Transcript: Touring Your Hospital Before Delivery

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The Preggie Pals
Touring Your Hospital Before Delivery

[THEME MUSIC]
Hey, Parents! The new school is right around the corner and kids everywhere are excited about GoGo squeeZ, the squeezable pouches that are 100% natural and perfect for your kid’s lunch box or for a healthy snack. Learn more about GoGo squeeZ later on the show.

DIANA KAY: You’ve read the pregnancy books, taken your childbirth preparation class, and maybe you’ve even assembled a crib by now. So, what’s next? The Hospital Tour. I’m Diana Kay, Certified Childbirth Educator in Doula, and today we’re discussing the ins and outs of the hospital tour. This is Preggie Pals.

[INTRO/THEME MUSIC]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Welcome to Preggie Pals, broadcasting from the Birth Education Center in San Diego. Preggie Pals is your online, on the go support group for expecting parents and those hoping to become pregnant. I’m your host, Stephanie Glover. Love to listen to Preggie Pals on the go? Then be sure to download our free app available on the Android, iTunes, and Windows market places. And we just released a new network app as well! You can listen to all your favorite New Mommy Media shows wherever, whenever you want. If you love Preggie Pals as much as we do, then please tell other pregnant mommas about it so that we can help support them as well. Here’s Sunny to tell us more about the ways to get involve after the show.

SUNNY GAULT: Okay. So, we have some segments that I think you guys will really like. One is called, Ask the Experts, and it is your opportunity to either send us an email or you can call our voicemail and tell us what pregnancy questions you have because we have a whole team of experts that can answer it, and then we’ll include your question and their answer on an upcoming episode. We also have a segment called, Pregnancy Oops, which I really like because it’s a chance for everyone to admit the crazy, funny stories that happen to them during pregnancy and we can all have a nice laugh. If you guys want to participate on those segments, you can go to our website and submit your story to the contact link on our website or again our voicemail, it will go straight to voicemail, you don’t have to talk to anyone. It’s (619) 866-4775. And also, I take a bunch of pictures as we’re recording our shows for Instagram so if you’re ever curious what does Sunny look like? What does Stephanie look like? Who are these experts? You can have a tour in our Instagram page and check us out in the studio.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Well, I’m glad I didn’t wear my pajamas then today.

SUNNY GAULT: I know, right?!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay! So, let’s add, let’s handle some panelist introductions. I’ll go first so, like I said I’m Stephanie Glover. I host Preggie Pals. I’m also a trained childbirth educator. I’m working on my certification to be able to teach in hospitals and give this hospital tours eventually. I have two little ones, my daughter Gretchen is four. I had her via C-Section, and my daughter Lydia is two, and I had a VBAC. Brianne?

BRIANNE: Hi, I’m Brianne. I am a graphic designer and a stay at home mom. Kind of do both. I have three children, Max is four and a half and he was my C-Section baby, scheduled induction and then a C-Section. And then Caroline is almost three and she was a natural VBAC and Lizzie is one and she was also VBAC.

SUNNY GAULT: Awesome!

BRIANNE: That’s it. That’s it.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Great! Thank you for joining us.

BRIANNE: I don’t know. I was like [cross talk]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And no problem. How about you Sunny, tell us about yourself?

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah, I’m Sunny and I am ship producing today’s show and I have four kids of my own. My oldest is five, just started kindergarten, tear coming down my face right now, and I have a three year old boy and then I have identical twins that are 22 months as of yesterday. I’m a busy mama.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yes we all are.

SUNNY GAULT: We are all busy, right?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: We’re all busy.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah! Yeah. Hey, moms! It’s Sunny with New Mommy Media. On our podcast, we love giving you information about different options you have during pregnancy and motherhood. Well, here’s another secret to helping you on your journey. I just discovered a great way to simplify and improve how you shop for top healthy and organic products through Thrive Market. They offer the same premium products my family already gets through our local grocery store but without all those crazy high prices, and it’s delivered straight to your door. I just ordered their organic snack sampler and saved more than $27 with our special New Mommy Media discount. Natalie, one of our listeners is pregnant with her first child and she’s also a big fan of Thrive Market.

NATALIE: Yeah! I mean one of the things that I love so much about Thrive Market is that it makes everything really easy and convenient. The entire 45 hundred queue catalog is sortable with one click. So, if you click that you have a nut allergy, literally the whole catalog will sort that way. So it makes it really, really easy for you. You no longer have to go in, you know be reading tons of labels and wondering like, is this really BPA free? Like they do all the work for you which is super convenient.

