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 Ladies 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 condo for fumigators.
The lady, recognized by the pseudonym Lindsay, just lately detailed the ordeal to The Minimize, noting that she first suspected one thing was off when she was moved into one of many hospital’s a lot buzzed-about personal postpartum rooms — 5 hours after she ought to have been moved there — solely to seek 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 loos 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 personal hospital acquired a $1.5 million endowment from Chanel, sufferers have introduced house two bundles of pleasure: Their child, plus free objects from Chanel magnificence. Most just lately, that’s been comprised of a branded material 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 Minimize 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 evening 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 sporting “freshly laundered compression socks she’d introduced from house.”
She stored itching even after she received house a number of days later, and observed that the bites appeared to be multiplying, ultimately turning into “throbbing blisters.”
Her toes, in keeping with The Minimize, have been “too swollen to placed on sneakers,” and she or he “might barely stroll.”
Ultimately, she caught a bug leaping round in her sheets.
“All I do know is I left my house with not one chew 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 achieve all the way down to her ankles and scratch, which could be harmful when recovering from a C-section. Paranoid, she additionally began “obsessively vacuuming and scrubbing her condo,” 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 Minimize 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 Minimize 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 supply to pay for Lindsay’s house extermination as a “courtesy.”
Chatting with The Submit, a spokesperson added: “The Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Ladies and Newborns is understood and sought out by our sufferers for offering distinctive, customized care. That status for excellence is a results of the ability, dedication and compassion of our outstanding groups.
“We’re proud that our sufferers select us to ship their infants — it’s a belief we don’t take calmly.
In the meantime, different ladies shared their very own experiences with The Minimize, 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 frequent for girls to defecate throughout labor.)
“I perceive {that a} labor-and-delivery surroundings 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 services,” noting that the flooring have been “streaked” with amniotic fluid and noticed with blood and unidentifiable brown liquid.
Nonetheless, different sufferers have reported being completely pleased with their experiences on the hospital, providing rave critiques in response to The Minimize’s piece.
“I gave delivery right here and it felt like a 4 Seasons in comparison with each different hospital my buddies gave delivery in/described to me,” wrote one Instagram commenter. “The nurses have been unbelievable and the docs have been even higher. I felt genuinely cared for and the rooms have been so clear you could possibly eat off the ground. I actually selected my physician so I might give delivery right here.”
“Delivered December 2025 with my miracle child woman after most cancers,” mentioned one other. “This was the one hospital beneficial to me by my oncology group at Memorial Sloane Kettering and my IVF group due to how wonderful 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 best way.”
One more insisted she had “wonderful” care, whereas a fourth insisted she “couldn’t have requested for a greater delivery.”
