So we had our birth center tour this evening. Sorry if this is long...I need to get it off my chest!
In some ways I'm totally thrilled. In others, I'm disappointed.
The focus seems to be completely opposite of the focus where I had ds.
With ds, they couldn't have cared less about what I wanted when I was in labor. It was intervention city. But there, when it came to my newborn son, they were wonderful. Dh got to go with ds everywhere. Dh got to give ds his first bath under the supervision of the nurse in the nursery. They did the hearing screening with ME holding ds in my bed in MY hospital room.
At this hospital, the nurse kept talking about how "it's better to be up and moving about during labor" and she showed us the hydrotherapy rooms (which are actually ATTACHED to the labor/delivery rooms!!!) She talked about how the showers are nice and big so there is lots of room for anyone who needs to be IN the shower with mom while she's laboring... etc, etc, etc. I left that part feeling very much satisfied that my laboring needs would be met.
BUT... when I started asking questions about the baby? I started to get upset to the point where I nearly started to cry (dang hormones! lol)
DH is NOT allowed to go with our baby to the nursery. He is NOT allowed to participate in the bathing or even be in the same room. Their reasoning was that the nursery is small and that there are other babies in there besides ours. (which never stopped the other hospital from letting dh in with our first!)
The hearing screening... she said how it is mandatory by law (and I'd want it done anyway) and that the babies MUST have it done in the nursery. She kept talking about how they'd come and "take" the baby . All this talk about TAKING my baby was extremely upsetting to me.
She also started to say that the exam of the baby done by the pediatrician must take place in the nursery. At that point I said, "Well. No. My son's pediatrician will examine him in MY room." And she said to me, "Most doctor's don't like to do that and besides, what if the pediatrician's partner comes instead of the pediatrician?" To which I replied that it's just the pediatrician herself and she has very few patients at this hospital anyway and that I've already discussed it with her and the exam will be done IN my room, in MY presence.
::sigh:: I should count my blessings that they're natural-birth friendly and very willing to be flexible there.... and that was one of my main concerns. But I'm holding firm to the mantra that this is MY baby and nowhere else in our lives will I let people just "TAKE" him whenever the heck they want....so I'm not going to start in the hospital.
I'm calling the ped. in the morning so I can firm things up with her and have her write me a letter that I can take with me stating that she is aware of and supports some of these decisions related to the baby.
Homebirth looks better and better every day, people! Too bad I'm too chicken!
In some ways I'm totally thrilled. In others, I'm disappointed.
The focus seems to be completely opposite of the focus where I had ds.
With ds, they couldn't have cared less about what I wanted when I was in labor. It was intervention city. But there, when it came to my newborn son, they were wonderful. Dh got to go with ds everywhere. Dh got to give ds his first bath under the supervision of the nurse in the nursery. They did the hearing screening with ME holding ds in my bed in MY hospital room.
At this hospital, the nurse kept talking about how "it's better to be up and moving about during labor" and she showed us the hydrotherapy rooms (which are actually ATTACHED to the labor/delivery rooms!!!) She talked about how the showers are nice and big so there is lots of room for anyone who needs to be IN the shower with mom while she's laboring... etc, etc, etc. I left that part feeling very much satisfied that my laboring needs would be met.
BUT... when I started asking questions about the baby? I started to get upset to the point where I nearly started to cry (dang hormones! lol)
DH is NOT allowed to go with our baby to the nursery. He is NOT allowed to participate in the bathing or even be in the same room. Their reasoning was that the nursery is small and that there are other babies in there besides ours. (which never stopped the other hospital from letting dh in with our first!)
The hearing screening... she said how it is mandatory by law (and I'd want it done anyway) and that the babies MUST have it done in the nursery. She kept talking about how they'd come and "take" the baby . All this talk about TAKING my baby was extremely upsetting to me.
She also started to say that the exam of the baby done by the pediatrician must take place in the nursery. At that point I said, "Well. No. My son's pediatrician will examine him in MY room." And she said to me, "Most doctor's don't like to do that and besides, what if the pediatrician's partner comes instead of the pediatrician?" To which I replied that it's just the pediatrician herself and she has very few patients at this hospital anyway and that I've already discussed it with her and the exam will be done IN my room, in MY presence.
::sigh:: I should count my blessings that they're natural-birth friendly and very willing to be flexible there.... and that was one of my main concerns. But I'm holding firm to the mantra that this is MY baby and nowhere else in our lives will I let people just "TAKE" him whenever the heck they want....so I'm not going to start in the hospital.
I'm calling the ped. in the morning so I can firm things up with her and have her write me a letter that I can take with me stating that she is aware of and supports some of these decisions related to the baby.
Homebirth looks better and better every day, people! Too bad I'm too chicken!
: Her speech on that started out great, but then quickly annoyed me again 
