If you’ve been planning a hospital birth, you’ve likely read up on everything you need to know about labor and delivery. You probably have a birth plan in place and hopefully, you’ve got your bags packed and ready for when the moment comes. But as much as you’ve read up on everything, there are a few things that most women don’t know about giving birth in a hospital.
- You don’t need to rush there
In most cases, when your water breaks and you start going into labor, there’s no need to rush. The movies would have you believe otherwise with a baby coming out almost immediately but for most women, the process of labor and delivery takes a long time. So try not to panic. Take a shower and freshen up because it will be a while before you get to shower again.
- You can change nurses
If you’re not happy with the nurse that is assigned to you, you can absolutely request a different nurse. You need to feel comfortable with the people caring for you and if you’re not feeling it with a nurse on your team, simply ask to speak with the charge nurse to get another nurse to take over your care.
- They might not allow you to eat
This stems from the days of older types of anesthesia which could cause you to choke on your own vomit while knocked out. But even c-sections are performed under lighter meds like epidurals so there is less risk. Still, many hospitals exercise the practice of not allowing eating just to be on the safe side. The good news is that you’ll likely not be in the mood for any food during this whole thing, but if nutrition concerns you, bring this up with your doctor prior to going into labor.
- You can say no
You don’t have to go along with everything everyone says. Exercise your right to be informed but know when to draw the line. It’s perfectly fine to ask to have some time to think about a decision that needs to be made but if something is medically necessary, you should defer to the medical professionals that are caring for you.
- That ugly gown is not mandatory
Hospital gowns are not going to win any awards for fashion. If you’d prefer not to wear one, that is up to you. Many women bring their own gowns from home but know that this is not the best time for your finest Victoria’s Secret attire. It will get very dirty and likely become stained and ruined so go with something cheap that you don’t care about throwing out when all is said and done.
- You might be able to leave early
Most hospitals recommend you stay up to 48 hours if you have a normal and healthy vaginal delivery and for c-sections, it’s about 72 hours. But you don’t HAVE TO stay the whole time so long as there are no major complications. However, the thing you need to watch out for is your insurance. It might refuse to cover you if you don’t stay the full recommended time by the hospital.
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