The Hospital: What People Should Know

It's early in the morning and as much as I want to, I can't fall back asleep. :( This means I'm going to be exhausted tonight at work. But oh well.

As many of you know, I am very much into natural childbirthing. Among those people who are also into this, I think there are some misconceptions concerning what will go on if you choose to have your baby in a hospital. I know I must be careful, since this is my place of employment presently. But I think I have come up with some good tips for mothers who want to go natural in a hospital.

1) It's okay to write a birth plan, but I wouldn't give the entire detailed one to the staff. Write the basics, like what you would prefer to and to not have, in bullet points. No one really has time to read a 2 page narrative on what you think the perfect birth is. Most of us are more scientific so give us the solid simple brief preferences. The best received birth plan I have ever seen at the hospital was only half a page.

2) Make sure you bring someone with you who is knowledgeable and who will help you through the pain of labor. Family is great, but if you are going natural, having a lot of people in the room with you can hinder your progress. And if this happens you may feel more pressure to have some things you originally wanted to avoid, like pitocin or pain medication. You are there to have a baby not to entertain guests.

3) Remember that nothing can be done without your consent. You may need to coach your husband before hand if your preferences are a little more on the strict side. He is not in labor and may be able to interact a little better with the staff.

4) If you bring a doula, make sure it's one that will allow you to make any changes to your birth plan if you feel the need without making you feel like a failure. Sometimes a little pitocin can help make the difference between a 20 hour labor and a 5 hour labor without increasing your pain too much. If you do decide to get an epidural that's OKAY. There are a lot of babies born just fine and who initiate breastfeeding just fine after an epidural.

5) Know the hospital's visiting policy. Some won't let children attend births, some have a strict limit on the number of visitors you have. During your tour ask about this so you can prepare yourself and your family.

6) Unless your baby is in the NICU and has special needs, it's A OKAY to refuse when the staff wishes to treat your baby. You can say you want to breastfeed more instead of a bottle being given for whatever reason. Your baby does not NEED a bath in the first few hours after it's born. Make sure you specify whither or not it's okay to give your baby a pacifier if you decide that you want to send him to the nursery. Having a separate "birth plan" for your babies' chart may be helpful.

7) It is okay to get up and walk around. Ask your nurse how long those monitors MUST be strapped to you. Every hospital has a different rule. This may depend on your risk status so make sure to discuss this with your doctor beforehand and your nurse soon when you arrive at the hospital.

8) Remember that where ever you give birth, pretty much everything is ultimately your choice. Yes the hospital has rules, but these rules won't keep you from having the kind of birth experiance you want (unless of course you are craving a water birth. You'll have to check with your individual hospital on that one). Mentally prepare yourself to stay positive despite what happens and take everything with a grain of salt.

I hope this can help make your experience easier if you choose to have your baby in a hospital. A hospital does have so many resources that can help you and your baby to a good start.