New York’s moms-to-be are itching to ship there.
However for one lady, the itching didn’t cease when she received house.
After a profitable scheduled Cesarean delivery — her second on the Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Girls and Newborns at 68th and York — one lady claims she got here house with a flea infestation that might require her, her husband, their toddler and their new child to vacate their condominium for fumigators.
The girl, recognized by the pseudonym Lindsay, lately detailed the ordeal to The Lower, noting that she first suspected one thing was off when she was moved into one of many hospital’s a lot buzzed-about non-public postpartum rooms — 5 hours after she ought to have been moved there — solely to search out holes within the bedsheets.
For years, Alexandra Cohen, the devoted maternity unit of the NewYork–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Heart on the Higher East Facet, was identified among the many pregnant elite as the birthing hotspot.
Its bespoke design and spacious marble bogs glistened with the promise of luxurious, as did the stylish Chanel goody luggage despatched house with every new mother and child — the topic of a number of viral TikToks in the previous few years.
Since 2004, when the non-public hospital obtained a $1.5 million endowment from Chanel, sufferers have introduced house two bundles of pleasure: Their child, plus free gadgets from Chanel magnificence. Most lately, that’s been comprised of a branded fabric bag filled with a facial cleanser, fragrance and lipstick, totalling round $200.
The hospital keep itself isn’t free, after all, and a vaginal supply can value sufferers near $30,000.
Lindsay informed The Lower that her first expertise at Alexandra Cohen had been “very good,” although the supply of her first-born was “traumatic” for causes not having to do with the standard of care.
However at 3 a.m. throughout her first night time postpartum together with her second child, Lindsay woke as much as a sense she in comparison with mosquito bites throughout her ankles. She had been carrying “freshly laundered compression socks she’d introduced from house.”
She saved itching even after she received house a number of days later, and seen that the bites gave the impression to be multiplying, finally turning into “throbbing blisters.”
Her ft, in accordance with The Lower, had been “too swollen to placed on sneakers,” and she or he “may barely stroll.”
Ultimately, she caught a bug leaping round in her sheets.
“All I do know is I left my house with not one chunk and got here again from NYP with a number of that grew to dozens,” she mentioned, including that her household has no pets.
The itching was so unhealthy that Lindsay had began to succeed in all the way down to her ankles and scratch, which might be harmful when recovering from a C-section. Paranoid, she additionally began “obsessively vacuuming and scrubbing her condominium,” although it’s suggested to keep away from strenuous actions for six to eight weeks after the surgical procedure.
So as to add insult to itching, Lindsay’s incision reportedly turned contaminated, probably due to the motion, and she or he was prescribed two programs of antibiotics to handle it.
The Lower reported that Lindsay complained to the hospital in regards to the fleas, solely to be met with a patient-services consultant who mentioned Alexandra Cohen was “unable to establish any potential supply for the infestation.”
A spokesperson for the hospital informed The Lower that they “couldn’t touch upon particular person circumstances, citing affected person privateness, although they reiterated that no indicators of fleas had been discovered and famous that the hospital follows a standardized cleansing course of.” They did, nevertheless provide to pay for Lindsay’s house extermination as a “courtesy.”
Chatting with The Publish, a spokesperson added: “The Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Girls and Newborns is thought and sought out by our sufferers for offering distinctive, customized care. That status for excellence is a results of the talent, dedication and compassion of our exceptional groups.
“We’re proud that our sufferers select us to ship their infants — it’s a belief we don’t take flippantly.
In the meantime, different ladies shared their very own experiences with The Lower, alleging that the hospital is “overcrowded” and “poorly managed.”
A number of have given chilling particulars about their deliveries, together with one lady whose again was caked in dried feces from an unknown supply. (It’s extremely widespread for ladies to defecate throughout labor.)
“I perceive {that a} labor-and-delivery setting is unpredictable,” one doula mentioned. “I work in all of the New York Metropolis hospitals. All of them have days the place it’s crazytown.”
Different doulas have complained in regards to the “unclean amenities,” noting that the flooring have been “streaked” with amniotic fluid and noticed with blood and unidentifiable brown liquid.
Nevertheless, different sufferers have reported being completely pleased with their experiences on the hospital, providing rave opinions in response to The Lower’s piece.
“I gave delivery right here and it felt like a 4 Seasons in comparison with each different hospital my associates gave delivery in/described to me,” wrote one Instagram commenter. “The nurses had been unimaginable and the medical doctors had been even higher. I felt genuinely cared for and the rooms had been so clear you can eat off the ground. I actually selected my physician so I may give delivery right here.”
“Delivered December 2025 with my miracle child woman after most cancers,” mentioned one other. “This was the one hospital really useful to me by my oncology group at Memorial Sloane Kettering and my IVF group due to how superb the care is. 100000/10 expertise. They received my daughter right here safely and made me really feel so cared for each step of the way in which.”
One more insisted she had “superb” care, whereas a fourth insisted she “couldn’t have requested for a greater delivery.”
