Fun labor and delivery tour ...

DH and I went on the labor and delivery orientation tour at the hospital
birth center last night, and I'm so glad we did. There are six birthing
suites. Each has a bed that breaks down into various shapes so you can lay,
sit, squat, etc., a TV, small refrigerator, plus a private bathroom with
jacuzzi tub, and all the suites have a stunning view of the San Francisco
Bay. Not that I'll be in any condition to be very focused on the view, but
still, it's nice that they obviously wanted these rooms to be special, and
so oriented them on the "best" side of the hospital.

Even better were the policies. Women are encouraged to walk around the l&d
floor wing while in labor. If you're low risk, they don't automatically
advocate continuous fetal monitoring and don't have an "every patient gets
an IV" policy. You can eat and drink as you see fit. They refrain from
giving episiotomies unless severe tearing is threatened/ocurring. When
someone asked if she'd be able to give birth on the floor rather than on the
bed, a nurse replied, "Sure. As long as you and the baby are progressing
ok. You're in charge of your labor and birth." The nurse added that she'd
just been part of a birth where the mom delivered on the bathroom floor --
not something that you'd hear about as an ok scenario at the typical US
hospital!

I wish that patients were allowed to stay in the birthing rooms throughout
the duration of their hospital stay, but unfortunately, they do move you to
much smaller post-partum rooms for the day or two you remain in the
hospital. Still, it was nice to hear that all the weighing, cleaning, and
testing of the baby take place in the birthing room with you, and that most
people stay put for about 2 hours after a birth so that they can bond with
the baby and start breast feeding right away, without the distraction of
being moved elsewhere first or having the baby snatched away from you for a
long period of time.

As a person who wants a "middle ground" experience for childbirth (I'm too
chicken for a home birth, but don't want to be treated like an imprisoned
invalid during labor and delivery at a hospital), I've found it pretty tough
going so far in my prenatal care to get the balance of "relaxed monitoring"
that I want. So it was nice to have such a fun experience on the tour of
the birthing center. It gave me something positive to focus on, now that I'm
in that home stretch of pregnancy and feeling huge and uncomfy!

Erin (38.5 weeks along, edd 10/27)

"Erin" wrote in message
hlink.net...
DH and I went on the labor and delivery orientation tour at the hospital
birth center last night, and I'm so glad we did. There are six birthing
suites. Each has a bed that breaks down into various shapes so you can
lay,
sit, squat, etc., a TV, small refrigerator, plus a private bathroom with
jacuzzi tub, and all the suites have a stunning view of the San Francisco
Bay. Not that I'll be in any condition to be very focused on the view, but
still, it's nice that they obviously wanted these rooms to be special, and
so oriented them on the "best" side of the hospital.

Even better were the policies. Women are encouraged to walk around the l&d
floor wing while in labor. If you're low risk, they don't automatically
advocate continuous fetal monitoring and don't have an "every patient gets
an IV" policy. You can eat and drink as you see fit. They refrain from
giving episiotomies unless severe tearing is threatened/ocurring. When
someone asked if she'd be able to give birth on the floor rather than on
the
bed, a nurse replied, "Sure. As long as you and the baby are progressing
ok. You're in charge of your labor and birth." The nurse added that
she'd
just been part of a birth where the mom delivered on the bathroom floor --
not something that you'd hear about as an ok scenario at the typical US
hospital!

I wish that patients were allowed to stay in the birthing rooms throughout
the duration of their hospital stay, but unfortunately, they do move you
to
much smaller post-partum rooms for the day or two you remain in the
hospital. Still, it was nice to hear that all the weighing, cleaning, and
testing of the baby take place in the birthing room with you, and that
most
people stay put for about 2 hours after a birth so that they can bond with
the baby and start breast feeding right away, without the distraction of
being moved elsewhere first or having the baby snatched away from you for
a
long period of time.

As a person who wants a "middle ground" experience for childbirth (I'm too
chicken for a home birth, but don't want to be treated like an imprisoned
invalid during labor and delivery at a hospital), I've found it pretty
tough
going so far in my prenatal care to get the balance of "relaxed
monitoring"
that I want. So it was nice to have such a fun experience on the tour of
the birthing center. It gave me something positive to focus on, now that
I'm
in that home stretch of pregnancy and feeling huge and uncomfy!

