What are the hospital positives?

[SeaBean]

Sorry this may be similar to a thread below me, but just wanting people to chime in on the good things/perks about birthing in the hospital (besides being closer to lifesaving equipment, I guess).

(I had a hb for 1st baby and planned one for this one, but midwife cannot attend now. I will be at hospital w/ either OB or different midwife, depending who is on duty.)

Is it nice to have someone bring you a meal after the birth? I don't know what to expect. I have never been in a hospital (since I was born myself) so just trying to stay positive!!

[chaoticzenmom]

Hospital positives?  Food, definitely.  There's just something about someone bringing you a big plate of hot food (and after all that work, it tastes great no matter how gross you'd normally find it)  I've had 2 hospital and 2 free-standing birth center births.   One hospital had a fridge down the hall from my room where they had sandwiches, puddings, drinks, etc.  I loved that.  It's also nice that if you're feeling tired, sore, sleepy, whatever, a nurse will change your baby's diaper for you:)  Another nice thing is just being cared for for a day or two so you can take care of your little one.  This one can be nice, or a pain, depending on how you look at it and if you can handle letting others help.  I, for one, loved pushing a button and requesting water:)  Another plus, they give you dermaplast spray and a peribottle.  You can get these on your own, but I've found that midwives don't usually give you those self-care items.

I preferred the midwife births in general, but being in a hospital wasn't all that bad for me with my first two.  If you don't end with arrogant, hurried caretakers, it can be quite nice.

[poorlittlefish]

I loved my 2 natural hospital births and food is a good reason. At my hospital they also had that little fridge.  I for some reason drank about 25 mini juice boxes of cranberry juice after my first birth--they just hit the spot.  Also, in my hospital you ordered your food off a menu, like a restaurant!  So nice!  Someone changing your sheets everyday (that isn't you).  A couple of good solid days bonding and establishing breastfeeding before you go home and have another child to care for.  Someone to always answer any questions if something comes up.  A chance to take long, hot showers while your baby sleeps (because once you get home with the baby and another kid--we all know that aint happening!).

Just wanted to say, try to go into this with a good attitude. I personally don't know anyone IRL that had a bad hospital experience, it is mostly just here on MDC.  I feel like if you go into it thinking negatively and how much you are going to not like it, then it will probably become a self-fullfilling prophecy.  But, not that you are being negative, I am just saying.  Good luck!!

[SeaBean]

THANK YOU for the fast replies!  I am feeling better already. I forgot about the luxury of SHOWERING without someone bugging you LOL.  Oh and someone else changing the baby a few times -- nice!

I am definitely all about keeping a positive attitude. I am sure it will be FINE..I have to keep reminding myself that people have their babies at the hospital all the time! LOL

i am just still mourning the loss of my hb.. the first time was so special... but I always think that things work out for a reason and perhaps that's happening here.  We have no close-by family, so it will be nice to have someone helping me for a day or two, even if they are strangers at the hospital!

Thanks again, ladies.

[KentuckyMd]

Thank you for asking this question. Our daughter was breech (and larger) and the best option with us was a scheduled cesarean. We trusted our decision with two very talented high risk OBs. Mom was sedated but awake and talkative. Dad was there and holding her hand. The gender was a surprise until the doctor announced it. Now, we have a 3-y-o girl, who is super sharp and charismatic and gifted and beautiful, etc. We stayed there for several days and the nurses we worked with were wonderful. Lactation consultants came to us. Our pediatrician visited us in the hospital. We were exhausted and perhaps a little annoyed at the steady stream of friends and family, but the hospital staff was excellent and receptive. We felt our girl and the mom were in good hands. I really don't remember the food. I kept forgetting about time and forgetting to eat.

Our birth experience was magical and we held hands throughout. We ended up with a healthy and lovely little child. So to answer your question, I don't see any downsides to the hospital. We trusted the experience to the most capable and skilled professionals we could find. And we were and still are very grateful.

[Smokering]

Hospital positives?  Food, definitely.  There's just something about someone bringing you a big plate of hot food (and after all that work, it tastes great no matter how gross you'd normally find it)

Ha! Mine didn't. I hadn't eaten for 24 hours prior to my post-birth meal, and it was still revolting. Reheated strained chicken, mushy overcooked peas and ersatz potatoes... I distinctly remember thinking "I just pushed out a BABY, I deserve better than this!". I hear the hospital food's improved since then, though...

For me, a plus of hospital birthing was the gowns. I know it sounds odd, because they're hellishly ugly and a lot of people find them dehumanising or whatever. But it was actually kinda handy, being able to soak one through with blood and amniotic fluid and then just chuck it off and put on a new one. I even wore one in the birthing tub, and then stripped it off when the MW made me get out... and another one bit the dust when my MW broke my waters. I think I went through about five, all up. :p This time I'm hoping for a birthing centre birth, but I was a little disconcerted to hear they didn't have gowns on hand. I don't have five pairs of pyjamas to go through! (Hopefully I'll spend most of that time in the birth pool anyway, and I realise it's not a major concern in the grand scheme of things, but it is one more thing to worry about... I bought a pair of second-hand PJs, and I have one other vaguely pyjamoid outfit, but what if they both get icky?)

[purslaine]

Here is my list: (2 hospital births, one homebirth)

- not having to get all the friggin supplies together for a homebirth.  

