Hospital Tour Thread!

maureenmce · July 2018

Have you guys toured your hospitals yet? Do any FTMs (or STMs) want any advice about what to ask or what to look for when choosing a hospital (if you have a choice, I know some OBs just deliver in one location.) Also, even if you don't have questions, everyone can feel free to share any fun or interesting or weird details about their hospital tour!

Anyway, just thought this might be a helpful thread and two people expressed interest so far, so here it is!

maureenmce · July 2018

AFM, I had to tour a new hospital this time around because my OB no longer delivers at the hospital where I delivered DD and...it is awesome! I'm super excited! It is a weird hospital for LA in the sense that it is completely uncrowded. Like, they don't even have a triage area because you are guaranteed to always just have a room available. When we toured, literally no women were in labor at all and they told us we might be the only person laboring whenever it's our time to come in, which is so the opposite of what I experienced last time around (last time I ended up in triage for the first 8 hours of my induction because the hospital was so full!) It's a small hospital that was very recently taken over by a large research university, so it has a brand new state of the art NICU and they are remodeling all of the rooms (should be done by September - I hope it's not any closer to Dec! You never know with construction!)

Questions wise, the only important question I had to ask was whether or not you were allowed to walk around after your water was broken. When I got induced last time, that hospital had a policy of no walking around once it was broken, so I had to stay in bed and was given the option of a catheter or a bed pan (at 41 + 1 I literally could not lift myself over a bed pan!) So, I was not thrilled about that, but happy to learn that the new hospital is fine with you moving around after water breaks, as long as baby's head is engaged/and or you're using the wireless monitoring system.

Another important thing for FTMs to know is that, at least in the state of CA, a pediatrician must take examine your baby within the first 24 hours of birth BUT the pediatrician you choose may not be one who is allowed to service the hospital where you deliver, so what typically happens is a hospital approved pedi will examine your baby and sign off, and then you'll take your baby to your own pediatrician within a couple of days after discharge for another exam. The hospital pediatrician will have forwarded all of the info from the initial exam to your pediatrician already. It's pretty simple, but you do want to check and make sure your insurance covers whatever hospital pediatrician is chosen and you may want to decide if you want to pick a particular one off of a list, or if you just want whoever is on call to come in (we just did on call last time and probably will this time as well.) Not sure if this is the case in states outside of CA!

Other questions that are good to ask:
-how many support people are allowed in the room?
-how long do you get to recover in delivery room before moving to recovery room, or is it all the same room?
-what's their policy with fluids while in labor - clear liquids or ice only?
-is there a couch or fold out bed for your husband to sleep?
-is there food available for your husband to order or should you bring in snacks?
-most hospitals do this now, but does the baby stay with you 24/7 or do they take him/her to a nursery for any time?
-any questions about the circumcision procedure if that applies to you.
-if you have a specific birth plan (no meds, laboring in a tub or shower) definitely ask how or if those birth plans are supported in this hospital.

Hopefully this is helpful!

mag1cbeli3ver · July 2018

Thanks for starting this @maureenmce! I haven't had much time to think about what I need from the hospitable tour, but your suggestions are great! I hadn't even thought of circumcision, but now since I know we're having a boy I guess I should read more on that in general. I also didn't realize that some of the things you mentioned (like walking around after the water breaks, and and being able to have clear liquids) was controlled by the hospital as opposed to your OB.

maureenmce · July 2018

@mag1cbeli3ver That push/pull between the hospital and your OB is something that might also be different in every hospital and worth asking about even! Like, what are the differences between your birth plan/OB being okay with it/hospital policies. If your OB says one thing and the hospital says another, who wins out?

When I delivered the first time, my OB said it was fine for me to walk to the bathroom but the nurses said it was against their hospital policy, and because you are with the nurses 99% of your delivery and your OB generally only when you're ready to push, the hospital policy stuff does matter, especially if they are really pushy/strict about it. As a STM, I think I would have pushed back a lot more, but as a FTM I was pretty overwhelmed and all of the nurses were extremely adamant about it.

