Hospital Tour During Pregnancy – Is it necessary?

1. Getting an Idea of the Facilities Provided by the Hospital

Delivery will be an extremely tiresome time for the mother and the little one. You must be well aware of facilities such as provisions for food for the patient, visiting family, and any visitors. Apart from that, the provision of a crib and other facilities for the baby, and facilities of ICU and NICU are vital in case of unforeseen emergencies. Familiarising yourself with these things will help you decide which hospital you wish to opt for.

2. Checking the Distance From Home and the Best Possible Routes

When choosing a hospital for delivery, you must always choose something near to your home to be prepared for emergencies. Once you have already visited the place you can decide which route is best to take to reach the hospital when you are in an emergency. You should take the road without any potholes or bumpers to avoid unnecessary pain while rushing to the hospital.

3. Interacting With the Nurses and Hospital Staff

During your visit, you can get a chance to talk with the nurses and other staff who will look after you and your baby during your stay. This will help you evaluate which hospital to choose. You will also find it soothing to see familiar faces around you later on.

4. Understanding the Parking Systems

Details such as parking area, the distance between the parking area and the hospital, the entrances close/open at night etc., become important during an emergency. You should know all about these details, especially the services they can provide at night as your labour pain can start anytime. Choosing a hospital that provides valet parking can be extremely handy.

5. Finalising the Hospital

After visiting 2/3 hospitals you can then finalize the one for your delivery. Your experience at the time of your hospital tour can play a vital part in your decision making.

Fixing a hospital tour is very simple and completely free. You can take the number from the hospital’s website and call to reserve your hospital tour date. You can also find dates and times of the hospital tour on the website and book a slot there.

When to Take a Hospital Tour During Pregnancy?

The perfect time to go for a hospital tour is at the start of your third trimester. By this time, you would have surpassed the stage of concern of a miscarriage or an abortion due to any complications or birth defects. The ideal time for a hospital tour during pregnancy will be once you reach 7 months or 30 to 34 weeks of pregnancy. Since you aren’t heavily pregnant yet, taking a tour of two or three hospitals may not be that difficult.

Can You Take a Virtual Hospital Tour?

For this, you will have to talk to the hospital authorities. If they have the facility of virtual hospital tours, then you should take that option considering the pandemic situation. In fact, this idea of virtual hospital tours has become popular after the COVID19 pandemic. Expecting mothers do not want to risk themselves by visiting hospitals where there can be a risk of contracting the virus. Hospital authorities also want to limit the visits of non-patient persons.

For a virtual hospital tour, you will have to visit the website of that hospital. There you will get information along with videos of 360-degree views of the operating room, nursery, lobby area and reception. You will also get FAQs, a lot of pictures, and other information about that hospital on its website.

What Can You Learn During a Hospital Tour?

You can learn a lot of vital information about the hospital during the hospital tour. For your hospital tour, you will have to fix about an hour with the hospital authority, during when a hospital educator or nurse will walk you through each part of the maternity ward.

• Your tour will start from the registration office where you can pre-register your name for the delivery to avoid last-minute hassles. The first thing you should do after finalising the hospital for your delivery is to complete the paperwork process done. And you should do it within 37 weeks of pregnancy as you can go for labour any time after that.
• After this, you may get to see the pre-delivery area where you will have to wait before going for childbirth. Here your nurse or doctor will check your condition and decide when to move you to the labour room. You will also get to see the labour room, delivery suite, postpartum room and family waiting room.
• Finally, you can get to see the best part of your whole hospital tour, the nursery, where you can see those little cutie pies.

[Read : 10 Simple Ways Husbands Can Help In Labor]

Top 10 Vital Questions to Ask During a Hospital or a Birthing Centre Tour

The hospital staff or assistant will try to give you all the necessary information. But if you have other questions feel free to ask.

1. Do you have the facility to look after premature babies, twins or triplets, high-risk pregnancies? Do you have NICU or a newborn intensive care unit?
2. Can I have my husband by my side in the labour room? Who else can be in the room during my labour?
3. What is the fee for private rooms and semi-private rooms? Can my family members stay with me?
4. What should I put in my hospital bag?
5. When are the visiting hours? Do you allow children to visit?
6. Are COVID tests needed before being admitted to the hospital?
7. What type of birthing equipment (birthing tub, birth ball, jetted tubs, peanut balls, showers, squat bar) do you offer?
8. Do you have connections with a cord blood bank? What will I have to do to store my baby’s stem cells?
9. Do you offer breastfeed support services? Under what conditions do you offer formula milk?
10. What kind of food do you offer to the patient?

Clear all your doubts and don’t feel shy about it. You can write these common delivery related questions in your notebook, so you don’t miss asking them during your hospital visit.

A hospital tour is important to make you mentally prepare for the delivery. After seeing the place and talking with the people you can gain confidence, which is very important to a mother who is going to go through a life-altering phase of delivering a baby. So, make your visit virtually or physically before finalizing the hospital for your childbirth.

[Read : Newborn Baby Hospital Bag Checklist]

FAQ’s

1. When Should I Book the Hospital to Give Birth?

You should book a hospital for your delivery at least 8 weeks before your due date. So, try to book your hospital between 32 to 34 weeks of pregnancy.

2. Can You Tour a Hospital Before Giving Birth?

Yes, you can go for a visit to the hospital before booking it for your delivery. Most hospitals provide this facility, and you can take full advantage of it to help zero in on the hospital where you wish to deliver at.

3. What Should I Look For in a Hospital When Pregnant?

You should look for the ratings of the hospital in clinical excellence in childbirth. You should also look for facilities like NICU, birthing options, breastfeeding support, pain relief support, postpartum care, etc.

Read Also: Cord Blood Banking – What Is It And Why You Should Consider It?