Congratulations. All you need to decide now is where to deliver. This is not always an easy decision to make. Most people don’t think much past the reputation of the hospital when considering the best place to have their baby. Regardless of where you end up, you’ll see people walking around in nursing scrubs, claiming to be the best. As all physicians are qualified, start with the institution that they represent. There are four questions that you’ll want to ask:
Do You Offer Classes?
There is more to labor and delivery than meets the eye, and special training may increase your chances of being able to go through it without panicking when you finally see the delivery team in their nursing scrubs. As you continue to remain calm, you will be able to regulate your baby’s heart beat. Your anxiety can impact theirs. For this reason, it’s important to understand the types of classes that the institution offers. Use this as one of your deciding factors.
Is Baby Allowed in the Room With Me?
You will likely be exhausted in the wake of labor and delivery, but nothing helps you recover more quickly, and nothing is more important to a child’s development, than constant mother-child contact in the first few days of the child’s life. Instrumental for both you and the baby, sleeping in the same room allows you to form a bond, which boosts both of your immune systems. You heal faster and your baby grows quicker.
If you are allowed to have the baby in the room with you, try to take as many bottled feedings as you can when you are released. This helps you heal and prepare your body for long nights.
Can I Stay In the Same Room?
Being moved from room to room can be especially taxing. Child birth is a beautiful experience. Nonetheless, it is one of the most traumatic injuries that the body can endure. Your body will need some R & R, and that will be a tall order if you’re being carted from one room to the next as you try to sleep. Do keep in mind that doctors and nurses do not move patients from one room to the next unless it’s for the greater good, so don’t be too upset if it happens. You just don’t want it to be a constant thing.
What Extra Comforts Are Offered?
Labor would not be called labor if it was not intense. When choosing a hospital in which to have your baby, be very clear on what they have to offer you as your contractions get more intense. Your comfort level affects your child. If all the hospital can offer you is a painkiller, they may not be worth your time. If they are willing to work with you to bring in some of your own comforts – within reason – then that’s a plus.
There are many tools available in labor and delivery departments in your area, including squat bars and birthing balls, as well as baths and showers. The mission of the physicians in labor and delivery is to keep you comfortable through labor and to deliver your child safely.