Luckily, it seems like with this current hospital, they are much more laid back and on the same page as my OB with this particular issue I care about.

scaredunprepared · July 2018

Very helpful. I hadn't thought about a place for SO to rest. Also hadn't even considered the pediatrician thing!

maureenmce · July 2018

@scaredunprepared And it's also super important for SO's to eat! (Though maybe not in front of you, since you can't, lol.) Sometimes labor is long (my first was 27 hours) and our nurse doing the hospital tour says they have had dads faint from lack of eating and drinking. It's great to tell your SO any of the hospital things that might apply to him ahead of time, so you don't have to worry about it in the moment and can just focus on you.

omnommer · July 2018

@maureenmce Just as an FYI, my hospital informed me that I could eat! They said some hospitals are starting to do that, since the risks aren't what they used to think. The key is to keep it a light meal they said. So not steak and potatoes.

maureenmce · July 2018

@omnommer Oh that's awesome! I'm jealous! My hospital is still on the water and ice chips train. Ah well, I'm glad at least some mamas get to eat! And they do offer an awesome post delivery celebration meal at least, so I'll have that to look forward to!

omnommer · July 2018

@maureenmce Yes, I'm very excited for that meal. Hahaha. Even if I've been eating light things (I'm thinking a light salad and soup, nothing more during labor...)

scaredunprepared · July 2018

I didn't even realize there were risks associated with eating during labor...I just figured they didn't want to clean up extra poo or vomit! Lol

What risks are we taking about?

PensiveCrayon · July 2018

@omnommer I mean I really didn’t want to eat anything when I was in labor, but I knew I had to to keep my energy up. So the light meal thing shouldn’t be an issue

Glad to hear your hospital allows that! No food is kiiiiind of a ridiculous rule.

ETA @scaredunprepared They’re worried about mothers aspirating vomit in the rare case that they have to put you under complete anesthesia if you get an emergency c-section. It’s barely a concern.

omnommer · July 2018

Yeah, for all interested, this is a nice article from 2015 about the risks and new(ish) studies that prove the low risk of aspiration.

https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2015/10/eating-a-light-meal-during-labor

maureenmce · July 2018

@PensiveCrayon Yeah, I don't think I would have wanted to eat in active labor, but I definitely would have eaten at some point in the the first 12-20 hours of my 27 hour induction! Something light, to be sure, but something!

Activebaby · July 2018

Not wanting to eat was a sign of real labor with both boys. I’d try to keep going through the contractions (out and about- last one I was at Lowe’s, but taking Lots of breaks for every contraction). When the thought of food was repulsive and I started to want to vomit, i went home, showered and went to the very hospital. With ds1 I was on my way to buy buy baby and knew at that moment that something real was happening. I had forgotten about that until I was reading the no eating comments.

CecilB93 · July 2018

Re: eating, when my water broke I was told to call my midwife. She told me to eat while I was at home because once I was at the hospital I wasn't allowed to. However, I cut up an apple with some peanut butter, took half a bite, and felt like I was going to throw up. Chances of wanting to eat during active labor are probably pretty slim anyways.

Im super jealous of you ladies who get a special meal after baby is born. We just ordered off their menu. I got a ham and cheese sandwich and it was horrible, granted I think my stomach was still just upset from everything I had just been through. But I will say, the second my son was out my stomach started rumbling lol. There was so much space it's like my stomach didn't know what to do!!

Im not sure if I plan to tour again or not. It's the same hospital, but I'll be with an OB instead of a midwife this time since they got rid of the midwives. So I'm not sure if that makes thinngs different. Plus the fact that I'm technically high risk because of GD. I'm hoping to still be allowed to move if I want. They have these awesome showers that have jets pointing right on your back to help ease labor pains. I honestly completely forgot about them with DS and was so upset I didn't use it!! I'd like to this time if I'm allowed, idk if they'll want me hooked up to the monitors the whole time or not, but with DS I was allowed to be off the monitors once they hooked me up and initially saw that DS was doing okay. So probably a good question for anyone going to a new hospital/FTMs - what's their policy on moving/monitors during labor?

PensiveCrayon · July 2018

@Activebaby I never threw up or had the urge to throw up that I remember, but I do vividly recall my husband feeding me bites of bagel between contractions and me wanting to murder him. Sips of smoothies, though, I could do. I'm counting on that to get me through this time as well.

katy0990 · July 2018

@maureenmce That is awful that they would not let you move around after your water broke. My son wasn’t born until 27 hours after my water broke and I would have gone crazy not being able to move around!