SUNNY GAULT: I know you can save up to 50% on products on their site which is really exciting, but Thrive Market recently released their own product line as well.

NATALIE: Yeah! It’s out already. It’s really awesome what they’ve done so for some of the products that are, you know, more popular, they’ll go to the Premium brands and they’ll actually, you know, white label these products and put out, you know, the best highest quality premium product at even lower prices. So, for example I was on yesterday, and I was looking at my prenatal vitamin, and the prenatal vitamin I have now I buy on Thrive and it’s $40 per month and I just found that they have a prenatal vitamin, that’s the Thrive Market brand, and it’s $20 for 3 months.

SUNNY GAULT: Wow.

NATALIE: So, it’s such a better deal so I'm switching right away.

SUNNY GAULT: That’s impressive! All right, so check our special page at www.thrivemarket.com/newmommy, and see why parents everywhere are searching the Thrive Market website for their favorite products. Whether its non-GMO, organic, vegan, gluten free, Paleo, or sustainably farmed, Thrive Market has a ton of variety and if they don’t have the exact brand or product you want, email them and they’ll try to get it for you. Visit www.thrivemarket.com/newmommy and save 25% and free shipping on your order today. That’s www.thrivemarket.com/newmommy.

[THEME MUSIC]

SUNNY GAULT: So, before we start today’s show, we’re going to check out an App that is available on iPhone and iPod and it’s made by a company called Iodine, and the app is called, Start. They just released it and it’s basically a medication manager for depression. So, for the purposes of our New Mommy Media shows we’re going to talk about postpartum depression and how it can help with that. So, if you have ever taken any antidepressants, you know, sometimes it’s hard to tell if those medications are actually working and if there’re any kind of side effects, and if those side effects are normal, and basically if it’s worth sticking this whole thing out. And so that’s what this app is designed to do.

So, when you first log in, it ask you some basic questions, it ask you to choose the antidepressant that you are taking and your dosage for that and then ask you some simple questions about how you feel about certain things and some of the things you’re trying to overcome with the depression medication. And then basically it’s going to send you notifications, it uses notifications on your phone to send you updates and to check in with you. It’s like a little mini questionnaire that says, hey, how are you doing with this today? How are you doing with that? And you rate how you’re feeling. And every two weeks you basically take this questionnaire and you also can get personalize reports so you can reflect on the progress that you’ve made and then after six weeks, the app will help you decide if the medication is working for you and if not it will give you some options to discuss with your doctors.

So, this is not something you’re going to do completely independent of your doctor. It’s just helping you track how you feel every few days and the progress that you are making because who wants to take medications that don’t work, right? And sometimes we forget we’re like busy moms, we’re multitasking, and we’re doing all these kinds of stuff. So, I wanted to let you guys kind of try them on this app whether or not you take depression medication now or not. If you did, you know, do you like the idea of the app? Do you think this is something that could help you or other moms out there? Stephanie, what do you think?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I think the notification features is key because like you said with mommy Brianne, and not getting sleep with the distractions of everyday life it’s hard to remember to take a moment to reflect on how you’re feeling, so, I think being prompted with questions regularly to help you evaluate is really helpful.

SUNNY GAULT: Okay.

BRIANNE: Yeah! I agree. I think the questions, too. Because a lot of times even if you’re trying to do it or you may not know what types of things to be taking about.

SUNNY GAULT: Sure.

BRIANNE: So, they ask you specifically, I think that’s really helpful.

SUNNY GAULT: Diane, what do you think?

DIANA KAY: Well, as a Doula, I do think it would be an awesome app to be able to share with my clients as well because there are women that have postpartum depression and I had mentioned before that I had experience with that, so I’m on one myself.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: And when I first started taking it, but then this isn’t really working.

SUNNY GAULT: Right.

DIANA KAY: And so I stopped taking it, and when I stopped taking it then I realized, oh, yeah, I guess it’s working. So, it would be nice… it would have been nice to have something like this to rate myself, for myself as well. So, it’d be good to refer clients to it as well as you know, if you have to use it yourself.

SUNNY GAULT: Yes.

DIANA KAY: Yeah.

SUNNY GAULT: And like I said, it’s available right now for iPhone and iPod, and it’s free! We love free app.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: We love free!

