At the Hospital
Understanding what to expect at the hospital when you are in delivery and about to give birth can greatly help to ease your mind and relieve some of your worries.
Generally, you will have pre-registered at the hospital well in advance of going into labor. This can be helpful so that you do not have to worry about completing lengthy paperwork when you're trying to focus on breathing between contractions. Once you realize that you are in labor you should contact your physician, who will typically direct you to come to the hospital and check-in.
Be sure to bring your bag with you to the hospital. You will probably have packed your bag several weeks ago. Your bag should include a nightgown for yourself, some personal hygiene products, including sanitary pads, and clothing for your baby when he or she comes home. You may also wish to bring a camera and a videocamera to record the special event. Of course, you should also make sure you have a car seat or carrier for your baby when he or she is released as well.
In the event that your labor begins after midnight and before 6am, you may need to enter the hospital through the emergency entrance. Once you enter the hospital you will likely be placed in a wheelchair and then escorted to the maternity or labor and delivery unit.
Although you will have brought your own nightgown with you in most instances the staff will request that you change into a hospital gown. Generally, an intravenous drip will also be started and the nurse may also draw blood and request a urine sample from you. A fetal monitor will be attached to your abdomen in order to measure your contractions as well as monitor your baby's heartbeat.
Once this has been completed you need to make sure you let the nurse know if you have any special requests and also mention your birth plan if you have one. You should also let the nurse know if you have chosen to bank your baby's cord blood.
In the event that you have chosen an epidural, an anesthesiologist will come to administer the epidural in order to assist with pain management. While many years ago the father was requested to wait outside, thankfully today that is no longer the case. Your spouse or partner should be able to remain with you almost throughout the process. There may be a few times when your partner must leave your side, such as for the epidural administration and in the event that a C-section is needed, surgical preparation, but other than those times you should be able to have your partner right by your side.
Periodically throughout your labor a nurse will check on you to see how labor is progressing. Once your cervix has dilated sufficiently you will typically to be taken to the delivery room. The amount of time that this takes varies greatly from one woman to another, although it generally takes longer in first pregnancies. After your baby is born, you should be allowed to see him or her and bond for a few moments before the baby will be cleaned up and tests performed. Keep in mind that while you will certainly not want to relinquish your baby at this point it is critical for important tests to be conducted to make sure that your baby is completely healthy. If you have chosen to breastfeed, the first nursing should take place within about an hour of the birth.
Depending upon hospital regulations, your baby may be allowed to stay in the room with or may be placed in the hospital nursery during those times when you need to rest. The length of time that you remain in the hospital will vary based upon the hospital's regulations and whether there were any complications regarding the birth.