Other questions you may want to ask:
Can you preregister, so you are not filing our paperwork while in labor?
What is the nurse:patient ratio?
How many lactation consultants are on staff and how readily can you meet with them, especially on holidays and weekends?
What are their policies involving siblings and other children coming to visit?
Will you deliver in the same room you labor in?
Do they support delayed cord clamping or cord blood banking?
If you end up needing a C-section, will you be able to hold your baby during the procedure?
How long do they require you to stay?

Also, I would find out about their NICU policies, just in case and talk to your husband, so you have a plan in place, if baby ends up needing extra care. For example, if he goes with the baby, can someone come be with you, so you are not alone while recovering?

I think it is very important to remember, that while the hospital will have their policies and rules, you are still the “customer” in this situation. The hospital is making thousands of dollars off of your delivery and stay. If you are not comfortable with a policy, ask what can be done. Obviously, their goal is also for your baby to arrive safely, but if there is something you want, speak up. Sometimes, they will give you a standard answer for what makes their jobs easier, but if you express your wishes and reasoning, some rules can be bent.

Jens_Hoes · July 2018

I agree with a lot of the above. In addition to asking about siblings or children visiting, there might be extra rules since it is flu season.
Another question might be about room occupancy. At the hospital I delivered at, there were rooms with two beds, which I was put in. My very last night (3am) I got a roommate. Apparently, there was a baby boom the day I had my daughter, and the other local hospital was turning people away. If we get a double room again this time around I'll ask to switch to a single if one becomes available.
I was able to move around once my water broke, but I had to wear basically a diaper because I was leaking. I was also able to move around until I was given an epidural, they just had to hook me up to another monitor that could move with me.
I don't remember a desire to eat at all until after I delivered my daughter. And I got a turkey sandwich and gatorade lol
They supplied my husband and I meals 3x a day, but they weren't that great, and sometimes was cold because they were supplying food for a lot of people. After the first breakfast, my husband just ate food from somewhere else.
I believe the lactation consultants were there every day, but obviously not all day and night long. We had a really great overnight nurse that helped me try to get my daughter to latch.
My one recommendation would be especially for those who plan to breastfeed to let go of modesty. I had a lot of staff (nurses, LC, etc) who helped me try to figure out breastfeeding by sometimes touching my breast, and obviously they do a lot of checks of how you're bleeding (not too much, not huge clots) it would have made my hospital stay even worse if I was worried about people looking at my breasts or vagina. This is their job, try not to worry too much about what they see or what they think.
You also might want to inquire about how many anesthesiologists are present to do epidurals if you are interested. Once the pain was unbearable for me I demanded one, and they proceeded to tell me that the one dr who could do it, was in a c-section and it would be an hour. I told them to find someone else

and they did, but wouldn't have if I didn't demand it.
Lastly, you might want to ask what the requirements for being discharged are. I had to be checked by the OB, and then my daughter had to be cleared by the on call pediatrician. They then had to do lots of paperwork with me about safe sleep, how many wet diapers, shaken baby, LC, and their services after being discharged. I assumed they'd do a car seat test to make sure everything looked fine, because I had never put a 6 lb baby in a car seat, and they didn't. Their perspective was that they would not ok how my daughter looked for liability reasons. It was up to me to make sure she fit properly (this may not be the case for NICU babies).

PensiveCrayon · July 2018

@Jens_Hoes Ha, yes to the modesty thing. I pulled out my boobs for everyone after I had my son and I didn't really GAF. I just really wanted BF to work (and also had mastitis, yaaaay).

katy0990 · July 2018

I second what @Jens_Hoes said, especially about modesty. I would also recommend taking that into consideration when you invite people to come to the hospital to meet the baby. You will be exposed A LOT and medical staff will be in and out of your room. You may not want a ton of people around for all of that.

mommythlegend · July 2018

I had a semi-emergent C-section with DS & they wouldn't let me eat for forever! They don't want you to eat for at least 8hrs before. I got taken to the hospital by ambulance because DS was in distress. When they hooked me up to monitors he had stabilized for now, so they waited 6hrs because I had drank a protein shake 2hrs earlier. They didn't let me eat til the next morning (so 24hrs from my protein shake) and my first meal had to be "soft foods" to make sure I tolerated it. I was starving. I wanted a 2nd breakfast. lol. Asked if I could be cleared for an Italian sub a couple hours later!

rosebud332 · July 2018

@mommythlegend The first thing I wanted was an Italian sub too! Haha I was craving it my whole pregnancy but I was very good and never had one.

trucksntutus · July 2018

I'll prob do a hospital tour as I'll be delivering at a new hospital compared to my first. My first's delivery hospital was amazing and like a damn resort! I'll prob have to lessen my standards for the next one unfortunately lol! I agree with the modesty comments; I really didn't care at that point and I had my mom/SO in the room which I didn't care that they saw anything. I am quite excited that the hospital / and OB office I'll be going to are right next door to eachother AND like 7 mins from my house so that rocks. Last time it was about a 35 min drive!

maureenmce · July 2018

@katy0990 and @Jens_Hoes - awesome recs re: questions to ask and more hospital info!

