DH and I have a tour scheduled tonight at the Birthing Center within the hospital I plan to deliver at. Does anyone have any tips of things to look for or questions I should ask on the tour? I really have no idea what I'm doing! LOL
I wouldn't worry about questions so much. They'll tell you where everything is. If you have questions later you can call them or you can ask your doctor. I do like to know where the baby goes. At my hospital they put baby up on your chest as soon as it's born. Unless there's something wrong, then the baby is brought over to one of the warming bed things.
One thing that I plan to do this time is ask the nurse if she can take a few pictures for me. DH is horrible at taking pictures and we won't be having anybody else at the birth.
Yes! That's one big question for me: when the baby is born, do you take him/her away or examine bedside or on my chest?
Also,
What do I need to do to get a private room? This might not be important for everyone but it is for us and it's something I don't want to have to figure out while we're there.
Do you have labor, delivery and recovery rooms or are they different rooms? They used to move you to a delivery room and then to a recovery room but a lot of hospitals now have rooms where you can labor, deliver and recover without leaving.
If I have a C-section, will you take baby away or examine in the OR? This was a big one and along the same lines of the first one. I have a friend that sent her husband away to be with baby in the other room while she was being closed up. I'd be so emotional I would probably cry! LOL
Ladies - I'm in a decorating mood. Help me pick a paint color for baby's room. We're team green and I'm considering some sort of animal themed room. The furniture is a medium brown.
while you're at it, shop for me too and pick a bedding set from target. So many cute ones.
DH and I have a tour scheduled tonight at the Birthing Center within the hospital I plan to deliver at. Does anyone have any tips of things to look for or questions I should ask on the tour? I really have no idea what I'm doing! LOL
I wouldn't worry about questions so much. They'll tell you where everything is. If you have questions later you can call them or you can ask your doctor. I do like to know where the baby goes. At my hospital they put baby up on your chest as soon as it's born. Unless there's something wrong, then the baby is brought over to one of the warming bed things.
One thing that I plan to do this time is ask the nurse if she can take a few pictures for me. DH is horrible at taking pictures and we won't be having anybody else at the birth.
Yes! That's one big question for me: when the baby is born, do you take him/her away or examine bedside or on my chest?
Also,
What do I need to do to get a private room? This might not be important for everyone but it is for us and it's something I don't want to have to figure out while we're there.
Do you have labor, delivery and recovery rooms or are they different rooms? They used to move you to a delivery room and then to a recovery room but a lot of hospitals now have rooms where you can labor, deliver and recover without leaving.
If I have a C-section, will you take baby away or examine in the OR? This was a big one and along the same lines of the first one. I have a friend that sent her husband away to be with baby in the other room while she was being closed up. I'd be so emotional I would probably cry! LOL
Thanks for bringing this topic up. I hadn't even thought about it yet. My SIL had a private room for her vaginal birth and after her C-section so I just assumed that's how it worked. I didn't think there could be semi-private rooms or other birthing rooms. It made me look into my hospital and what they offer.
Thankfully all of their 'birthing suites' are one stop places - you're in there from admission to discharge unless you have to have a c-section. If that occurs you're taken to the Woman's surgical floor, but even there you have a private room. I'm excited about this for my new family and I but also for the space - we have a big family who will want to visit and the birthing suites are noted as larger to accommodate the extra guests.
Not going to lie - I didn't care either way how I had my child (vaginally or c-section) but now that I've read up on the difference at our hospital - I totally want a birthing suite as it comes with really nice amenities. Of course whichever is right for the baby will be 100% alright with me but the birthing suites sound nice!
It seems like most hospitals in the US offer single suites, with the exception of a few one offs and some that are military. At least that was the consensus on my old BMB when everyone started doing hospital tours. Not that anyone brought this up, but take the amneties with a grain of salt just in case. My hospital was showing us squatting bars for labor and telling us we could use the showers on the tour. When I was in labor and asked to sit up and use the bar, the nurse said "well how are you going to get the baby out then?!" And made me lie on my back (which was the most painful position for me). They also advertised immediate skin to skin, but since DS wasn't breathing right, they had to take him from me immediately. That I of course would never protest, but after they got him breathing they wrapped him up and gave him to DH and I didn't get skin to skin for maybe 30 minutes. Not a huge deal but it was something I was looking forward to and I selfishly wanted to hold him first.
