Hospital Tour

The much-anticipated hospital tour was last night. It surely wasn't what I was expecting, but at the same time, it was exactly what I thought it would be. After all, it is a hospital.

So we headed to the center with plenty of time to spare. It's only a fifteen minute drive from home, if we go the speed limit. I'm sure that when the labor time comes and we are speeding, we can cut that time in half! It was a little difficult to find close parking. We did manage to find a spot a few parking lots over. It's okay, pregger girl needs the exercise.

We went to the women's center and waited for the event to start. We were on time. That's rare for me lately, so that was nice. There was a wide range of people for this tour. There was the "perfect" red cardigan girl, we'll call her Red, who sat across from me. I think she was due in March. One girl was due in February and said she would have loved to schedule it for the upcoming weekend if she could, without having to have a c-section. Most women looked ready to "pop". I felt like I was touring a bit early in my pregnancy compared to them. There was a young couple with a belly barely 3 or 4 months. She barely even looked pregnant. I only have 12 weeks to go, I didn't feel so bad after seeing her. I figured it was safer than sorry to just get the peek at the hospital over with.

We start the tour and packed ten larger-than-life pregnant women and their significant others in an elevator. Fear of causing a crash did occur, but we were assured we were okay. We rode to the third floor and started touring the delivery rooms. I am relieved that all rooms have single beds. The tour guide mentioned that the dads can have a cot to sleep on and that they were pretty uncomfortable. Red's husband got brownie points from her for saying, "well, our discomfort won't even compare to what our wives are gonna go through". Gag me. Red proudly, or should I say, snidely, looked around to make sure we all heard what he had to say. We did, Red, he's great.

I was glad to hear that we are allowed up to three people in our birthing room. I plan to have Kyle, of course, and Cuz. They will help me to feel "normal" and will probably keep my spirits up. I like to crack them up and that will keep my mind off any pain I'm sure I will be having. Ours will be Cuz's first sight of actual birth. She has never seen her babies born or her grandbabies. It's so magical that she will see her first great grandbaby take his first breath! I'm just sure between Kyle and Cuz, they will be passed out on the floor while I am pushing. I'll be sure to bring my video camera for proof!

We moved on to c-section rooms and they weren't as pleasant. They had actual stretcher beds for wheeling into the operating rooms. As great as a planned delivery seems on paper, I think I would prefer getting over my fear of labor, because I know the healing process is quicker.

We toured the water birth room for Red. She "might" want to consider a water birth. How special. I do have to say the room was painted really sweet and I could really feel calm in there. But trade in granny-style wall paper and ugly borders in the delivery rooms for a water birth? No. That's right up there with the orgasmic birth for me. Might work for others, but a little to "new" for me. Let's just go old-fashioned.

Next, we went over to the postpartum area for moms and babies. We saw an adorably small baby in the nursery with his mom. She looked so tired and we were all giddy and gawking at her baby. Kyle felt so bad for her. But at least we were smiling at her. Intrusive? Yes. Cruel? No.

There is a great photography company that can do some pretty cute shots of the baby. I'm sure those will cost an arm and a leg, so we'll most likely pass. My digital camera will work fine for me. Gotta make sure to bring waterproof mascara. Don't want to look like a hot-mess in my pictures!

On our way back through to the delivery area Kyle hears a loud "PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!" to the beat of a ticking clock. I think I must have blocked that part out. He was a little white-faced after he heard that commotion. All I could hear was the wonderful shriek of a newborn's first cries. That was great for me. I'm really glad I didn't hear the "PUSH!!!". That would probably have had my nerves on end.

While waiting for an elevator for our herd, Red took a poll to see what everyone was having. We heard, "Girl", "We're having a boy", "We want it to be a boy", etc. Red counted that there were about four or five boys coming. I felt it was polite to ask her what she's having. I got an eye roll and a smug, "we don't know what we're having". I tried to keep the conversation going with, "oh, so you don't plan to find out until he or she is born?". I got a curt reply, "we want it to be a surprise". Her lip even did the snooty partial smile. I ended that conversation right then and there. Kyle said that he swears Red was giving me a dirty look the whole time we were there. Either I didn't notice, or I blocked it out, along with "PUSH". She was a special one, I could tell.

I got a good glimpse of how other new parents-to-be acted. A lot were very mushy. It was a bit over the top for me. We know how you got pregnant, we don't need a reenactment. We were on a hospital tour. It wasn't Disney World. Get a room. You might think I say this because I was jealous. I just don't see what is romantic about sterile hospital equipment and smelly cafeteria food. I know the event will be special and wonderful. I know that it will be scary and difficult. I know that it will be the best day of my life.

I'm really glad we went on the tour. I feel that a lot of my fears about where to go, where to park, and how the heck to we get to a room to give birth, have been put aside. I feel that now that the worry of the unknown is passed for location. Now I just have to prepare myself for the actual labor and delivery. Luckily I have a couple more months to get that situated in my head.