and Nagaraya while you're at it! :)


Two months ago, I gave birth to my third child which we fondly call Ignis or Baby I. You can read more about my pregnancy here and here.


The Search

Since I changed OBs, I had to look for a different hospital. My current OB-Sonologist, Dr. Katrina Adan, is affiliated with hospitals within Quezon City which I think is great since we are from QC. From her list, I came up with two hospitals to choose from: Providence Hospital along Quezon Avenue and Metro North Medical Center and Hospital along Mindanao Avenue.

In December we went to Metro North to have an ultrasound and check out the hospital. I went and asked their billing department but they were not able to give me any maternity packages that time. Hence, I did not bother to look at their rooms.

In February, I went to Providence and inquired on their maternity package.

They were also accomodating and gave me permission to take pictures.

maternity package providence hospital quezon avenue
Single Private room of Providence Hospital


I wanted to give birth at Providence because 1) it's near and accessible to public transport, 2) it's new, 3) facilities look great 4) package seems reasonable 5) I already have a pedia in mind that has a clinic there

I told my OB about my preference and we were just waiting for my pregnancy to progress so we can discuss details of my D-day.

A month before my scheduled C-section, my doctor informed me of the newest maternity package (does not include the professional fees of doctors) of Metro North that offers huge discounts. A week after, I went to the hospital and I was really surprised with the ongoing promo. If I'd give birth at Metro North, I could save 20-30k as compared to Providence! Whoa. Okay. I had to rethink. I prefer Providence due to its accessibility and facilities but if I go here, we can save a lot of money. And we have to find ways to save because giving birth is not cheap.

That same afternoon, I checked the rooms together with my doctor.

Astig ng doctor ko, sinamahan pa talaga ako.

I took pictures and videos and showed them to my husband that night.

Suite

maternity package
Single Private Room

The maternity package promo we availed. Available only for non-complicated pregnancies.
 This does not include the professional fees of the doctors, medicines and other items used while admitted.


A few discussions later, we decided to choose Metro North.



Metro North Medical Center and Hospital

Let me give you a tour of the hospital first. I wasn't able to get enough pictures so please bear with me.


Ground floor

hospital mindanao avenue
Reception lobby of Metro North Hospital


If you are using an HMO card, they have one office that processes all HMO requests at the ground floor. It is located where the Billing and Cashier counters are. They have a lunch break at 12-1PM so expect a long queue after break. Don't worry, you just need to present your card, sit down, and wait for your name to be called.



Second floor

This is where the NICU, Labor, Operating,and Recovery rooms are.



Third floor

On this floor is the ultrasound room, canteen, and doctor clinics.

Their canteen's price is affordable (except for the cookies I recently bought which I thought was overrated and overpriced) and it reminded me of school cafeterias. The food selection is limited pero in fairness masarap.



Fourth floor

The left wing of the hospital houses the administrative offices including the medical records section. This is where the mini chapel is located. The right wing on the other hand houses doctors' clinics and patient's rooms.
hospital
Mini chapel inside Metro North Medical Center


Fifth and Sixth floor

These floors have doctors' clinics and patient's rooms.

The hallways are not airconditioned however there are wall fans that patients can turn on while waiting for their appointments.


Parking
They have two levels of basement parking available for free. If you have a bigger vehicle, best to take the slots in basement 2 since according to others the slots there are wider.


D-day

I scheduled my elective CS on a Sunday. The Friday before that I had my final check-up and ultrasound to check the position of the baby. He was transverse, asa baba yung bum bum nya. He rotated 180 degrees! Kaya pala ang sakit ng tiyan ko. Nag somersault si baby sa loob two weeks before the delivery date!

Hubby and I went to the hospital late in the afternoon of Saturday for admission. I already reserved a room a day before and they gave me the one on the 4th floor. The process at the admitting office was swift, it was the wait for a nurse assistant to bring us to my room that took at least 20 minutes.

The room they gave me had a view of Mindanao and Congressional Avenues. However upon inspection, I noticed that the air-conditioning was dripping water inside the room where the long John (upuan) was. So I asked the nurse in-charge of the wing if I can move to a different room. We transferred to the room across. My window did not have a view but I am OK with my room. There was a cabinet, cable TV, fridge, side table drawers, and a long John.

My room on the 4th floor

We were given by the admitting office the username and password for the free wifi but the signal was so bad we ended up not using their wifi.