SUNNY GAULT: Yes, so check it out. We’ll put a link to it on our website, too.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

[THEME MUSIC]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So today we’re learning the ins and outs of the hospital tour. Joining us here in the studio is Diana Kay. Diana is a Certified Childbirth Educator and Certified Doula. She teaches childbirth preparation classes in a hospital setting and also gives us hospital tours and what we’ll be chatting about to expectant parents. Welcome to Preggie Pals, Diana. Thanks for joining us!

DIANA KAY: My pleasure. Glad to be here.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Awesome. So in your opinion how important is it for new parents to tour the hospital prior the labor?

DIANA KAY: I think it’s a really good tool for them because when they’re in labor and they come to the hospital they’re going to be nervous, they’re going to be like, oh, my gosh! Where do I go? Am I doing this right? You know, where’s labor and delivery? So, it’s kind of nice to know ahead of time when they have their wits about them to be able to get everything organized and then once they know where to go then it’s less of a stress for them. They’re all ready stress when they’re in labor.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right! Everything is so unknown and—

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: It’s one last thing to worry about.

DIANA KAY: Mm-hm.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So, what areas of the hospital can they expect to tour, typically?

DIANA KAY: Typically, they will tour a labor and delivery room and they will also tour the postpartum rooms.

SUNNY GAULT: Okay.

DIANA KAY: They… we kind of point out to them where the surgical suites are. They are pointed out where NICU is. But those aren’t areas that they are able to tour.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay and so, why couldn’t someone peek in to like say the operating room?

DIANA KAY: Well, it’s a sterile environment.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Gotcha!

DIANA KAY: You know, and there’s maybe something in their beings, you know…

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yes, yes, yes! We don’t need to see that.

DIANA KAY: That would be pleasant.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So, could you just maybe quickly walk us through a hospital tour you give, like where would you met your expectant parents and sort of what is the route that you take?

DIANA KAY: Now, different hospitals do it differently, but the hospital that I do that, they have a really nice power point presentation that they give ahead of time.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: So then, the members are able to or the patients are able to familiarize themselves with the areas even before we go there.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: We also do a little bit of instruction. We talk about epidurals, we talk about what to expect when they get to the hospital and the kinds of things that for example, IV’s and monitoring and that kind of things. They have a little bit of an idea what to expect when they get there, the plans so to speak. And then, after that we take a little bit of our break and we go upstairs to the labor and delivery room and we show them all the things that are available in there. At our hospital, they don’t have handles for faucet seats. They’ve got the pedals—

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Pedal thing.

DIANA KAY: So we kind of show them that because that can be a little confusing when you first get there, oh, my gosh! How can I wash my hands? So, we point out where all the equipment is available such as or tools that I call them. Washcloths, extra towels, extra blankets and etc. all that stuff. Gowns—

STEPHANIE GLOVER: All the stuff a partner needs to know.

BRIANNE: Exactly.

DIANA KAY: Exactly! And then point out to them well, our hospital has a pinnable in every single room so I show them where that is and how to use it. If they’re going on medicated, I talk them about asking for a birth ball to utilize as well and a rocking chair if they want that as well.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And so it’s an opportunity—

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: For you just to tell them what amenities sort of come within the space.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: Exactly! And then point out all the different little quirks about it. The nurse’s call button…

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: When they hear alarm going off or whatever they’ll, oh, my gosh! What’s that? They can press on the nurse’s button and then the nurse will come in and take care of that so they are not to worry about those kinds of things.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I remember being so surprised with all the stuff hanging on the bed, and you know, you’ve got the phone, and like the wires…

DIANA KAY: Yes.

SUNNY GAULT: And like the big lights.

BRIANNE: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Oh, oh, yes the big… they have these two ginormous lights and I always point out to them that these two ginormous lights are not cameras. They’re actually lamps that are controlled by these funny looking flashlight and
the funny looking flashlight is a strobe light that goes wa,wa,wa,wa… and they usually will point it towards moms privates and if the moms doesn’t know that is coming at them they can be a little disconcerted.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: It’s a laser beam!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: It’s a camera, a laser, we don’t know.

DIANA KAY: So I explained that to them, you know.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: That they will utilize this after you have the baby to make sure there are no tears or if there is, it’s an opportunity for them to find it and be able to repair with having bright lights over all of them it’s just focus what’s needs to be focused.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Gotcha! And who typically gives the tour? Is that a nurse or an educator, other stuff?

DIANA KAY: Usually, it’s an educator.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: Nine times out of ten, in most hospitals, it’s the educators that give the tours. And pretty much the hospitals have their own script that they wanting the educator to follow. And of course, as an educator I tend to teach because that was what I do.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right!

