Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

Mothers Continue to Deliver at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas

Despite the recent Ebola threat mothers are continuing to have their babies at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, but some say they've been met with questions.

Two mothers who delivered babies within the past 48 hours volunteered to talk about their experiences to NBC 5.

Sara Larkin, of Richardson, delivered son Wesley on Monday morning. He is the second child she has delivered at Presbyterian Hospital.

She said when she learned Ebola was spread at the hospital, she was "nervous at first" and relied on reassurances from her doctor.

"I trust my doctor completely. She was incredibly supportive through our first pregnancy and our first child. I felt like coming to her would make us calm," said Larkin. "I can't imagine changing when we were so close to having our baby boy."

Larkin said her doctor explained to her the unit dedicated to labor, delivery and postpartum care is in a different building than where Thomas Eric Duncan was being treated for Ebola. She also said people criticized her decision to proceed with her planned delivery at the North Dallas hospital.

"That was hard, because it makes you feel like you're a bad mom, and I know I'm not," said Larkin.

J.J. Aubrey, who is recuperating from a Cesarean section in the room next to Larkin's, expressed that she received the same sentiments from some family members.

"Some of them trusted what I had to say and were OK with it Some of them still just thought I should transfer," said Aubrey.

Both mothers feel they made the right decisions. They also feel sympathy for hospital staff dealing with the Ebola situation.

"Things are going to happen, and when you're treating a virus with this magnitude and you are provided with equipment that you have on hand, you do the best you can," said Larkin. "I don't blame the hospital. I feel strongly that they did the best they could with what they had at the time."

Dr. John Bertrand, who's been in obstetrics and gynecology for more than 30 years, said 12 to 15 percent of his patients ultimately elected to be treated at the hospital's sister facility in Plano.

"There are some that are just not comfortable, and we understand. We would like to retain those patients and not send them elsewhere. We'd like to continue to serve them, and it's been nice to have a sister facility we could do that in," said Bertrand. "This is a safe building. It's safe to have your baby here."

"This is a great hospital, and people need to understand that this is a great place. It's not their fault that what happened has happened," said Aubrey.

"Our fears are just fears. We're not going to get Ebola just by coming to the same hospital," Larkin added.

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