We took a tour of the hospital this weekend, just to get acquainted with the place and what it would be like (and to make sure we go to the right door!). We are hoping that we will get a private post-partum room, since they are first come, first served. It costs a bit more, but it is worth it to not have someone and their family coming in and out of your room...
The rest is pretty standard. There's a fetal monitor in every room that is pretty much required, much to Lisa's chagrin. In fact, there's a lot that met with Lisa's chagrin. Mothers have to stay for 48 hours after giving birth, and that's for normal births with no complications! You can't drink anything except ice chips, even though there's a nice "nutrition center" down the hall, that's not until after you give birth. Lisa is pretty sure we are staying at home for as long as possible!
All in all, nothing particularly surprising about any of it. I did learn a lot about how the baby gets really cold right after coming out, and so they put them right into a warmed bassinet. Apparently it is pretty common for the kid to go hypoglaucemic due to the extreme drop in temperature.
Anyway, it's another step toward having our first child, and everything teaches you something. Wednesday, we're off to a class on caring for your newborn.