DIANA KAY: So, sometimes my tours might end up a little longer than some other people that aren’t educators but I enjoy doing them in most people that have come to them are very glad they have. Very glad they’ve gone through.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Are they typically private or group tours?

DIANA KAY: Generally, group tours.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay!

DIANA KAY: On occasion, I do know at our hospital if a couple has a hard time getting to a tour, the nurses don’t mind, you know, if they are not busy to show a couple of, you know, the hospital room but for the most part they’re planned, they’re scheduled and they come to the tours in a group.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: About how many people usually are on those tours? What do you say?

DIANA KAY: Oh, my goodness. We are having…

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Probably can vary, right?

DIANA KAY: It varies a lot.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: In my last tour I had nine couples. So it was a little crowded.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: How did you fit them into a delivery room, I could imagine.

DIANA KAY: We’ll the delivery room fits, it’s the elevators. But the challenge is—

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Oh, yeah! You do a few rounds, right?

DIANA KAY: Yes. Yes.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Now, Brianne did you tour your hospital when you were expecting?

BRIANNE: I did. Yeah, with my first.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

BRIANNE: Yeah. We delivered in the same hospital, after that so, we only did that one time. And it was, amaze… like it was just so worth it for us.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Nice.

BRIANNE: And especially for my husband. I feel like it eases so many of his concerns and fears and for the husband, it’s their priority and like their responsibility to get you there.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right!

BRIANNE: And so, to know…

DIANA KAY: And to know where to go.

BRIANNE: Yes! And to know… and like at our hospital, labor and delivery has a separate entrance and after hours you have to do really special things to get inside and to get to the right floor because some elevators don’t even open to the right floor.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah.

BRIANNE: Depending on the hospital you are at.

DIANA KAY: Right!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: That was our first hospital as well.

DIANA: Yup.

STEPHANIE: Mm-hm.

BRIANNE: And so, we are talking about it this week, knowing you’re going to be like tell them it’s important to know where the doors are.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

BRIANNE: So, and cause you’re just not, you know, I as the mom you take care of so many things and you can’t, are doing a lot of bit on your own but you’re not able to just take care of it when you’re on labor.

DIANA KAY: Exactly. Oh, and the other thing too is knowing where to park.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yes.

DIANA KAY: Every hospital is different and then dad needs to know where to park and where to, you know, where do I let her off or do I have to live her by herself or what can I do.

BRIANNE: Is there valet? Yeah.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

BRIANNE: Or do I need to run from point A to point B.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Mm-hm.

BRIANNE: Yeah. And actually that was a great segue too because it is so important for partners to know what to do. So, obviously partners can join on the tour.

DIANA KAY: Absolutely.

BRIANNE: Is it okay if you bring others like other support people on that tour with you as well? Or?

DIANA KAY: Well, in our hospital because the tours are so crowded we encourage just one.

BRIANNE: Just one. Okay.

DIANA KAY: Because, if you stop and think, if the woman brings her partner and her mom and dad and everybody does that. We’re going to have a herd—

BRIANNE: Oh Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Of people going down the aisles—

BRIANNE: And that would become a private tour because they’d five people.

DIANA KAY: Well no, but then those five people, with, you know other couple…

BRIANNE: Totally.

DIANA KAY: Cause, it’s a… you know, lots of people so trying to do that walk through the corridors with that many people can be very disruptive to the mommas that are already in labor.

BRIANNE Right.

DIANA KAY: So, we have to make sure that there’s not too many people. Yeah, so, that’s the…

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And Brianne you mentioned, because you delivered at the same hospital you took that tour once and you felt that that was good.

BRIANNE: It was good and my kids are close together.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay. So it was still pretty fresh in your mind.

BRIANNE: Yeah, but I would definitely do it again if it was further away or if I moved or changed hospitals.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah.

BRIANNE: Because it was like so worth it for me the first time and because I’ve known people that haven’t done it and have really regretted it. I would definitely always just know where I’m going and kind of get an idea. And I think the amenities to know what’s available and what you can ask for because the nurses aren’t going to be like, we have all these things available for you. They’re busy with their job. So, you need to kind of know what’s available so you can ask for it then.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: And it also helps with their birth plan. For example, our hospital offers the birth balls and the peanut ball, and also aroma therapy and so, again as you mentioned that nurses don’t have time to tell them all these stuff so that they can get that ahead of time. Got to jot down little notes. They can add that to their birth plan.

BRIANNE And bring less.

DIANA KAY: And bring less stuff.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yep.

