When it’s a question of delivering your baby, unless you opted for a home delivery or you simply jettison in the lap of mother nature (believe some women who have done that), you should book a hospital that is close to your residence. And, of course, with the added benefit of insurance coverage if the hospital is affiliated with the insurer.
But a tour of the hospital is highly recommended. Be it a first pregnancy, the second, or the third, there are always multiple questions we have for the doctors, the medical crew, and about the facilities that the hospital has to offer you. Some corporate hospitals emanate that feel-good-factor instantly with the ambiance they cater, but you never know what you might bump into on their tour.
Even the minuscule things matter for a safe delivery. So, make sure you call on them and come up with your set of questions from the impressions you gather and the questions that crop up from the experience apart from these:
1. Ask If You Can Avail A Private Room
Good to have privacy and insulate yourself from the telltales signs of other pregnant women or those scurrying past in labor. Shared rooms can be a nightmare for claustrophobic women or women who jealously guard their privacy. You could upgrade your room for some extra bucks. But, private rooms might be full and mightn’t be granted with a prior booking. So make sure you ask them if there is any availability around your due date.
2. Ask Whether Your Baby Will Be Separated Right After Birth
The medicos have their baby rituals right after birth and might confine the baby to a different room for some time. Ask the hospital if they do so or if they would be happy to do the routine examinations in the birthing room.
3. Whether Visitors Are Allowed
Most doctors prefer that the concentration people is minimal in the corridors. No noise and no contamination are permitted after all, and it It also depends on you. Do you want your kin to be present there on the day of delivery? If yes, ask the hospital how many they are willing to allow.
4. Whether Your Husband Will Be Allowed In The Delivery Room
Some women press for the husband to be present beside them at the time of delivery. Women gain strength and moral support as they hold the spouse’s hands. Some women don’t want their husbands to witness the harrowing experience and faint in the delivery room. Ask the hospital about their policy of admitting the spouse in there. Keep your husband advised based on that.
5. Whether You Must Fetch Outside Food
Usually, the patient is offered meals prescribed by a dietician. But, you need to figure out food and snacks for those with you. Ask them if they must fetch it from home or if there is a neat cafeteria to visit when hunger strikes them first.
6. Whether There Is Continual Supply Of Water And Electricity
Most corporate hospitals have a back-up for electricity. While there is usually adequate water supply for the patient and the newborn, don’t forget the number of days you might have to spend there and the number of visitors you might have. Also, ensure that you are provided with clean drinking water.
7. Whether There Will Be Breastfeeding Guidance
Several hospitals conduct breastfeeding guidance sessions. It might be particularly helpful if you are a first-time mother, or if you had had issues while breastfeeding your first child, or if you have had complications with the second pregnancy. Most hospitals also respect your privacy when you want to breastfeed your baby.
Did you ever take the chance to tour the hospital before you delivered there? What were the questions on the top of your mind?
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