THE BABBLE TAKE
One pregnancy website asserts that your nine months of pregnancy "are all about choices." This may sound empowering to some and exhausting to others. Nevertheless there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you are on the same page as the staff at your hospital or birthing center. Above all, experts say, you want to be well informed long before birth so that you don't end up hijacked into a whirlwind of routine procedures that you're not comfortable with. You also want to avoid having to argue about the finer points of hospital policy when in labor. Pregnancy experts advise you to do research before even picking a health care provider to see which hospitals each provider has admitting privileges at. Other tips from the pros include making sure you visit the hospital where you plan to give birth — well before you go into labor — to check out the premises and talk to the staff. Hospital procedures vary widely from place to place on everything from who you will be able to bring into the delivery room, to if they routinely shave women and what happens to the baby once she has been born. Other things you may want to know include your hospital's rate of C-sections and episiotomies as well as their policies on drugs.
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BabyCenter ®
"In most cases, you'll deliver your baby at the hospital where your healthcare provider has admitting privileges. So keep in mind that when you choose a doctor or midwife, you're also choosing the place where you'll give birth. It's worth doing some research to make sure the hospital's policies and approach to birth fit your needs."
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American Pregnancy Association
"Two things you will make decisions about early in pregnancy are your health care provider and your birth location. These decisions often go hand in hand because most health care providers have chosen birth locations. Most women base their choices on health histories, preference, finances and well informed opinions."
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Pregnancy Today
"A mother-friendly hospital, birth center, or home birth service offers all birthing mothers: Unrestricted access to the birth companions of her choice, including fathers, partners, children, family members, and friends; Unrestricted access to continuous emotional and physical support from a skilled woman-for example, a doula, or labor-support professional; Access to professional midwifery care."
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BabyCenter ®
"Most hospitals offer tours of the obstetrical floor at designated times, and it's a good idea to take advantage of this opportunity. In fact, if you're taking childbirth education classes at the hospital where you'll be giving birth, you'll probably get a tour at some point during the course. The more familiar you are with your surroundings, the less intimidating labor will be."
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About.com
"First, you should learn as much as you can about all your choices. There are many different ways of caring for a mother and her baby during labor and birth. Birthing care that is better and healthier for mothers and babies is called "mother-friendly." [...] A group of experts in birthing care came up with this list of ten things to look for and ask about. Medical research supports all of these things. These are also the best ways to be mother-friendly."
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