BRIANNE: Right! Exactly, yeah

DIANA KAY: Exactly. Not try to pack so much.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah. And I actually delivered at two separate hospitals, so I’ve done two different tours and both were so, so helpful. I actually toured, I've done several tours but I toured my first hospital a second time when I was pregnant because I brought my Doula with me, he was less familiar with the hospital.

DIANA KAY: Mm-hm.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And so I thought, well, this is a great opportunity I’ll just take some refreshers from it because I think they were on construction—

BRIANNE: Mm-hm.

DIANA KAY: Oh, gosh. Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: During my first time so I think some access did change which was helpful. And then, she had the opportunity to be prepared as well as to where to go. I ended up switching providers so therefore switching hospitals late in the game did another tour.

BRIANNE: Yeah!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Had to sort of relearn of what to do but very, very helpful. So, now, how long does a hospital tour usually lasts?

DIANA KAY: Usually, ours last about an hour and a half—

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Depending on questions and because I tend to you know, want to do some more teaching, sometimes it can last a litte longer, but in general probably about an hour and a half most of the time.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay. So, while on tour, you mentioned getting to learn some of the tools and equipment, do you have the opportunity to demonstrate ever with them any use of sort of tools--

DIANA KAY: Yes!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: In the room? Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Yes, I do. I kind of show them the bed, how the bed goes up and down and how it can recline and how the feet can go down because I talked to them about being in the throne position. Which is, if they get, do decided not to have epidural, that’s a really good position that they can utilize.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And what is the throne position?

DIANA KAY: So, the throne position is where the bed is elevated, the back of the bed is at an angle so she’s kind of semi-reclining. And then the foot of the bed goes down so then she can be like sitting on the throne.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: Put pillows under her arms and she can either put her feet flat on the foot of the bed so they’re at a 90-degree angle or she can cross her legs or put the soles of her feet together and have the bed, instead of having the foot of the bed down, they can have it level. It depends on her comfort level.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: That something that she would have to try when she’s in labor and see what’s best for her.

BRIANNE: Right.

DIANA KAY: Cause everyone’s different obviously.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: So, that’s one thing, showing them how to use the bed up and down and I was going to tease the dads, do not play with the bed when she’s in it.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Without her permission especially. It’s not a toy.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: And then the other thing is the use of the peanut ball because it’s kind of new, and the research is showing how well it works for mommas with the epidurals and mommas without epidurals opening the pelvis and so, I kind of do, you know, kind of pretend like I’m lying on my side I kind of shove between my legs and I can show them how it opens the legs up more and it’s more comfortable. We used to use pillows between the legs but the pillows slip and slides and they don’t stay.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

DIANA KAY: And it isn’t as effective as keeping, at keeping the pelvis open as the peanut ball does.

SUNNY GAULT: I’ve never heard of a peanut ball before. [Crosstalk 00:20:49]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I know.

DIANA KAY: Really?!

SUNNY GAULT: No!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: No. I guess what it is…

DIANA KAY: My goodness! Okay.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: It’s shaped like a peanut.

SUNNY GAULT: Oh! Okay.

DIANA KAY: It’s a large ball that’s shaped like a peanut. So it looks like, you know, a Mr. Peanut man, you know?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah.

SUNNY GAULT: Mm-hm.

DIANA KAY: But it’s big and has a little indentation so you put that little indentation between your legs. And it really, really helps with the motion of baby coming down to the birth canal and into the pelvis. A lot of times when the legs are closed, obviously, you know, or even the pelvis isn’t open and that can restrict the baby’s ability to go down, to descend. And I always assure that the baby will take the path of least resistance, and there’s resistance there that can kind of obstruct their ability to come out. So this is pretty recent. Our hospital once they found out the research on it they bought one for every single room.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: So all of our rooms have it and its utilize all, with moms with epidurals and moms without, which is cool because the birth ball, once you have the epidural.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Your epidural, yeah.

DIANA KAY: You cannot use the birth ball.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: So this is a really awesome way to help moms with epidural still have effective movement and get that baby down into the birth canal.

BRIANNE: And they feel like the birth ball by giving it the same materials so that there’s exact feeling to it.

DIANA KAY: Exactly. Exactly. And they cover it with a sheet so obviously you’re not going to have that plastic stick into you, you know. So it’s really comfortable. Most moms find it really comfortable.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Comfortable.

BRIANNE: And I think, too, with the increase, I mean, so many moms do come in planning to use some sort of pain medication for their birth so giving them options—

DIANA KAY: Mm-hm.

