GLEN OAKS, QUEENS (WABC) — A mother on Long Island went to a hospital on Valentine’s Day to give birth, and she says she ended up delivering her baby alone in a hospital bathroom.<\/p>\n
Eyewitness News spoke exclusively to the parents who now want answers and who want to share their story so no one else experiences the same pain.<\/p>\n
“No woman should have a child in a hospital, in a bathroom, on a labor and delivery floor by themselves,” Paul Rudolph said.<\/p>\n
Leanna Rudolph said she gave birth to the couple’s second son on the triage room bathroom floor at Katz Women’s Hospital in Glen Oaks.<\/p>\n
“I went into the bathroom and my water broke, so I screamed for him to go get someone,” Leanna said.<\/p>\n
“As we all run inside, you see my son dropped to the floor headfirst,” Paul said.<\/p>\n
The couple said it took minutes for nurses to arrive from the first time they screamed for help.<\/p>\n
The traumatic birth started when they checked into the hospital around 2:15 a.m.<\/p>\n
The Rudolphs say they had to wait an hour to get a room.<\/p>\n
While they were waiting, the couple said they told nurses of Leanna’s pain numerous times, but their complaints went unheard.<\/p>\n
“I’m telling you, I’m in the bathroom bleeding. No one came to check me. They said I was fine. I’m literally in a deep squatting position with the railing in the hallway. So now you see that. You see my positioning, all of these things. I’m like, why didn’t anyone just check me?” Leanna said.<\/p>\n
After they got to the triage room, baby Preston was born within minutes.<\/p>\n
“I was really just disappointed with the sense of urgency on their half,” Leanna said.<\/p>\n
Baby Preston has had several appointments with a neurologist since he was born, the couple said.<\/p>\n
“We’re supposed to be in like the newborn phase of like, figuring out feelings and figuring out, like, cues and whatnot and instead we’re like trying to figure out if he’s okay,” Leanna said.<\/p>\n
Katz Women’s Hospital released a statement saying in part, “our labor and delivery team triages expectant mothers based on acuity. Any account of our patients feeling unheard and feeling increased distress while in our care is deeply troubling to us and we take all such concerns with the utmost seriousness.”<\/p>\n
The Rudolphs are trying to stay focused on healing emotionally.<\/p>\n
“So much hate that went on that day, our child was born on a day of love,” Paul said.<\/p>\n
The Rudolphs are demanding the hospital takes accountability and retrain their staff on how to deal with patients.<\/p>\n
Katz Women’s Hospital didn’t comment specifically on the case but says concerns like this would typically prompt an internal review.<\/p>\n
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