The reviews I read online about their cable TV said that there were very few channels so I didn't expect to watch any shows. I was surprised though that they were using Cignal as cable subscription. We use Cignal at home. Although there were limited channels, we were more than satisfied that the TV has Star Movies and HBO channels. Solb na kami dun.

My OB visited me in my room that night to my delight and surprise! My operation was scheduled in the morning so I needed to do fasting by midnight. When I gave birth to Z in 2015, my last food intake was dinner hence I was sooo hungry even before I started fasting. So this time, I stuffed myself before fasting began. Haha! Ayoko na magutom ng bongga again to the point na babagsak na ang blood glucose.

I took a bath and changed into my hospital robes before midnight. The nurse came in after and placed my IV and dextrose.

By 630AM of Sunday, I got ready for the operation. They wheeled me out of my room by 7am.

When we entered the operating room, I gave the nurse my mobile phone and instructed them to use it to take photos of me and the baby.

While I waited at the recovery room, there was another lady who gave birth and was about to be wheeled back to her room.

Anyway, I met my OB there and for the first time my anaesthesiologist, Dr. Randee Cruz. She was a warm lady who interviewed me and explained the procedures she will do to me. She told me that she wants to make sure that my birthing experience would be safe and smooth.

Just before the operation Dra. Rhandee administered thru my IV a medicine that made me drowsy and eventually I fell asleep. There were very few moments that I was awake while on the operating table. I remember waking up because I felt like I was going to throw up. And then I woke up and heard the baby cry.

I fell asleep again and when I woke up, Dra. Cruz was putting powder on my face and then they told me they'd be bringing Ignis to me. Yes, I had a makeup session on the operating table! Hahaha!

We had our unang yakap and our pictures were taken. Baby Ignis breastfed on me and I fell asleep again just a few minutes after he latched. The next time I woke up, I was already back at the recovery room.

giving birth in quezon city
Clockwise from upper left: Dra. Adan holding Ignis; Baby Boy is out; love at first sight; little burrito at NICU

The medical asked me how I was and I was so groggy I couldn't remember what the questions were nor my answers. But I specifically remember they asked me if I could move my legs. I couldn't at that time and they said they'd wait until I can move them before they wheel me back to my room.

They wheeled me back to my room in the afternoon and I just slept and slept.

When I finally had my eyes opened for a longer time, they have asked me what time would I like the baby to be brought to my room. I was so sleepy that I told them to bring Ignis at 6PM.

The hospital does not have a welcome kit except for the thermometer for him. So the Hubby had to bring down to NICU his clothes and diapers.

By 4PM, I was already checking on my older kids and coordinating with my side of the family because they were arriving that night to visit me and the baby.

Baby Ignis was brought to my room that night and he is such a cutie.

The nurse from NICU that brought him told me to call for her tomorrow for the baby's bath. She said she gives the babies baths. So, okay.

With my baby love

I was able to pass gas that night and my IV was removed. On Monday, Dra. Adan went to check me and was advised to start on soft diet and start to move around and walk. Dra. Cruz also went to my room and checked on me. She massaged my back and legs, and she combed my hair. She's so sweet!

When I asked the nurse on duty on my room to give the baby a bath on Monday morning, they said that they will give Ignis a bath and not the nurses from NICU. We got confused because the lady told us the night before that they (NICU) will give him a bath, and not the nurses on that wing. To make me even more pissed, they don't have a bath soap for the baby. I didn't know I had to bring one. The first two deliveries I had the hospitals provided for their soaps (included in the baby kit). I didn't bring his soap because I thought it would be covered. And so, my son was not able to take a bath that day.

In the afternoon, Dra. Victoria, the pedia of Ignis visited him. We had concern since the baby has not pooped yet. She has decided to schedule his newborn tests in the morning instead.

On Tuesday, Ignis finally had his bath and I asked the husband to take a video since they did it at the nurse's station. I was really disappointed because the nurse took time instead of the supposed quick bath for a newborn. I can also sense in him that he was not confident enough in what he was doing. The male nurse was a nice guy so we just let it pass.

Dra. Adan visited me that morning and handed me their gift. How sweet!!

Gift from our doctors! Our first photo together

We were scheduled to go home that morning since I was able to poop already and got my OB's discharge order. Now we only have to complete Ignis' newborn tests before we can head home. But lo and behold! The hospital ran out of strip that is used for newborn screenings. Like what?! Ano ba yun? Pauwi na kami tapos abala pa. Ano yan babalik pa kami bukas or any day para mag newborn screening? Minutes and hours passed by and I was really frustrated. I have packed our stuffs already, paid our bills and we were just waiting for the baby's tests to be completed.