All this just to say, you can make all the plans in the world and think the hospital is in agreement, only to realize you have to adjust based on the nurse/circumstances you get.
@AlwaysAuntNeverMom I always was given private rooms (2 different births, one a C-section, one a VBAC, 2 different hospitals), it was never a question or an issue. I don't know if it matters, but I have private insurance -- granted it's horrible and the deducible is in the mid-thousands so definitely not the best out there.
After my C-Section, baby was taken away but I was *zonked*. I had an epidural but also a push of morphine just prior to the start of surgery. I could have been birthing a baby on Mars for all I cared. Once I was more alert and able to be rolled out of recovery/into my room, baby was brought to me ASAP. 1 1/2-2 hours had passed since birth by that point.
September '16 - May Signature Challenge Awkward Family Fun
@AlwaysAuntNeverMom maybe this is just my controlling side, but I don't care what hospital policy is with regard to where baby goes for examination after being born. One of us is staying with our baby at all times. It obviously changes if there are issues that require immediate medical attention. But the baby is ours and we as the parents have every right to stay with baby at all times.
Remember ladies, we are our own best advocates. Don't be afraid to speak up if you don't agree with a policy.
@PSUBecky23 I can't agree enough with your statement about us being our own best advocates. Self education is immeasurably valuable.
Natural M/C 03.26.2012 at 10w2d Charlotte born at 28w3d due to severe IUGR on 12.24.2012 Merry Christmas! Missed M/C discovered 12.22.2014 at 8w1d measuring 6w3d 2015 was a year to test strength of both body and character, but it led us to this... BFP 01.26.2016 EDD 9.30.2016
I'm so stoked! I was told not to expect a raise this year and I just left my annual review with a 3% hourly increase and a very generous amount of (unvested) stock. Time to go buy some baby stuff! (and pay off debt, ugh)
Those are all great tour questions! I would also ask what all they have for baby and mom there. Hopefully they will tell you, but incase they don't. Ours provided diapers and wipes, but the wipes were dry that you had to wet in the sink and a PITA! This time I will just bring a pack of wipes with us to save the hassle of wetting for every diaper change. My other piece of hospital advice... Take as much self care stuff home with you that they will give you! Extra mesh undies? Take em! Two extra bottles of the epi foam and an extra Peri bottle? Sure! When you're home the first few weeks those extras will come in handy. If you have multiple levels in your home or bathrooms you can have two separate "kits" to take care of yourself without running all over the house!
It's interesting reading about everyone's hospital/insurance. In Madison it's so different. We have HMOs here and you have one of the big players, you pay your premiums and that's it aside from a few copays. We have Dean, Unity, and UW Health. You walk into a building with your insurance name on it and anything in that building is covered. You visit your doctor and the lab is right down the hall, same with ultrasound/imaging. You don't really get to choose the hospital, you go to the one that is in network. Which really isn't big deal because the 2 hospitals both recently redid their birthing suites. It's like your staying in a hotel. The showers have like 4 or 5 shower heads from every which direction, the rooms are huge, the beds are queen size so your spouse can stay with you.
Then I listen to my mom and she tells me how she had a shared room and there was someone fixing the sink while she was having me. That sounds like a nightmare.
It seems like most hospitals in the US offer single suites, with the exception of a few one offs and some that are military. At least that was the consensus on my old BMB when everyone started doing hospital tours. Not that anyone brought this up, but take the amneties with a grain of salt just in case. My hospital was showing us squatting bars for labor and telling us we could use the showers on the tour. When I was in labor and asked to sit up and use the bar, the nurse said "well how are you going to get the baby out then?!" And made me lie on my back (which was the most painful position for me). They also advertised immediate skin to skin, but since DS wasn't breathing right, they had to take him from me immediately. That I of course would never protest, but after they got him breathing they wrapped him up and gave him to DH and I didn't get skin to skin for maybe 30 minutes. Not a huge deal but it was something I was looking forward to and I selfishly wanted to hold him first.
All this just to say, you can make all the plans in the world and think the hospital is in agreement, only to realize you have to adjust based on the nurse/circumstances you get.