BRIANNE: Ahead of time so that they know, oh wait, I don’t just have to lay down, I have some options; side to side with the ball.

DIANA KAY: Exactly!

BRIANNE: So I imagine that would be helpful too.

DIANA KAY: Side to side, semi-reclining—so that they know they don’t have to lay there like a lump.

BRIANNE: Right!

DIANA KAY: Like an epidural they can actually move.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah. Now Brianne, when you took your tour, I know we talked about like the bright lights—

BRIANNE: Yeah!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Beyond sort of jarring, where there any other tools or features that you were maybe surprised by or really kind of made an impression to you?

BRIANNE: Well, the bed was interesting and good to learn about. It really is like overwhelming. I think if I hadn’t learned about that I’d be like nervous about it. I think maybe something I wish that I had like paid more attention to I just kind of discounted that I would end up in a C-Section. It was just like not on my mind, I'm not like a small, petite person. I just thought, you know, I should have no problem delivering this baby and so I just like tuned out like C-Section information basically in that whole pregnancy.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

BRIANNE: So I think just like keeping my mind open and like even preparing myself for that would’ve been better for me emotionally, so just like hearing what they had to say, I mean I didn’t even know like where I will be wheeled to. I just completely like tuned it out. So I thought that’s what I would recommend.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I think that’s actually an excellent point. I was just telling Sunny before we started recording that I too just never paid attention to the C-Section part and so I remember being wheeled to the O.R and that being really scary—

BRIANNE: It’s really scary. Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Because I did just tune it out.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And being wheeled passed the waiting room with all my family—

BRIANNE: Mm-hm.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And just being confused because I don’t even know where I was going.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So I think that that’s great. Just keeping an open mind when you’re on the tour.

SUNNY GAULT: And having questions for that available like more hospitals are doing more like skin to skin in the O.R.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And the difference in genital C-Section.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah! And having, knowing kind of what you want out of your birth and asking those questions there so if the hospital isn’t quite what you’re looking for maybe then touring another one and seeing where the best place for you really would be.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah! And the showers. I remember some of the nurses apologizing for the showers being small then you walked in and you’re like, these are small? I mean like some of these rooms have like the hugest showers.

SUNNY GAULT: I don’t really think I had a shower in my room.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: No?

SUNNY GAULT: There was no. Uh-huh.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah, think some of them like, I don’t know how many hospitals now have like a shared I know…

SUNNY GAULT: That’s what I—not with a little bit like I mean, just was like a junior high camp. I mean, there was like—

DIANA KAY: A shared shower.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah

SUNNY GAULT: Like a women shared shower area.

DIANA KAY: Right.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right.

SUNNY GAULT: You know and stuff like that.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I was supposed to—the delivery rooms are quite large.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Depending, it’s like, there’s a lot of people could fit in this room.

SUNNY GAULT: Right.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: It’s sometimes necessary depending on what’s happening in your birth.

BRIANNE: And then again there’s the postpartum room.

SUNNY GAULT: Oh, yeah.

DIANA KAY: I know!

SUNNY GAULT: Didn’t I just gave birth to a baby; don’t I need more room to have?

BRIANNE: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Exactly!

BRIANNE: Oh, by the second baby, I’ve just told my husband, like, look I needed you after my C-Section, I don’t need you now. I have my—just go home. There’s no room for you.

SUNNY GAULT: Please. Please.

BRIANNE: Plus our toddler would like you home, anyway. Just go. That fold-out chair doesn’t look exciting. No. No.

DIANA KAY: They’re not very comfortable, those folding chairs.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: No.

BRIANNE: No. No.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay, well, when we come back we’ll discuss how touring a hospital can help you prepare for your birth like getting important questions answered. We’ll be right back.

[THEME MUSIC]

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Welcome back! Today we’re discussing what you need to know about taking the hospital tour. Certified Childbirth Educator in Doula, Diana Kay, is our expert. So depending on insurance coverage, geography, physician privileges; some expectant parents will have a choice in which hospital they deliver at and some will not. So are there some key questions for those who have a choice versus those who don’t when they’re on their hospital tour?

DIANA KAY: Generally, the people that come to the hospital tour at our hospital are members of that hospital and so, the only choice they would have in the hospital is where they live. So, they live North County, then they may go to different hospital, then, you know, people live in South Counties. So it just depends.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Okay.