Around past 11, they have informed us that Ignis will have his hearing tests conducted that morning before we go home and that his newborn test will be completed a week after, on his follow-up check-up with the pedia.

Finally we can go home. Yay!

We got home before 1PM and the older kids welcomed their baby brother.


The Recovery

I have recovered well and fast! It really helped that I breastfeed both Ignis and Zoe that my bleeding stopped in just a few days. I was surprised I was able to walk comfortably in just days after the operation.

I saw my OB every few days in the last eight weeks so she can closely monitor my recovery. My previous OBs saw me only once after the operation but with Dra. Adan, she makes sure that I was recovering well.


Overall Experience

The medical staff of the hospital are courteous however we have noted that the nurses are not trained to coordinate properly with the other departments. There was a disconnect with the nurse on-duty and the admitting office, and the situation we had with NICU.

We also noted the bureaucracy of the person in-charge of Philhealth at the Billing office. He/she instructed my husband to give another form which in fact was no longer required in the new process of Philhealth. Nagkamali ang tao nila sa pagpapahirap ng process sa Husband ko. Hubby knows what he's talking about. He's an expert on government benefits and processes and their staff messed-up with the wrong person.

Paano na lang kung ibang tao ang ginawan ng ganun nung staff nila? Di makapagprocess ng philhealth dahil pinapahirapan kumuha ng dokumento na di naman kailangan? Napahiya tuloy yung staff nila kasi when they checked, tama yung husband ko. Next time, alamin kasi at gawin ng tama ang trabaho.

Anyway, the people at NICU and medical records texts us for updates and concerns.

The other staffs, including guards, okay naman silang lahat. Mababait naman at maasikaso. Yung sekretarya ng OB ko mabait naman at laging nagtetext for reminders.

We are okay with the facilities. Nalilinis palagi ang room. Malamig ang aircon. Masarap ang food. It's not as beautiful as Medical City but they were able to provide a great stay. Andun ka naman para manganak at hindi magstaycation so I have no complaints.

I have nothing but praises to my doctors. They are professionals who know their crafts well and they can connect with their patients like family. I am very pleased with my doctors specially my OB who has always been with me in this journey. I also appreciate that she looks beyond my pregnancy and that we get to discuss family planning.

Our incredible medical team:

OB Gyn Sonologist - Dr. Katrina Fidelina Adan
Anesthesiologist - Dr. Mercedes Rhandee Cruz
Assistant OB - Dr. Rica Castro
Pediatrician - Dr. Justina Victoria


Overall, I am happy with my birthing experience at Metro North Hospital. Me and Ignis are healthy and that's more important.


Baby I is doing well and gaining weight steadily. He is exclusively breastfed along with his Ate Z. Yes, I am doing tandem breastfeeding! Kaya ko pala!

Will you say a little prayer for my baby? Thank you!

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Hi po. How much po total ng binayaran nyo po kasama po ang pf? Thank u po..

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    2. Email nyo po ako sa petitemomma18@gmail.com :)

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  2. Can i ask? how much po total bill nio?

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    Replies
    1. Hi! Please send me a message in my Facebook page or email me at petitemomma18@gmail.com :)

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  3. hello Sis, due na ako this August 9 actually 3 days nalang sa Providence. Ask ko lang how much package na naibigay sayo doon and yung nabayad mo sa Metro North. Salamat! Inemail kita sa gmail. -Kristel

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  4. Hi! Second child na po yan? same OB din nung first kayong nanganak? Iniisip ko kasi lumipat ng OB. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Third child. Magkakaiba po OBs ko sa first, second, and third po.

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  5. Hello magkano po package if CS sa Metro north? Thanks po.

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    Replies
    1. Nakasulat po sa taas po. Nasa post po. Di po kasama sa package yung professional fees ng doctors po.

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  6. Magkano po ang Cs package sa Metro north po?

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  7. Hi! How much po ung PF ng anesthesiologist nio? Please email me collette.carsola@gmail.com thanks

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. Been looking for dr rica castro, she’s my ob way back 2010, and now om 6 mos preggy want her to be my ob again, do you any contact with her?

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    1. Sorry, but I don't have any contact of the assistant OB during my delivery. I only communicated with Dra. Adan.

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