Along the same line, the hospital I have delivered all 3 of my babies at has separate recovery rooms. After delivering and everything is calming down, you are moved to a different room. They have some rooms that have queen beds, and that's what we saw on the tour. But for all of my deliveries those rooms were full and I was put into a smaller room with a single bed. With my planned c-section I was in a small room near the OR for prep, they brought me and baby back to this room afterwards and we were supposed to be moved to a recovery room in a few hours. But they got so busy that day that there weren't any recovery rooms to put me in, so I was in the same room the whole time. It was fine, but it would have been nice to have a bigger bed, and to have a window that I could open the shades and let the sun in.
so today between the lots of acid reflux and just feeling blahzay I took a half day.
since the tech said she was "pretty sure" it's a girl I have started my first painting. Painting always relaxes me so its feel nice to just sit and paint. It will be an alice and wonderland painting I am very excited about it!
Me: 32 DH: 31
TTC #2 since January 2018
Baby #1 DD Born 8/25/2016 BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
Great points, ladies! All great things to keep in mind regarding hospitals. My questions were more about what I will ask, just giving my input, you can just include the ones you want, if any. Not everyone has the same preferences.
The hospitals where I live not all have birthing suites only, unfortunately, which is pretty important for us. A lot of hospitals in the US now have them but this is unfortunately not the norm. I believe the one we're going to does, I just have to do the tour still!
Ask where to park! We didn't ask because it was pretty obvious where the parking lot was but still had to walk a little farther than a woman in labor should've had to walk. Learned later that they had valet parking.
Ask where to park! We didn't ask because it was pretty obvious where the parking lot was but still had to walk a little farther than a woman in labor should've had to walk. Learned later that they had valet parking.
I second this. I'd also ask if they have a nursery (our hospital didn't which I preferred) and what their visitation hours and policies are. Some hospitals don't allow children under a certain age or groups over a certain size. If you deliver at night, can your family come see the baby as soon as they are ready or will they have to wait.
Yesterday, I had a hot dog from Target and it was seriously the best thing I ate in a while. So much so, that I stopped back at Target today while running errands to have another. I love hot dogs, but I was totally the person that would see them rolling over the rollers for god knows how long and think, "ew, who eats those?" Well now, it's my craving and I love them. Not as good as Costco, but shockingly good. Kind of like both times I gave birth and the nurses offered me the plainest turkey sandwich around...it tasted like a steak dinner and I considered asking for another.
@AlwaysAuntNeverMom we have 2 major hospitals in our area and one has private rooms and the other does not (nor does it have a place for DH to stay). The trick is the one with the suite does not have a nicu, but the other one does. They are only 5 miles apart, but still it makes me nervous...
@RedMar -- we had similar choices and went with the non-suite with the nicu. We didn't need it, thankfully, but I liked that it was there. And changing rooms between delivery (which ended up being a c-section) and recovery was no big deal. I can't even remember how they did it! Haha.
Dh stayed one night in the recliner, and after that he just slept at home. I actually didn't mind at all. It allowed me to focus on me and baby and nursing. And the nurses were there if I needed anything. Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted DH helping me with some of that stuff!
@Themaritimemama a uti can't wait, you can get really sick fast and it can become dangerous for you and especially baby. On the other hand if you catch it fast you'll be done with treatment in a week. I used to be extremely prone to them and it is not something that will go away on is own, it'll only get progressively worse (fast). Go see a doctor before it moves to your kidneys
@RedMar -- we had similar choices and went with the non-suite with the nicu. We didn't need it, thankfully, but I liked that it was there. And changing rooms between delivery (which ended up being a c-section) and recovery was no big deal. I can't even remember how they did it! Haha.
Dh stayed one night in the recliner, and after that he just slept at home. I actually didn't mind at all. It allowed me to focus on me and baby and nursing. And the nurses were there if I needed anything. Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted DH helping me with some of that stuff!
My DH sleeps at home too. He gets bored at the hospital and wants to talk or watch TV when me and baby want to sleep. It's easier for the big kids also. They aren't away from home for so long, DH can bring them to see baby and maybe eat dinner with us.
Switching rooms wasn't a big deal for me either. The recovery room beds are way more comfortable than the delivery room beds.