DIANA KAY: I believe however that if you have a, a different kind of insurance, I imagine that you could go to whatever tour, tour whatever hospital you want. Whatever wants, you’re thinking of, of going to. So, it just depends again as you said, with the insurance, whatever insurance you have will be dependent on which hospital you tour.

SUNNY GAULT: Right!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And I know, sometimes too, because I had heard so much about, you know, locally we have a hospital that really prides themselves on being one of the busiest maternity hospitals. And I just, I think assumed that that would be my hospital, I don’t know why but I picked a physician that’s much closer to a different one, and I remember asking her, oh, so we’re going to be delivering at you know, hospital A? And she was like, no, I have privileges at hospital B, but it’s really great. And I just remember just not even really being aware that’s how it worked and it’s nice to know some of these do have privileges at multiple hospitals.

DIANA KAY: Exactly!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And so maybe that‘s when you could take the opportunity to check either of those hospitals out. But I remember for me feeling like, oh, okay, that’s just were—that’s just world, delivering—

DIANA KAY: I know!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Because that’s where my doctor goes. And did you have a choice or?

BRIANNE: I think similarly like if my insurance had provided or I had cared more?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right!

BRIANNE: I was pretty happy with, you know, part of, like a big medical group. I was happy to go where I was, it was a little far for us, honestly, but it worked out fine.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah!

BRIANNE: But, yeah! I know, I know I was comfortable there. But if I had a bad experience I think I would’ve been more proactive by looking for something different.

SUNNY GAULT: In some hospitals, too, actually, will partner together, you know, we have that in San Diego where I belong to large medical provider as well and where I’m at in San Diego County, its further north and I have a lot of hospitals there for their South but they partner with, like a hospital in the north area of San Diego County.

DIANA KAY: Exactly!

SUNNY GAULT: So I could go there instead so, you know, you may want to consider that too, and a lot of times they’ll promote the fact they’ve got multiple partnerships just to make it easier because that is a concern. You want to make sure that you get to the hospital on time.

BRIANNE: Yeah!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right!

DIANA: Exactly!!

SUNNY GAULT: And you’re not having the baby in the car, right?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right,

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Well and sometimes too, we had an expert on a previous show, actually. She was a homebirth mom, but sometimes you have to arrange for a hospital transfer.

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And so getting your docs in a row for that—

DIANA KAY: Mm-hm.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And still taking that tour regardless.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And my sister-in-law, she, like as part of a big medical group, she took like, the tour for the main hospital where she thought, she’d deliver, but as like a second option. Because she’s doing a birth center birth. And then really, when she did end up having to go to the hospital, she, they were full and they sent her to a hospital—

SUNNY GAULT: Oh, my goodness.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Across town that she hadn’t toured before.

SUNNY GAULT: How did you prepare for that?

STEPHANIE GLOVER: I know!

DIANA KAY: I know.

BRIANNE: Is she aware you could possibly save me!

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

SUNNY GAULT: So, sometimes even our best laid plans.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Right. Just do what you can.

DIANA KAY: Yeah. Exactly.

BRIANNE: Right!

SUNNY GAULT: Go from there.

BRIANNE: Right! Right!

STEPHANIE: Now, Diana in your experience, have you ever been asked, any really interesting or kind of rare or funny questions on, on tours worth…

DIANA KAY: Well, I had a dad.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Sharing?

DIANA KAY: I had a dad once, it was kind of weird. He wanted to know if he could do skin to skin first.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Oh. Huh!

SUNNY GAULT: And this was…

DIANA KAY: And I’m like…

SUNNY GAULT: This was on C-Section?

DIANA KAY: No! This was at the hospital tour.

SUNNY GAULT: Okay.

DIANA KAY: We were talk about this doing the skin to skin after the baby’s born and mom has the golden hour.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: How moms need to breast feed and all this and that it’s important for the baby and important for the mom for the breast milk product—for, the connection also for the breast milk production.

SUNNY GAULT: Right.

DIANA KAY: And it was just kind of weird because he says, so dad can do it? No, no. Dan can do it but it needs to be after.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Just because, you know, just, physiologically this needs to happen at this time that’s… we’re mammals.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: This would has to happen so, I’m really trying to be nice, and he’s like, he’s like getting upset because he couldn’t be…

SUNNY GAULT: The first to discuss it again.

DIANA KAY: The first to, you know, you can ask your provider if you can catch the baby.

BRIANNE: Okay.

SUNNY GAULT: Mm-hm. Mm-hm.

DIANA KAY: But that was just kind of weird.

BRIANNE: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: I doubt it was just odd.

