For most women, hospital birth is always the best choice. Parenting classes and hospital tours provide you basic information about it. However, childbirth experience not the same for every woman, and this is where added information comes in. Parents.com has come up with a few things you probably didn't know about giving birth in a hospital.
- Before any procedure can happen, patients are given an informed consent. According to Medline Plus, it is given to a patient who will undergo any medical procedure to make sure that the patient is informed, explained and understood, and is able to decide whether or not to go with the procedure. This will give you and your partner time to think about it, or in some cases say no to it.
It is also best for you to talk to your medical provider about what you want to happen when you go into labor to make sure that both of you are on the same page. The earlier you both agree, the better.
- Hospitals usually offer a generic gown for patient's use. However, if you're not comfortable wearing it, you can always opt to wear your own clothes during childbirth. You just have to make sure it's comfortable enough for doctors to access to the baby when it's time for delivery.
- It may come as a shock to some, but you can actually change a member of your birthing team. If you ever encounter a nurse in your team that you think is not a good match to you, you can speak to the nurse in charge and have her replaced.
- To prepare women for delivery via caesarian section, some hospitals still do not allow them to have a meal even though the American Society of Anesthesiologists has recently released a statement saying that doctors should allow patients to eat a light meal if they want to.
They say it's a precautionary measure for risk of aspiration. Since doctors now give epidurals and spinal block for women delivering via C-section, the risk for aspiration has decreased. Unfortunately, there are still hospitals that follow the old rules.
- A normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (NSVD) usually takes 24-48 hours before the patient is discharged as long as the delivery doesn't have any complications. On one hand, it will take 72 hours for those who delivered under a caesarian section.
However, as long as everything is okay with you and your baby, you can choose to leave earlier than the time frame given to you. Insurance coverage may also play a role in the decision, so you can ask your insurance company about it before making a decision.
