Navigating Your Hospital Stay

Make your post-delivery experience better by knowing what to expect. Plus, 10 things you should pack.

By Christina Frank

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Insider Tips
From The Labor Nurse

1. Use your call light wisely. Ask for several things together, such as ibuprofen, juice and breastfeeding help. Clustering requests lets us provide more focused, efficient care.

2. Don't shower alone. After delivery, fainting is common and it happens most often in the shower because the hot water causes blood pressure to drop. Use the shower bench and ask your nurse, partner or friend to stand by.

3. Adopt a "no visitors" policy while breastfeeding if necessary. Some babies— and moms—need peace and privacy to learn the big job of nursing. — Jeanne Faulkner, R.N. (read her blog entries at fitpregnancy.com/blog/labornurse)


10 must-pack items
You've got the camera, toiletries and a nursing nightie. You also need:

•Your birth plan/wish list •Prepaid calling card and list of phone numbers of family and friends
•Your favorite pillow
•A headband or hair tie
•A breastfeeding pillow
•Two nursing bras
•A box of disposable breast pads
•Disposable underwear
•A loose going-home outfit for you
•A cozy going-home outfit for baby


A Homey Alternative
About 99 percent of U.S. births take place in hospitals, but about 10,000 women a year choose to deliver in a freestanding birth center. These are usually run by midwives and aim to provide a natural, minimally invasive experience, says Meagan Francis, author of The Everything Health Guide to Postpartum Care (Adams Media, 2007). They're not for women who want the option of an epidural or other anesthesia, and you'll need to check with your insurer about whether your stay will be covered. In an emergency, you'll be transported to a hospital. Continuity of care is a major birth-center perk, says Francis. "You'll be cared for by the same few people during pregnancy, labor and postpartum," she says. You usually go home four to 12 hours after delivering, but a midwife will come to your home the next day. To explore this option further, visit birthcenters.org.

 

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