As you get closer to your due date, you have to come up with an answer to choosing a hospital to deliver your baby. While some end up in an emergency where they must deliver before reaching the hospital, most of the time, you can choose where to deliver your baby.
There are a lot of factors when it comes to delivering a baby. Rather than monitoring one life, the hospital is tracking the health of you and your baby. Since injuries could happen at any point along the way, it is essential to choose a facility you can trust.
Here are some of the things you should think about when you are choosing where you plan to deliver your baby.
Location, location, location
Some women are in labor for hours, while others progress through the stages very quickly. Often, mothers do not know what category they are in until it is happening.
Depending on where you live and work, you may have a lot of options, or only one. As you think about location, consider where you spend most of your time and what friends or family you may want with you while you are in labor.
Your medical team
Throughout your pregnancy, you have likely already started working with medical professionals for your prenatal care. You should talk to your doctor about important questions, including:
- Where is your doctor authorized to deliver?
- Is there an on-call rotation?
- What staff, if any, from the doctor’s office can be at the hospital?
- Will the doctor you are laboring with be the one to deliver your baby?
- Can your doctor perform emergency interventions, like c-sections?
As you narrow down your choices, take the time to tour the hospital, and what facilities it has to offer. Also, take time to look up the hospital’s reviews and ratings to see what other mothers experienced.
Knowing where you plan to deliver and what to expect when you get there can make the labor and delivery less stressful.