Hospital Tour & Lamaze Classes

Last week we had our hospital tour at Methodist. I am so much more excited to be delivering at this hospital. Their new maternity ward opened up in May of '06 and everything is spankin' new. Assuming we have a vaginal delivery we will arrive and be sent to Labor & Deliver [we have already pre-registered so all the paper work is out of the way]. The new Labor & Delivery rooms are huge! Everything is in the room. The baby is no longer whisked away to be cleaned and weighed and all that good stuff. Everything is done in the room. Baby never leaves your side once born. The room has a full private bathroom [shower included]. You are encourage to labor in the shower [suppose to help with contractions]. You can also request a rocking chair to labor in. The room has a television, chair that folds out into a bed, computer for the medical staff, and everything else baby will need. And the best part - they just got WiFi last month!! Hahhaa. G was a little disturbed I was so excited about this fact. [There is a waiting area here but it is only for immediate family - as in parents and siblings]

The hospital is also very pro-breastfeeding and encourages you to get that started within the first 50 min following birth. I am also very pro breastfeeding. :) They are also very pro-putting baby on you right when he's born. Our Lamaze class instructor was telling us that this is because my body temperature will rise and the skin-on-skin contact will help regulate the baby's body temp quicker and it will also help with his blood-sugar level. Amazing right? I'm all for having a gooey baby on my chest!

So after the baby is born we will remain in the labor & deliver room for 2 hours. After that we are sent upstairs to the maternity ward via "The Baby Express" elevator. Hospital calls it this because it is a private elevator that in the L&D and Maternity ward. No nosy sick hospital gawkers starring at you. Once in the maternity ward we will remain here for 2 days if a vaginal delivery or 3 days for c-section. Baby rooms in with us [stays with us 24/7]. The nursery is hardly utilized anymore unless you request it in advance so that a nurse is available. Visitors can now come to this area. Hospital visiting hours are 11am-8pm, BUT G and I are requesting that no one arrive any earlier than noon and leave no later than 6pm. I know we are gonna be drained and don't want to much going on at the hospital. We both have huge families and really worry about being overwhelmed by visitors.

So that's the hospital! Long post this is becoming.

As for our Lamaze class, we ended up taking these mostly for G. So that he would know what to expect when I go into labor and so that he would be able to "coach" me thru it. The one thing G and I are really getting out of these classes is the idea that a natural-drug-free labor looks damn easy! I hate how they trick you that way. G is all for me going thru a drug-free birth. He really feels he can coach me thru it. That's sweet and all but I'm not saying no to drugs if the pain gets too intense [woot woot!]. But what I am saying is that I am actually gonna give it a try. I've already been warned about not asking for the epidural too late and blah blah blah. But I decided I'm gonna give it a try and see how it goes. Yes....I'm losing it. ;)

Our last class is this Thursday, but we officially end next week with infant CPR training.

BTW - My doc's appointment last week was great. Everything is perfect and after my 1lbs loss 2 weeks ago I gained 2lbs by last week. So I officially gained 1lbs for the month which brings my total to 11lbs! So happy and yet so scared I'll be blowing up at the end.

OH! And I did a Father's day post on my regular blog in case you were wondering. :)


33w3d