@MojieJo I usually bring an apple with me, and stash a granola bar, a ziplock bag of cereal, fruit snacks, popcorn, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate covered chopped prunes, dried fruit, literally anything I can in my purse so I have options. My sister gifted me a snack box subscription too- called Love With Food- so every month I get a little snack box. That always gets me through! Even pretzels are good. I try to bring something I really like and pair it with something that I know will fill me for longer- so I get the Quaker oatmeal square cereal and have that, an apple, and a piece of chocolate.
My random- my doctor's office tried to reschedule me for the third time in three days, and I insisted on seeing another doctor so I wouldn't have to postpone again. I'm so glad I did! I adore my doctor, and she never reschedules, so I was worried about her. She threw her back out, but will be back later this week. I got her partner whom I've never had, and she was absolutely wonderful. I explained that at the last appointment the U/S ran WAY over- uncooperative active little stinker- and I wasn't able to ask questions or get results from any of the tests so far. She pulled up all my info, went through everything with me, even pulled up my U/S photos- there were 239!!! I know she was backlogged, but she didn't rush and was very sweet. So far all the results are perfect- Nuchal test showed a beautiful measurement, better than most she said, the baby's growth is perfect, my weight gain so far is spot on (5 pounds in 8 weeks), and when she did the doppler she was very pleased with the heart rate- and impressed by how active the baby is! We could hear it kicking!! I didn't even know that was a thing! AND we FINALLY scheduled the 20 week scan!! 3 more weeks till we find out the sex! I am so excited!
Side note- poor DH is sick as a dog He had to miss the appointment, so my mom tagged along. I have him resting on the couch with a humidifier right next to him, he finally seems comfortable. I'm afraid if we both stay in our room tonight I will catch what he has He has no fever, but he has a sore throat and is all congested. I'm going to leave hm sleeping on the couch for now- if he wakes up and comes to bed so be it. Sending him to the doctor tomorrow- that's twice in two weeks he's been sick! *sigh* I'm dying to tell him how well the appointment went- but he has been in and out of sleep since I got back. Best to let him rest for now.
@sarahmconnors Thanks for the snack suggestions! I picked up some fruit snacks today, so it's a start.
Going to have to hit up the bulk foods aisle at Whole Foods or something, I think. Or get some of that delicious Indian snack mix stuff that I can't think of the name of at the moment (dried chickpeas, chow mein type noodles and various other crunchy stuff in a mix of spices).
DH and I have a tour scheduled tonight at the Birthing Center within the hospital I plan to deliver at. Does anyone have any tips of things to look for or questions I should ask on the tour? I really have no idea what I'm doing! LOL
If you are planning to breastfeed see if they have a 24 hr lactation consultant.
Was lying on my side this morning while bumping, like I do, and felt some flutters above my bladder. Then came about five jabs (I'm thinking kicks because of how strong they were) right on my bladder! I had to get up to pee before baby girl made me pee my pants. I've felt her move a bunch of times but always flutters, nothing like this. It's weird but feeling her move so strong and consistently made me feel closer to her, even if it was on my bladder. I loved it! There, random over
Yesterday, I had a hot dog from Target and it was seriously the best thing I ate in a while. So much so, that I stopped back at Target today while running errands to have another. I love hot dogs, but I was totally the person that would see them rolling over the rollers for god knows how long and think, "ew, who eats those?" Well now, it's my craving and I love them. Not as good as Costco, but shockingly good. Kind of like both times I gave birth and the nurses offered me the plainest turkey sandwich around...it tasted like a steak dinner and I considered asking for another.
I wish my regular appetite would come back!
I love hot dogs. Delicious!
*************************************** FORMER USERNAME:@runningisrad
Re: April Randoms Thread
Also,
What do I need to do to get a private room? This might not be important for everyone but it is for us and it's something I don't want to have to figure out while we're there.
Do you have labor, delivery and recovery rooms or are they different rooms? They used to move you to a delivery room and then to a recovery room but a lot of hospitals now have rooms where you can labor, deliver and recover without leaving.
If I have a C-section, will you take baby away or examine in the OR? This was a big one and along the same lines of the first one. I have a friend that sent her husband away to be with baby in the other room while she was being closed up. I'd be so emotional I would probably cry! LOL
while you're at it, shop for me too and pick a bedding set from target. So many cute ones.