-not having to worry about noise at home, or having the house clean for the birth

-not worrying about birth mess (although it did clean up pretty easily - I still enjoyed not having to think about it at all)

-I admit I enjoyed the quiet time in the hospital with the baby.  At home I always feel called to do something (clean something, play with my other kids, etc).

-the hot water does not run out in the hospital and they have stools to sit on in the shower (I use water during birth)

I have a list for why homebirth rocks as well, but the above is the pro hospital one.

Oh, and I disagree with the food thing.  I swear I almost starved in the hospital and the food was yucky!

[babymommy2]

Hvaing time with just the baby. Life doesn't stop when you have a baby, so with my 2 and 3 babies I really liked the time to be alone with the baby without my other children around needing me. 

[Alenushka]

1. Unlimited hot water

2. Not having to clean up anything

3. Warm blankets from the blanket warmer

4. Unlimited gowns , so I felt clean at all times

5. Nurse helping me with shower.

6. My very nice LC

7. Non judgmental attitude about pain control.

8. Cold compresses for my forehead. As  many as I needed

9. Bag with self care supplies.

10. My room was pretty and quieter than my home.

[jezebelle]

Another positive is that if you have annoying family that want to be around more than you want them around, you can ask a complete stranger (a nurse) to tell them to get out so you can rest.  This way you/your partner/your doula doesn't have to do it and risk having your family mad at them forever. 

[onetwoten]

mmmm warm blankets. I forgot about that one. I'm also being forced into a hospital birth, and have been trying to come up with positives, but I was stuck at unlimited hot water (though this is a huge huge positive for me). The food here is nothing I'd want to eat, the midwives clean up after our births, and it's our first, so nobody else running around at home. 

Not having to clean the house intially though... that's a good one. 

I'm also debating whether we will get less visitors in the hospital than at home (this is a plus for us!) due to visiting hours. 

There's also a starbucks in our hospital... but its a 15 minutes drive from our house... just saying... lol

[erigeron]

One thing I am looking forward to about the hospital is having oversight for a day or two after the birth, just in case we end up needing it. I looked into home birth and seriously considered it for a while, and I did find it offputting that I would essentially be left on my own with a brand-new baby after a few hours. That's not why I decided against home birth, but it is a plus for hospital birth imo. Of course I don't expect anything to go wrong, but nobody EXPECTS anything to go wrong.

[AlexisT]

A bathroom that someone else gets to clean. Plus, at home, it's so easy for everyone (including you) to forget that you need to recuperate, and the other kids bother you, and you can see the messy kitchen, and everyone's busy. The hospital is kind of a big physical reminder that you've just been through an exhausting experience, and the doctors and nurses treat you that way. And tell your overbearing relatives to leave. ;)

[Smokering]

I thought of another one - packing the birth bag. My hospital birth last time was kind of an emergency thing, so I didn't get to do that (DH went home and flung a few clothes into a bag), but this time I'm planning a birthing centre birth, and I've really enjoyed the little ritual of packing stuff. Sounds silly, but hey. :p I like to check things off my list and decide which outfits to bring along for the baby and all that jazz. (Of course, it helps that we live a 3-minute drive from the birthing centre, so I know it's not dire if I forget anything!)

[WildKingdom]

At my hospital, you get a full body hour- long aromatherapy massage every day you are post-partum. That was incredible!

[onetwoten]

Originally Posted by WildKingdom 

At my hospital, you get a full body hour- long aromatherapy massage every day you are post-partum. That was incredible!

Where do I need to move for this?

[A&A]

I loved having access to the oxygen mask.........it really helped me get through a difficult labor. 

[purslaine]

Originally Posted by WildKingdom 

At my hospital, you get a full body hour- long aromatherapy massage every day you are post-partum. That was incredible!

I must say this is opposite to my 2nd hospital birth.  I wanted to use an essential oil during my labour but the nurse assigned to me was scent sensitive.  I am not sure how to get around this - she really was scent sensitive, but I really wanted my essential oil!  Good thing to look into in advance, I guess.

[baglady]

The clean-up. The day after my birth I had a huge blood splash on the bathroom floor. I remeber watching the two nurses clean it up and being so glad it wasn't me. Plus they changed my bloody sheets and I didn't even have to get out of bed or attempt stain removal.

My hospital had great food too. I got a huge menu and could order whenever I wanted. I also got a lunch for two to go when I left.

As others have said I enjoyed the quiet alone time with the baby. If I were at home I'd think of a million things I should be doing.

I also love those really bad pictures they take of the babies in the hospital.

[McGucks]

The food, oh the food (and, while DH is an awesome cook, it was lovely to have him right next to me instead of in the kitchen).  The non-judgmental attitude about meds for pain control (I had an emergency c/s due to cord wrap).  The unlimited hot water.  The no-neighbor's-dog-barking-to-wake-me-at-5 a.m..  Being able to tell a nurse to not let MIL in until I was good and ready.  For us, the hospital rocked.  And the lactation staff saved my bacon.  Loved them.

ETA:  Aside from the creature comforts (and I know this is against MDC-ish tenets), I took great comfort in knowing that if there was an emergency (which, in our case, there was--which would have possibly resulted in a loss), there were folks there who could save our child's life.  And they did.

Edited by McGucks - 6/13/11 at 8:13am