Touring the Hospital

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This past sunday we went on a tour of the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY where we will be giving birth to our baby girl. The tour was with our midwife Dale and the other two midwives at Gaia Midwifery.

The tour began with the other six or seven couples in the lobby of the hospital. Then we made our way to the third floor where the maternity ward is. The elevator doors opened and we were greeted with pink walls to indicate we have arrived…sorry boys, no blue for you. The midwives informed us that the hospital is about to revamp the floor. They will be making a wing dedicated to the Gaia Midwifery group. Unfortunately it will not be finished by the time Lily Emma comes along. Oh well!

Here are some things that we learned:

• We will park the car at the Emergency entrance and will be able to leave the car there until Dan gets me settled up on the third floor.
• Once we get to the third floor, I will be put in a room and monitored to make sure my blood pressure is normal, the baby's heart rate is good, and there are no complications.
• Meanwhile, Dan will be filling out paperwork and then will move the car.
• Once Lily Emma and I check out OK, we will go in to the Water Birthing Room where Dan will meet us.

NUMC Water Birthing Room

• We are allowed to have music playing, candles lit, and snacks in the room. All to make me as comfortable as I can be to give birth.
• Once I give birth, the umbilical cord does not have to be cut until it stops pulsing (if that is something we want).
• Lily Emma will remain in my arms to breast feed and to bond for an hour before the nurses take her to the nursery to be measured, weighed, and get that eye ointment put on her, and a vitamin K shot.
• We can opt NOT to have Lily bathed. Choosing that option will result in that white slimy stuff called vernix caseosa from the birth to sink into her skin and moisturize it. This will result in Lily's skin not peeling.
• We can also have the Hep B shot given to her at the hospital if we want it.
• While Lily is in the nursery getting these things done, I will be transfered to my own private room.
• The nurses will bring Lily in to the room when she is done in the nursery.
• Dan will be able to stay in the room all the time. He will not be kicked out after visiting hours.
• Visiting hours are from 12pm till 8pm.
• We are allowed outside food to be brought in.
• If everything is going well, the earliest we will be able to be dismissed from the hospital with Lily would be about 26 hours.

We also learned that I should be drinking juice or something sugary on the way to the hospital. This is to keep Lily up and moving around. 

Just like a wedding, there are a ton of things going on that we never realized until it was our wedding. I guess giving birth is the same. We have to ask our midwife to give a list of things we will need at the hospital in our "labor bag."

As Willy Wonka once said: 

"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it."

We have less than 4 1/2 months to go. Time is gonna fly by especially because the holidays are coming up. Time to prepare is now!!