Updated December, 2020
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know how passionate I am about home birth. But I know that not everyone wants or is able to have a home birth. The important part of birth is that you do what is most comfortable for you and that you and your new arrival are both healthy and happy. For many, this means giving birth in a hospital.
If you decide to have a hospital birth, you will need to pick out which hospital (or birthing center) you want to use. Even if having a home birth, make sure you have a backup hospital selected that will work with your midwife in the event that you need to transfer. Don’t hesitate to ask for a tour or to talk to an attending physician. This birth is going to be yours and you have to feel comfortable. Know what things are most important to you, such as a birthing tub, ability to move around during labor, breastfeeding, skin to skin, room sharing, delayed cord clamping, and anything else you can think of and ask about the hospital’s policies on this. If you never want your baby to be given a bottle or formula while in the hospital, you will want to make sure the hospital has policies that will support you
So you have your hospital all picked out. A lot of people suggest packing a hospital bag. You really won’t need much. An extra pair of clothes to go home in, your toothbrush and paste, and maybe a book or something to keep you entertained (as if you’re going to be bored!). Don’t over pack or stress the stuff though. The hospital will have most of what you need. Keep your bag in your car or somewhere easily accessible so you don’t have to hunt it down when you go into labor
Ok, everything is ready to go and you finally go into labor! If your water breaks and you go into the hospital, regardless of your stage of labor, they probably aren’t going to send you home. This is because they really want you to have your baby within 24 hours of your water breaking because of an increased risk of infection. If you water isn’t broken and you are only having a few contractions and your cervix isn’t very far dilated, there is a good chance the hospital will send you home. The very early contractions you might as well stay in the comfort of your home for.
Once at the hospital, you will either have a vaginal or cesarean delivery. For vaginal deliveries, your insurance will typically allow you to stay 1-2 days. For cesarean deliveries, you can typically stay 2-4 days. During your stay you will be monitored regularly, meet with a lot of support staff, and probably be asked a lot of questions. At the hospital I was at, they kept trying to offer me a lot of pain medication. I refused a lot of it because I wasn’t in pain. Do not hesitate to do what is right for your body, regardless of anyone’s schedule.
You will have to go to the bathroom before you can leave. You may start to hate the nurses who come in every few hours to check your vitals and bother you (waking up for your baby is different than waking up for someone else). Hopefully you will have a ton of resources though, including a lactation consultant to get you off to a great start with breastfeeding. Use these resources. You are already in the hospital so you might as well ask as many questions and get as much support as possible.
Provided your baby isn’t in the NICU for any reason, they will send you and your baby home after a few days. For many parents, this can be a really big step. You go from having all the support in the world to being completely on your own. Now is when you call in your support group, including your postpartum doula, and get all the help you need.
For some people, a hospital visit can be very overwhelming. Remember you are recovering at this time. Feel free to accept visitors or tell them to all go away. Don’t push yourself too hard. You want to do some light leg stretches to keep circulation strong and try to do a little walking after a day or two. But you do not need to expand all your energy. Order room service, ask lots of questions, and get as much out of your hospital stay as you can.