Erin (38.5 weeks along, edd 10/27)


That sounds wonderful Erin. I;m utterly envious:-) Where I am at they
don't have anything like that but one birth center that my insurance doesn't
cover so I can't use it.
Kat
Mama to Maggie 11/03/01
and #2 EDD 02/03/04 (It's a Boy!)
Mama to Maggie

snipped great tour
||
|| As a person who wants a "middle ground" experience for childbirth
|| (I'm too chicken for a home birth, but don't want to be treated like
|| an imprisoned invalid during labor and delivery at a hospital), I've
|| found it pretty tough going so far in my prenatal care to get the
|| balance of "relaxed monitoring" that I want. So it was nice to have
|| such a fun experience on the tour of the birthing center. It gave me
|| something positive to focus on, now that I'm in that home stretch of
|| pregnancy and feeling huge and uncomfy!
||
|| Erin (38.5 weeks along, edd 10/27)

Erin that's great! Sounds like you wonderful place to labor and deliver in!

--?
~~~Cheers!~~~
Jenn-WAHM-DS11-DD6-TTC#3

Kat wrote:

one birth center that my insurance doesn't
cover so I can't use it.

Sure you can use it - you'd just have to pay for it. I
wouldn't have chosen to pay for a hospital birth out of
pocket, but a birth center birth isn't that unaffordable
(maybe $1,500 for the one closest to me).

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...
Kat wrote:

one birth center that my insurance doesn't
cover so I can't use it.

Sure you can use it - you'd just have to pay for it. I
wouldn't have chosen to pay for a hospital birth out of
pocket, but a birth center birth isn't that unaffordable
(maybe $1,500 for the one closest to me).

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt


When I figured out the cost and everything it would have been $2000, whereas
with me going to the hospital I am paying nothing (my husband's insurance is
really good when it applies :-) With DH being a student and working and us
being somewhat poor we just don't have a choice financially
Kat
Mama to Maggie 11/03/01
and #2 EDD 02/03/04 (It's a Boy!)

$2000 to use a birth center is a lot of money, so I can understand why
someone would opt to use a lower-cost alternative. I really did luck out
with the place I'm going to use ...

I thought I'd add another random comment about the fun l&d tour: When I was
leaving the birth center they were wheeling newborn twins in two bassinets
to their mother's room. One baby was sleeping like an angel, while the
other was screaming up a storm! They were extremely pink and fuzzy-headed
and very cute, but seeing them made me very thankful that I'm having a
single birth! (And really thankful for my mom, since I'm a twin and it
must've been tough to deal with me and my brother in those early weeks --
especially since she also had an 18-month-old at the same time!)

Erin, edd 10/27

"Kat" wrote in message
...

"Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message
...
Kat wrote:

one birth center that my insurance doesn't
cover so I can't use it.

Sure you can use it - you'd just have to pay for it. I
wouldn't have chosen to pay for a hospital birth out of
pocket, but a birth center birth isn't that unaffordable
(maybe $1,500 for the one closest to me).

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt


When I figured out the cost and everything it would have been $2000,
whereas
with me going to the hospital I am paying nothing (my husband's insurance
is
really good when it applies :-) With DH being a student and working and
us
being somewhat poor we just don't have a choice financially
Kat
Mama to Maggie 11/03/01
and #2 EDD 02/03/04 (It's a Boy!)

"Erin" wrote in message
snip
As a person who wants a "middle ground" experience for childbirth (I'm too
chicken for a home birth, but don't want to be treated like an imprisoned
invalid during labor and delivery at a hospital), I've found it pretty
tough
going so far in my prenatal care to get the balance of "relaxed
monitoring"
that I want. So it was nice to have such a fun experience on the tour of
the birthing center. It gave me something positive to focus on, now that
I'm
in that home stretch of pregnancy and feeling huge and uncomfy!

Sounds like a great visit, Erin! IKWYM about wanting a "middle ground"
facility. That is why I went with a birth center (the one I used is
freestanding though, not part of a hospital, which is what felt the most
middle ground to me). It was great!

Those beds that break down into different shapes sound really cool!

--
Em
mama to Lann, 9/21/03

In article ,
Phoebe & Allyson wrote:
Kat wrote:

one birth center that my insurance doesn't
cover so I can't use it.

Sure you can use it - you'd just have to pay for it. I
wouldn't have chosen to pay for a hospital birth out of
pocket, but a birth center birth isn't that unaffordable
(maybe $1,500 for the one closest to me).

If there are complications and you then have to be transported to the
hospital, that would be covered though, yes?

-Liz