When I was pregnant, I read a lot of forums, books, blogs and essays about different settings and styles of childbirth. The obvious choice is a hospital, but there are also birth centers, home births and free births. Many of the writers bashed hospitals, claiming unnecessary intervention, poor care, increased risk and self absorbed doctors as a few of the reasons hospital births are a bad idea. I chose to give birth in a hospital for a number of reasons, health insurance being the main reason. I was all geared up to “fight for my rights” as a patient and a mother, but ultimately I was surprised time and time again by the level of care and the freedom I received in the hospital. Rather than having the negative experience so many woman warned me about, I ended up loving the hospital and I was sad to leave. Here are five unexpected things I loved about giving birth in a hospital.
1. “You can do it!”
Out of all the nurses that took care of me, only one said she’d never give birth without an epidural. All of the other nurses encouraged me to try birth without any pain medication. They did not badger me with offers of medication, as some warned me would happen. My lactation nurse was the most encouraging. She emphasized the benefits of not having an epidural for successful breastfeeding. She also visited me after the birth and congratulated me.
2. “Push when you’re ready.”
My obstetrician and delivery nurse encouraged me to take charge of my own delivery. Rather than watching the monitor and instructing me exactly when to push and when to stop, they told me to start pushing when I was ready and stop when I lost the urge. The only time my doctor intervened is when I needed to slow down to let my son’s head come out slowly to prevent injury.
3. “Would you like to touch his head?”
This gesture allowed me to feel very involved with my son’s birth. When he crowned, my doctor asked if I would like to reach down and touch his head. Feeling his soft hair was the motivation I needed to keep pushing! It was also an experience I’ll never forget.
4. “You’re doing such a good job!”
My nurse whispered this in my ear when things got really tough. No one rushed me or coerced me into doing something I wasn’t comfortable doing. Instead, the staff constantly encouraged me with patience and gentleness.
5. “Circle anything on the menu.”
After twelve hours in the hospital with nothing to eat, this was music to my ears! For the record, hospital food is delicious (at least it is at Rockford Memorial.) The nurse gave me a huge menu and told me I could order as much of it as I wanted. That is one luxury you’ll never get at home! (Unless you have a personal chef!)