If you’ve got a child on the way, allow us to be among the first to congratulate you! During the next important months, there’s going to be a lot to think about. Things like whether or not you want to take prenatal classes. Whether natural childbirth or an epidural is what you want to shoot for. Who do you want to have in the birthing room? Which hospital do you want to have your baby at? With all this going on, it can be really overwhelming to get it all sorted.
If you are planning on having a baby, you’ll have lots of questions and choices to make: Do I want a natural childbirth? What type of childbirth preparation classes should I take? Who do I want with me during delivery? What maternity hospital do I go to? This last one is a good place to start, as it frames a lot of the other questions to come.
Things To Consider When Selecting a Delivery Site
Not all birthing wards are created equal, and not all hospitals have a maternity ward. When you begin looking at locations to have your baby, take some time to consider the following:
Reputation For Managing Labor And Delivery – It’s important that you have the best care possible for your baby and you during delivery. Ensure that the hospital you select has board-certified specialists on hand to aid you through your delivery. This list should include:
- OB/GYNs – These specialists are going to be among the most important parts of your birthing team. They should be certified by the appropriate board and up to date with their continuing education.
- Anesthesiologists – Choosing to have anesthesia during your birth is completely normal. However, you want to ensure the one administering the medication is qualified to do so and familiar with birthing anesthesia.
- Laborists – These important team members, along with the delivery nurses, are going to see you through. Laborists are specialists within the OBGYN field that focus on seeing women through this most challenging part of pregnancy.
- Magnet-Recognized RNs – Nurses who have this designation have shown increased success rates during birthing and good reports from the patients they serve. This designation is only achieved by 2% of US hospitals.
A Special Care Nursery – While the hope is that your baby will be born perfectly healthy, it’s always good to be prepared. A special care nursery can provide support for infants that were born premature or that have some form of health complication when born. While these are excellent systems to have in place, make sure they encourage the presence of caregivers and parents during care.
Birthing Options – Not all hospitals offer a variety of birthing options. If you want to be able to use your preferred birthing style, make sure the hospital offers it. Not all hospitals have the same options, and some, such as water birthing, may be unavailable.
Speak To Your Women’s Health Provider To Learn More
Are you ready to take charge of your delivery experience? Then it’s time to involve your women’s health specialist in your planning committee! Give them a call today.
