Monday, October 5, 2009

Hospital Tour

Well, tonight was our hospital tour at Leigh.  I'm pretty happy with where we'll be delivering Luke.  I am pretty sure I can have the birth I envision there. 

We started out in a "classroom" and the nurse went over a lot of things.  I'm going to jot down my notes here so I can remember what we talked about & learned.

What to Bring to the Hospital:
slippers
robe
extra pillows
laptop
camera
no jewelry
baby's outfit for going home
baby's outfit for picture
blanket
mittens
pjs & blankets for Tim

Things to Ask Dr. Morgan About:
1. Procedure for going to hospital (call him first, go in, etc.)
2. Circumcision procedures w/in the practice (nobody at Leigh uses plastibell)
3. Delayed cord cutting
4. Continuous monitoring (20 on 20 off ???) 

Normal Hospital Procedures:
-3 people allowed in room at a time, can rotate until pushing starts
-house pediatrician will check on baby each morning
-Nourishment room available (has coffee, hot chocolate, ice, etc.)
-Staff fridge available for saving left-overs
-our365.com for baby photos
-between 9 pm & 5:30 am enter through ER, go straight to L&D
-Vaginal birth soonest discharge 24 hours w/ 1 day follow up or 36-48 hours
-C-Section birth soonest discharge 48 hours but normally up to 3-4 days
-C-Section rate over 30% in Virginia
-24 hour liquid diet w/ C-Section
-24/7 Roomming in available...baby is bathed & everything in the room (even weighed)
-Baby goes to nursery for hearing screening, doctor check-ups in AM, and circumcision
-Baby placed on warm towel on belly
-no teli-monitors
-they have birthing balls
-no birthing tub or stool
-If I want a squat bar bed I need to ask at admission b/c they only have a few
-Heplock is ok, as long as you don't need an IV for antibiotics or fluid
-Their rooms are LDRP (labor/deliver/recover/postpartum)
-After a C-section 1 hour baby in nursery, mom in Recovery
-It's not a teaching hospital...they do have student nurses but you can request not to have one
-Own clothing ok after delivery
-No food or drink (ice chips & popsicles only)
-Lactation consultant available Mon-Saturday 
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3 comments:

Heidi said...

Don't forget the chapstick!! Both times, my sister Amanda had to bring me some! Something about delivering a baby makes you have dry lips!!

October 5, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Joel said...

Hey Steph!

I've just been looking over your blog a bit and decided I ought to leave you a comment.

I urge you to look at the Bible verse: Galations 5:2-6

5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

...

5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.


I simply pointed that out to show that you are not obligated to circumcise for religious reasons, according to your Christianity.

Also, I wanted to point out that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend circumcision on medical grounds. Neither do the medical organizations of ANY other country. Australia just released a statement which spoke about the harm of circumcision, and mentioned that circumcision ought to be a choice that an individual makes for their own body.

Perhaps illuminating this position is the knowledge we now have that the foreskin is healthy, sensitive, functional, erogenous genital tissue. In the past, we didn't understand the functions of the foreskin, but in fact it does serve roles of protection and pleasure.

I hope you will reconsider your decision to circumcise your son. The rest of your plan looks really TRULY wonderful, and I can tell you will make an absolutely wonderful mother and a happy family.

October 6, 2009 at 1:15 AM
Caroline said...

Hello Stephanie,

Kudos to you for making sure you're informed about all your birth options.

About the circumcision thing, I noticed you mentioned the plastibel. I'm not sure what your particular question was, but I do know many people are under the impression that the plastibell method is somehow easier or more humane for the child. But this really isn't true. The foreskin still must be forcibly torn from the glans to appy it, so it is just as painful for the child a any other method.

I don't want to lecture you, promise! I just wanted to bring that info to your attention. I won't post a link, because they are graphic, and I don't want to upset anyone. But if you want to know more about a plastibel, just google the image.

If you feel resistant to that, remember that that's what you'd see every day, if you were to choose that for your son.

If you're completely new to the topic of circumcision, I recommend this article by Dr. Bob Sears, author of The Baby Book, The Vaccine Book, and the N.D.D. Book.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t012000.asp#back

A good video on the subject (short) hosted by Dr. Dean Edell is
Circumcision: Making the Informed Decision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVvB1oHAgg

Best of luck with having the birth experience you want, and with the new family.
Caroline

October 6, 2009 at 1:20 AM

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