For STMs - are you planning on having your kids coming to meet the baby in the hospital? I am debating whether or not to do with with my nearly 2.5 year old (she'll be a couple months away from three by the time this LO is born.) The nurse I spoke to at the hospital says it can sometimes be hard on small kids to see their moms in the hospital and, especially, if they don't leave together. My DD is *very* attached to me right now, so I'm leaning toward just bringing the baby home to meet her after discharge, but I don't know if I'll regret not having that hospital meet the baby moment with big sister. What do you other STMs think?

katy0990 · July 2018

@maureenmce we definitely plan on having DS come to the hospital at least once after baby is born (he turned 2 in March). He is very attached to me and I think it will help for him to actually see me in the hospital and see that I am actually “okay” and not injured. We have already started prepping him about how he was born in the hospital and how it is not scary, etc. we are team green and want him to be the first one (other than DH and myself) to hold LO and to find out if it’s a boy or a girl. Plus, I feel like my hormonal self will be better off having seen him and not having to go several days of missing him.

Jens_Hoes · July 2018

@maureenmce I want DD to come visit us at the hospital but I honestly don't think she'll be able to for flu season. I feel like I know someone every year who delivers during flu season and no children under a certain age (10? or something) are even allowed in the hospital. So I will plan for it to happen, but won't hold my breath.

maureenmce · July 2018

@Jens_Hoes Oh that is a very good point!

Also, in thinking about this more, since my DD has a very strong fear of doctors I feel kind of dumb for even considering her coming to the hospital. I think I just had this adorable moment in my head, but it will probably be much better in an environment where she feels safe and secure.

rosebud332 · July 2018

@maureenmce I am debating this too. At first I thought it was a no brainer and I would have her come. But it being flu season and the reasons you just mentioned which I hadn’t considered, I may not. She will not even be 2 yet so I’m not sure how much she will understand anyway.

snugglyduckling25 · July 2018

@maureenmce DS1 was 2.5 when my twins were born. MIL brought him up to the hospital before I had them because in my hormonal state I wanted to see him one last time as an only child. He was the first to meet his new brothers after they were born. DH took him home and stayed with him each night. DS came back on discharge day (I do not recommend this as it took way longer than it was supposed to and he was bouncing off the walls). But it definitely depends on how you think your kiddo will do. We did a sibling class which included a hospital tour beforehand which I think helped.

With all of that said, I didn’t even think about what @Jens_Hoes said regarding flu season. My twins were born in March, technically still flu season, but not quite as bad. I’ve definitely put that on my list of things to ask when I take a tour. I hope my kids can come up, and that they aren’t sick so I can let them.

CecilB93 · July 2018

@maureenmce I 100% plan on DS visiting in the hospital after baby is born. He's about the same age as your DD. Like someone else said, I want him to be the first person after DH and I to meet his baby brother.

And if staff won't let him in because of flu season, then no family will be allowed to see baby until we're home. People are probably going to complain, but I want DS to meet his brother before anyone else, they can deal with it. I'm pretty sure I heard from other moms or somewhere that siblings would be allowed in their hospital for a short time to meet their sibling, but no other kids. Though I'm pretty sure this wasn't at my hospital, but I plan to push for him to come up even just for 20 mins or so. I'll have to check hospital policy as time gets closer, I don't remember if that was a rule when DS was born (February) or not.

gorgeousariel · July 2018

I won't be doing a tour this time as it's the same hospital and same OB. When I delivered DD I remember it was their policy that no one under 12 was allowed. I'm not sure of their sibling policy but I definitely want DD to come meet brother in the hospital.

mommythlegend · July 2018

I would like to have DS come up if he's allowed, he's 6.5. Meeting my sister in the hospital is the first memory I can recall, I had just turned 4.

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