Thankfully all of their 'birthing suites' are one stop places - you're in there from admission to discharge unless you have to have a c-section. If that occurs you're taken to the Woman's surgical floor, but even there you have a private room. I'm excited about this for my new family and I but also for the space - we have a big family who will want to visit and the birthing suites are noted as larger to accommodate the extra guests.
Not going to lie - I didn't care either way how I had my child (vaginally or c-section) but now that I've read up on the difference at our hospital - I totally want a birthing suite as it comes with really nice amenities. Of course whichever is right for the baby will be 100% alright with me but the birthing suites sound nice!
July: Patriotic Fails
All this just to say, you can make all the plans in the world and think the hospital is in agreement, only to realize you have to adjust based on the nurse/circumstances you get.
After my C-Section, baby was taken away but I was *zonked*. I had an epidural but also a push of morphine just prior to the start of surgery. I could have been birthing a baby on Mars for all I cared. Once I was more alert and able to be rolled out of recovery/into my room, baby was brought to me ASAP. 1 1/2-2 hours had passed since birth by that point.
Awkward Family Fun
@AlwaysAuntNeverMom maybe this is just my controlling side, but I don't care what hospital policy is with regard to where baby goes for examination after being born. One of us is staying with our baby at all times. It obviously changes if there are issues that require immediate medical attention. But the baby is ours and we as the parents have every right to stay with baby at all times.
Remember ladies, we are our own best advocates. Don't be afraid to speak up if you don't agree with a policy.
Charlotte born at 28w3d due to severe IUGR on 12.24.2012 Merry Christmas!
Missed M/C discovered 12.22.2014 at 8w1d measuring 6w3d
2015 was a year to test strength of both body and character, but it led us to this... BFP 01.26.2016 EDD 9.30.2016
It's interesting reading about everyone's hospital/insurance. In Madison it's so different. We have HMOs here and you have one of the big players, you pay your premiums and that's it aside from a few copays. We have Dean, Unity, and UW Health. You walk into a building with your insurance name on it and anything in that building is covered. You visit your doctor and the lab is right down the hall, same with ultrasound/imaging. You don't really get to choose the hospital, you go to the one that is in network. Which really isn't big deal because the 2 hospitals both recently redid their birthing suites. It's like your staying in a hotel. The showers have like 4 or 5 shower heads from every which direction, the rooms are huge, the beds are queen size so your spouse can stay with you.
Then I listen to my mom and she tells me how she had a shared room and there was someone fixing the sink while she was having me. That sounds like a nightmare.
since the tech said she was "pretty sure" it's a girl I have started my first painting. Painting always relaxes me so its feel nice to just sit and paint. It will be an alice and wonderland painting I am very excited about it!
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
The hospitals where I live not all have birthing suites only, unfortunately, which is pretty important for us. A lot of hospitals in the US now have them but this is unfortunately not the norm. I believe the one we're going to does, I just have to do the tour still!
I wish my regular appetite would come back!
https://www.target.com/p/happi-by-dena-4-piece-crib-bedding-set-jungle/-/A-50698702#prodSlot=large_1_3
or
https://www.target.com/p/dreamy-nights-4pc-crib-bedding-set/-/A-16198751#prodSlot=large_4_8
(I kind of like the first better, but the second might go better w/ your furniture)
DS1 -- 9/30/2016
Dh stayed one night in the recliner, and after that he just slept at home. I actually didn't mind at all. It allowed me to focus on me and baby and nursing. And the nurses were there if I needed anything. Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted DH helping me with some of that stuff!
Switching rooms wasn't a big deal for me either. The recovery room beds are way more comfortable than the delivery room beds.
AND we FINALLY scheduled the 20 week scan!! 3 more weeks till we find out the sex! I am so excited!
Side note- poor DH is sick as a dog
Going to have to hit up the bulk foods aisle at Whole Foods or something, I think. Or get some of that delicious Indian snack mix stuff that I can't think of the name of at the moment (dried chickpeas, chow mein type noodles and various other crunchy stuff in a mix of spices).
● IUI #2: BFP - early M/C
● IUI #3: BFN
● IUI #4: BFN
● IVF/FET #1 (2 transferred): BFP! TWINS!
● FET #2 (1 transferred): BFP! BOY #3!
● Natural #1: BFP - M/C @ 8 weeks
● Natural #2: BFP - M/C @ 5w5d
July: Patriotic Fails
FORMER USERNAME: @runningisrad