Birth: Hospital
For those women that choose to deliver in a hospital, some or all of the following may be experienced. Most hospitals will not admit you unless you are in active labour and will turn you away unless you are at least 4cms dilated. Occasionally, women will be offered an epidural to facilitate early admittance. The transfer to hospital from home during labour may be quite uncomfortable and more often than not, it will temporarily slow or stop your contractions all together. You will have a vaginal examination and your cervical dilation assessed. If you are to be admitted, your doctor will be notified (if it is between 7am and 7pm otherwise you will be under the care of the on call doctor), and someone will be sent to complete your paperwork at admitting. You will be asked to lie in bed so that they can get an accurate trace of the baby’s heartbeat and an adequate print out has been obtained. A printout of your contraction rate and intensity will be provided at the same time.
So far you are lying in bed with a strap for the baby’s heart rate and another for your contractions. You may be offered an IV for fluids now that you are to be allowed nothing to eat or drink other than water until the baby arrives. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and be allocated a room. Unless you specify, you will be monitored continuously and as this hinders movement, more likely to spend your labour in bed. This hinders your coping mechanism and you may feel the need to request pain relief. You are now well into your cascade of interventions. Unless you request privacy, you may face a stream of medical staff, shift changes and interventions that you have little or no control over. Hiring a birth doula is one step closer to regaining control over your birth. Ultimately, you may deliver without your doctor even being there at the birth and instead deliver with an on call doctor. After the baby is born, you may feel helpless as routine blood samples are taken to test for newborn hypoglycemia in very small or very large babies and you may also receive ten different versions of how to breastfeed from the succession of different nursing staff. It just takes one person to give wrong advice and your breastfeeding career may be over before it started. You are free to go home after 24 hours, 72 after a section and are welcome to bring your baby back to the maternal newborn clinic if needed. Your doctor will see you in 6 weeks time to check that you are recovering well.
Hospital-Acquired Infections from emedicine.com "Within hours of admission, colonies of hospital strains of bacteria develop in the patient's skin, respiratory tract, and genitourinary tract."
- Antibiotic-Resistant Infections - Recent News Reports
- Antibiotic-Resistant Infections - Questions & Answers
- Hospital-Acquired Infections and Antibiotic Resistance - Notes and References
- Wrong Baby Circumcised, MD Disciplined
Are You a Good Candidate for A Hospital Birth?
By Gloria Lemay, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Must not be scared of needles.
- Must not be claustrophobic or uncomfortable in confined spaces.
- Must be able to go for long periods of time without eating or drinking.
- Must be happy to share a bathroom with others.
- Must enjoy sleeping on a mattress covered with plastic.
- Must not have a rebellious or questioning nature.
- Must accept the possibility of contracting antibiotic-resistant infections.
- Must be confident with caregivers who are overtired and overworked.
- Must realize that a limited amount of time can be spent in a hospital room before it is needed for the next patient.
- Must like and trust electronic equipment.
- Must be comfortable with cesarean rate of 20% or more.
- Must accept that the mood of the nurse on duty will be a large determinant of the birth outcome.
- Must realize that they will be delivered by someone they have never met before.
- Must realize that the written birth plan will be ignored.
- Must be willing to have florescent lights turned on at all hours.
- Must be capable of birthing without making loud noises.
- Must look good in a flimsy blue gown that is open up the back.
- Must be willing to be a teaching subject for student doctors who are learning to do pelvic exams and suturing.