SUNNY GAULT: With the twins, and it was a C-Section so we couldn’t you know couldn’t you know, bring it to chest right away, but when, when I was in the recovery room, my husband and I, that was the great thing about, you know, us having two babies is we actually did skin to skin at the same time.

DIANA KAY: That’s exactly!

SUNNY GAULT: You know, but we had two babies.

DIANA KAY: Exactly! Yeah, you could… Exactly.

BRIANNE: Just a different scenario, right?

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: Right!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: But it is special, I guess I could see them, husband went in town.

BRIANNE: Yeah!

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah! Just being more involved, maybe.

DIANA KAY: Yes.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah!

BRIANNE: Yeah!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Yeah, and I remember too, being particularly sensitive. As a VBAC mom when I toured my hospital the second time. I remember there was a woman, and there, I think she was on maybe a second or third C-Section, so she had a scheduled one but she was telling the whole room, how great it was and how she was going to like got to get a tummy tuckers something after and

DIANA KAY: Oh, my goodness!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: And I was having this major trigger because I just passed the OR that I had my C-Section in, and I was just, what I'm doing is squeezing me, like, it’s okay, it’s okay. We’ll get out of here.

BRIANNE: Oh, no!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Stop telling mom’s they’re going to get tummy tuck!

BRIANNE: Oh, my god!

DIANA KAY: But they don’t do that.

BRIANNE: No, they don’t.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: So I just remember like, I guess I would tell moms too to just kind of go in with a clear head and try not to absorb other peoples—

DIANA KAY: Stuff.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Baggage.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah!

BRIANNE: Yeah!

DIANA KAY: Exactly.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Because, I remember feeling very affected and, and knowing’ like okay. Next time I won’t let that kind of stuff affect me.

SUNNY GAULT: Yeah.

DIANA KAY: Wear earplugs. I guess!

STEPHANIE GLOVER: Diana, thanks so much for joining us today. For more information about Diana Kay, as well as information about any of our panelists, visit the episode page on our website. This conversation continues for members of our Preggie Pals Club. After the show, Diana’s going to discuss what you should do if you end up unexpected bleed delivering and you have not toured the hospital. To join our club, visit www.newmommymedia.com.

[THEME MUSIC]

SUNNY: Hey, everybody! It’s Sunny again. Now before we wrap up today’s show, I wanted to share with you guys, a email that we got from one of our listeners, we’d love to hear from you guys, and this email comes from Veronica and this is what she says, I’ve been an avid listener of yours for several years. When my husband and I were thinking about having children, I found Pregtastic! Now for those of you out there who don’t know what Pregtastic is, that is an audio podcast that I did prior to launching Preggie Pals and the New Mommy Media Network. So, she says, I found Pregtastic, in the iTunes search and began downloading and listening to every episode starting with the last and moving my way towards the first.

When I became pregnant with twins last year, I was enjoying the early episodes of Pregtastic and at the end of my pregnancy, I was just finishing everything. Another quick iTunes search led me to Twin Talks and to my delight I discovered that you had become a twin mom, and were also on that Podcast. And then from there begun listening to The Boob Group. And The Boob Group is our show about breastfeeding. She says that, I only wish I had discovered New Mommy Media earlier on my pregnancy so I could have listened to Preggie Pals when it was relevant. Thank you for continuing to educate and entertain new and soon to be mom via podcasts. I will continue to share your podcasts with my friends.

And Veronica, I just really appreciate you sending this to us and who knows, I mean maybe you’d be able to benefit from Preggie Pals if you have another baby, right? But we really appreciate you sending this out. It means the world to us and I’m so glad that you started with one show and you kind of graduated on the same of our other shows, that exactly what we’re trying to do and it’s great! It’s great to know its working. Thanks so much.

STEPHANIE GLOVER: That’s wraps up our show for today. We appreciate you listening to Preggie Pals.
Don’t forget to check out our sister show:
• Newbies for newly postpartum moms
• Parent Savers for parents with infants and toddlers and
• Twin Talks for parents with multiples.
• Boob Group for moms who breastfeed
This is Preggie Pals, your pregnancy you way.
[
Disclaimer]
This has been a New Mommy Media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts. While such information and materials are believed to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional, medical advice or care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating health care problem or disease or prescribing any medications. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider.

SUNNY GAULT: New Mommy Media is expanding our line-up of shows for new and expecting parents. If you have an idea for a new series, or if you’re a business, or organization interested in joining our network of shows through a co-branded podcast, visit www.NewMommyMedia.com.

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