S/O Those planning a homebirth, are you taking a hospital tour?

[allisonrose]

I saw the thread about hospital birth and tours. I'm wondering about the home birth crowd. There is only one hospital within a 30 minute drive so if we need to transfer, we are likely going there. So I figure doing a tour is a bit silly but maybe I should consider doing one anyway?

[rumi79]

I haven't even registered there yet, I should do it one of these days, so they have me in their system in case of emergency.

For me, the transfer will be due an emergency or to go and have the c-section. So honestly, I don't think I will care that much about the rooms and the environment.

The other comforting thing is that my midwife works as a L&D nurse there so she will orient me in the environment pretty quickly I think. So no tour for me. Hospitals depress me and leave some anxious feeling about something bad going to happen. I know it is irrational, but I don't have good memories about hospitals.

[laurac5]

Nah... no reason to expect to go to the hospital.  If I do have to go, my midwife will be going with me, and I figure she is familiar with the hospitals in the area.  IMO it would be a waste of time for me to take a tour.

[Pirogi]

No, I won't be taking a tour.  If there is an emergency, we will dial 911 and go to the nearest hospital.  Whatever interventions are necessary, are necessary at that point.

[thebeljur]

I haven't done a hospital tour for any of my homebirths.  I don't think it's necessary.

[~Adorkable~]

i did one when i first moved here, that is one of the reasons im doing a home birth now!!

but seriously, im aslo glad i did, i like knowing the layout of places, in case i ever need to go there i know where things are and feel a bit more on top of things.

it was a really depressing tour

[expat_canuck]

I'm registered at the local women's hospital, and it is a NCB-friendly hospital. I used to work in the building (although not in L&D) so I'm not too concerned about taking the tour.  As I'm planning a homebirth, it's a crapshoot whether or not I'll be able to score a room with a waterbirth tub (they are first come first serve), but I figure that in the event of a hospital transfer, that probably won't be my highest priority...

My midwives will still be my primary caregivers in the event of a hospital transfer, and they are super familiar with hospital policies, so I will just rely on them. 

[vtamanda]

You may want to ask your midwife what she thinks.  I figured I should go and pre-register and take the tour, but my MW said she wouldn't bother with it.  That pretty much made the decision for me (and DH), we didn't really want to have to deal with it anyway :)

[bluebirdmama]

DDDC

I did the tour when I was pregnant with my first (and planning a homebirth). We ended up having to transfer after the birth for retained placenta. We were on the maternity ward for 36 hours and I was kind of glad to know where everything was (fridges for parents to use, visiting lounge) and to know where we could park and what door to use. Our midwives had come with us (we're in Canada and that's standard) but they don't stay for 36 hours after your baby is born so I did appreciate not feeling totally lost. This is all kind of nice stuff to know because considering transfers can be a bit of a whirlwind and you probably won't get told a lot of that stuff in the chaos.

I too found the tour totally depressing and it actually kind of helped steel my resolve to stay home when I hit transition and was feeling like maybe I wanted some drugs.

All of that said, I wouldn't say that it's a MUST DO or anything...just go with what feels right for you. We're in a new community now, new hospital and I have no intention of doing the tour this time (3rd homebirth).

[allisonrose]

vtamanda - Good point. I have my birth team meeting on Friday so I think I will ask then.

The local hospital is pretty small so I don't expect there to be a lot to see. I already know they don't have telemetry units for FM. I know three L&D nurses (two run the local BFing support group and one is a mom friend) and might even be able to arrange just popping by the maternity ward....

I am pretty sure my midwife doesn't have any experience with this hopsital. She is a relatively new midwife and I don't think she's had huge number of births in my town.

I didn't even think about preregistering. Another question for the midwife.

[Xenopus]

I didn't do a tour.  Upon my hospital transfer, my midwives came with me and there were no issues.  I had been under the care of an OB in the system early in the pregnancy, so they had a lot of my information.

I won't be touring this time either.  Not before, and hopefully not after, labor starts.

Send happy HBAC thoughts, ladies.

XO

Xen