What to ask on hospital tour?

DaniGirl0517

Are you supposed to ask questions on the hospital tour?  If so what should you have in mind?  We are doing ours tonight and my main hope is to see the birthing center part where the midwives are supposed to be.  So do I bring a set of questions and a notepad or just keep my mouth shut?

pawcall

I brought a notepad (didn't use it) and had a few questions in mind, but honestly, our tour was really comprehensive that it answered all of the questions I had plus lots I would never have thought of.  Except one.  IS THERE WIFI?!

Seriously - I realize people are irked at the thought of women surfing the net while in labor (especially when they post the fb play by play) but I've known lots of moms who, once they had the epidural, literally sat around thumb-twiddling until go time.

In summary - they will probably answer your questions before you can even ask them, but if not, they're totally open to questions and it never hurts to be prepared.

izzourclue

Like PP, I assume they will cover most of my questions.  But ones I will bring up if they aren't brought up on the tour are;

What are the policies of IV's, continual fetal monitoring, episiotomies, labor time before pitocin is offered/pushed, walking while in labor, hep b shot for newborn etc...

What do the intake papers and consent forms consist of.  I am not planning on consenting to a c-section when I am just starting labor and will consent when they have convinced me its medically necessary.  

I'm sure I will have others but these are ones that have been on my mind.  

darlene'smommy

With my first child I had a list but most were answered during the tour.  I checked them off as I heard the answer.  At the end I asked the questions I had that were not checked off. 

 

I have a few of the same as last time but some are not there because I will have a planned c-section.

 

1. Do you have wifi?  Dh wont be with me as much as the first time because I dont want my 3 year old stuck in the hospital and I will be there for 3-5 days after my c-section.

2. Once baby is born can my dh stay with him the whole time?  After im in my room will dh, myself or a family be allowed with baby the whole time he is out of my room or can everything be done in our room so he does not leave?  dd was never alone with an hospital staff besides the first night I had her because I was not allowed to have her alone do to a c-section.

3. Will you do a unit lock down like last flu season?  Our unit was on lock down and only dh/baby's father and one other person over the age of 18 as allowed to see you.  No one under the age of 18 was able to go in the unit.  All our friends and family live 2 hrs away so besides a baby sitter for dd I dont want anyone to come up if they cant see me or the baby.

4. Is the unit locked so you must speak to a nuse or staff to come in to the unit, will my child have an alarm on him?  I know now that my hospital is locked and you must speak to someone in order to come in.  I want an alarm on my child so no one can take the baby off the unit. 

5. With a c-section can I have my child alone in my room?  This is a good question even if you dont have a planned one just to know.  I did not know and did not like the hospital policy was mom could not be alone with baby until 24 hrs after the c-section. 

DaniGirl0517

I am one of those that hopes there's WIFI!  I think I need a 12 step program at this point...

Well, I will be toting the notebook and a few ?'s in case they aren't answered.  Hope they don't kick me out for being too much of a "hippy" haha.

marclovesme

izzourclue:

What are the policies of IV's, continual fetal monitoring, episiotomies, labor time before pitocin is offered/pushed, walking while in labor, hep b shot for newborn etc...

What do the intake papers and consent forms consist of.  I am not planning on consenting to a c-section when I am just starting labor and will consent when they have convinced me its medically necessary.  

This pretty much encompasses everything I'm going to ask. 

I wrote our birth plan recently, and before I even get into the details I have a set of "important points" which include things I do not want: CFM, an IV and a C-section (unless medically necessary) and things I do want: to walk, walk, walk and have DH with us.

pixieprincss

marclovesme:

izzourclue:

What are the policies of IV's, continual fetal monitoring, episiotomies, labor time before pitocin is offered/pushed, walking while in labor, hep b shot for newborn etc...

What do the intake papers and consent forms consist of.  I am not planning on consenting to a c-section when I am just starting labor and will consent when they have convinced me its medically necessary.  

This pretty much encompasses everything I'm going to ask. 

I wrote our birth plan recently, and before I even get into the details I have a set of "important points" which include things I do not want: CFM, an IV and a C-section (unless medically necessary) and things I do want: to walk, walk, walk and have DH with us.

My questions are along similar lines. The other things I want to know are can I eat/drink at will during labor and can I labor (and even deliver) in any position I want. Then there are questions I don't know if they are givens like: can we decline a bath for LO, can we delay cord cutting until pulsing is done, can we have a ped do anything that requires LO taken out of the room done at his first appt rather than at the hospital.