Planning for Your Hospital Stay

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Planning for Your Hospital Stay
The doctor was chosen, you made all your appointments, you've eaten well, gained an appropriate amount of weight, and you're heading toward the finish line. What other planning do you need to do?

Which hospital?
At the beginning of your pregnancy, you will work with your doctor to determine which hospital best suits your needs. The hospital association may have been one of the primary reasons you've chosen the doctor you have. If your doctor has privileges at more than one hospital, how do you choose which one to use?

Which is closest to work? To home? Which has the setting which makes you most comfortable? A traditional maternity ward where you labor in a labor area, deliver in a delivery room, recover in a recovery room, etc. Is there a hospital nearby with "all in one" labor-delivery-recovery suites? What hospital is covered by your insurance? These are all important issues. Not all hospitals have Neonatal Intensive Care Units, so if your baby is in need of special care, he or she may be relocated to another hospital if your chosen hospital does not have such a specialized nursery. Don't assume your favorite hospital does, ask.

You can even take hospital tours. Organized maternity tours allow you the opportunity to see the labor and delivery areas, as well as the nursery of a hospital. You can ask questions about hospital specifics and get a feel for how the hospital makes you feel. One may feel right, while another does not.

Once you've determined the hospital at which you wish to deliver, you're hospital planning continues.

Planning your trip to the hospital.
What's the fastest/best route to take from home and work to your chosen hospital? Do some trial runs. Morning, afternoon, evening - different times of day may mean different routes to travel to get you there in a timely fashion.

Can you pre-register? Some hospitals allow, even encourage, pre-registration as much as three months prior to your due date.

Managing family details for your stay at the hospital
What happens to the rest of your family while you're in the hospital? Who takes care of Rover? Or Jr.? Where do you want your partner to sleep? In the hospital with you? At home?

This all needs to be discussed so no one's feelings get hurt, not yours, not your partner's, not your children's, not your neighbors', not your in-laws', etc. This ensures that no one is left unaccounted for and that things go smoothly.

Discuss childcare, pet care, and emergency driver arrangements with your sitter, your friends, your family, your neighbors, your children's school or day care. Make a list of emergency phone numbers and keep copies posted near your home phone, in your purse, in your car, and one in your hospital bag.

Childcare concerns - Be sure that your children's teachers are aware of your due date. They will be better able to understand any new behaviors on your children's behalf, and can even help your child prepare emotionally for the baby. Be sure to update your emergency release forms, so that others may pick your children up from school or take them off the school bus.

Find out where your children will feel most comfortable during your hospital stay? At home with a beloved sitter? In the waiting room with Grandma? At a sleepover with a trusted friend? Do not assume to know your child's preferences. Talk it through to make this time comfortable.

Pet care concerns - Should Rover stay with a favorite relative while you are in the hospital (and even for a few days once baby is home)? Should you ask a neighbor to feed and walk him for the duration of your hospital stay? Consider using baby detergent to wash your own clothing for a few weeks prior to your due date to familiarize your dog with the scent of baby. Play tapes of Practice "good doggy" behavior with a doll, so that the appearance of baby is familiar before the real baby comes home.

Developing a Birth Plan - the "official" plan for your labor and delivery
A birth plan provides the framework for your ideal delivery and for your own and baby's care while in the hospital. You can write your own - in narrative style, as a bulleted checklist, however you're comfortable. You can use a prepared checklist plan - ask your doctor or check out online resources.

Sitting down with your spouse and formalizing what you want to happen as you labor, deliver, recover, and bond with your baby can be very helpful. It insures that you, your partner, your medical team, and your family are all on the same page (of the baby book, so to speak).

Remember, some things can not be planned, such as the need for emergency cesarean, but organization and examination of delivery related issues will further familiarize you with what to expect, bring to light questions you may have, and provide an opportunity for you and your partner to communicate fully about the big day and beyond.

A birth plan covers issues like pain control, birth positions, episiotomies, visitors, where baby will sleep. It's a conclusive map of your desired hospital road trip.

The plan which follows is a guide for creating your own plan, which may be more specific. Or, if it covers the areas you deem important, you may photocopy it and use it for your own plan. You may wish to include a narrative portion, as well, a letter or summary to be read by anyone involved in your care. Make a copy of your birth plan to be kept bedside and one to be included in your hospital chart.