Maternity Care: Jessica's Story

"From the moment I arrived, my experience was wonderful. The check-in process was peaceful, and there was a big labor and delivery room waiting for me. The staff treated me like I was the only one there." 
- Jessica Brinkman

Jessica Brinkmann didn’t plan to have her first baby at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. But on a cold December morning in 2016, her water broke. She knew that it was only a matter of time until she went into labor, so she called her doctor, Leslie Simmons, MD, obstetrics and gynecology, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital.

Dr. Simmons was at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital that morning, and recommended that Jessica make the drive from her home in Bethesda. Jessica agreed and is glad she did.

“From the moment I arrived, my experience was wonderful. The check-in process was peaceful, and there was a big labor and delivery room waiting for me. The staff treated me like I was the only one there,” Jessica said.

Over the course of Jessica’s 33-hour labor, the team at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital respected her preferences for labor. “I had a doula, and she and the staff at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital were wonderful.”

Jessica didn’t start contracting naturally, but Dr. Simmons agreed to wait before inducing labor. When Jessica opted for an epidural after laboring more than 12 hours, the anesthesiologist was there right away.

“The labor and delivery environment is very warm and welcoming, with highly competent staff,” Dr. Simmons said. “Everyone on the unit is focused on the moms and the safe delivery of their babies.”

Jessica welcomed her daughter into the world just as she wanted, with no complications. “I appreciated that I was able to follow my birth plan,” Jessica said. “I felt that that the staff listened to me and allowed me to have the delivery I wanted.”

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital’s nurses were outstanding, Jessica said, both during labor and after the birth. Dr. Simmons agrees.

“This hospital is good for a practicing physician because the nursing staff is so highly skilled,” Dr. Simmons said. “I know that my patients will have a consistently positive experience at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital.” Jessica also credits the help she got from the nurses and lactation consultant in the hospital with her ability to breastfeed successfully for 20 months.

Throughout Jessica’s experience, the serenity and privacy of Holy Cross Germantown Hospital stood out. “The personalized attention was amazing. The whole ward could have been totally full, but I would never have known it. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital's level II Neonatal Unit is also fully equipped to handle deliveries of babies born up to two months early. For a newborn requiring more intensive care after birth, parents can have their baby transferred to the Holy Cross Hospital NICU in Silver Spring.

Jessica welcomed her family’s second child at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital in January. Perinatal classes at the hospital include childbirth education, breastfeeding, baby care, fitness, infant safety, support groups and offerings for new dads and grandparents.

To learn more about maternity services at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, visit HolyCrossHealth.org/HCGHMaternity

To sign up for a prenatal tour, visit HolyCrossHealth.org/TourHCGH.