Hospital Tour!

Today (I guess if you want to be technical this evening) at 7:30pm we had our hospital tour! I (Liz) immediately felt like a slacker for waiting so long to go on one, since more than a few of the other couple's weren't due until end of October-November! Oh well, better a little later than never, I say! 


Personally, I'm glad we waited so long. After going by the hospital tonight--it seemed so real! 
Yes--I can feel pretty much every kick and movement.
Yes--the baby bag and carseat are in the car.
Yes--the clothes are all washed and folded and ready to wear.
Yes--we have seen this sweet little one on the ultrasound.
Yes--I hear its heartbeat every time I go to the doctor.
Yes--everything in our house seems to center around baby along with every conversation we have.
Yes--the crib is up and ready


So--even though all of this preparation has been done to get ready for this wonderful day when we will no longer be "Liz and Carl" but also "Mom and Dad" something about the hospital trip made it SO REAL. There is no denying it...within the next month(ish) we will be parents! CRAZY!


The labor and delivery area of the hospital is on the fourth floor--which seems like a good number (I guess). I have always like even numbers. Carl and I have decided that it is just going to be myself and him, along with our physician and  the nursing staff at Mission. We are very excited to be able to welcome our little baby into the world, just the two of us! After all, we are going to be the ones to feed, clothe, stay up all night, etc with this child, I think it's best that we all have some time to get to know each other before we are swamped with all the happy family! 


After the baby is born--you stay on the labor and delivery floor from anywhere between 2-4 hours (I think). During this time, our doctor stays with us the ENTIRE time (along with the entire time you are laboring in the hospital) which I think is wonderful! It will be so nice to have their support and knowledge in those first few hours. Right after the baby is delivered, they put it immediately on the mother's chest. As long as the baby is healthy--there is no need for the baby to be taken away from mommy (which I like--except for of course the opportunity for daddy to hold baby). The placenta is then delivered in the next hour or so (at least that is what I have heard) and the doctor takes care of any stitching that needs to be done, etc. Once all that is done, and while it is being done the baby is getting started on breastfeeding too. As our doctor put it--if you are a modest person, you don't want anybody at the hospital for at least the first few hours. 


Once the time has passed, and you have successfully peed on your own (a true sign you are ready to move on I guess), they move you upstairs to the 5th floor--which is the mother-baby unit. Our doctor also accompanies us upstairs, where they make sure the next feeding goes well, along with our first lesson in newborn massage (I'm pretty excited about this--it's supposed to be very soothing for the baby). The doctor stays as long as their schedule permits, they aren't in a rush to leave you to "fend for yourselves." Since we are both newbie's at this...I am going to soak in all of their breastfeeding/new mommy and daddy advice. Have I mentioned that I LOVE our doctor's? I have to say they are pretty fabulous!


Once on mother-baby, they recommend mommy getting showered and cleaned up, and then settling in for a nap together. Once nap time is finished--baby is freshest to meet the family! Plus--mommy and daddy will be too! They have AWESOME visiting hours on Mother-Baby unit too--which they enforce! No visitors before 9am (personally, I think it could even be 10...I don't know honestly how much I will be moving around at 9) and quiet time for new mom's and dad's and little one's is from 2pm-4pm every day. No visitors are allowed on the floor after 8:30pm (thank heavens!). I'm sure by then we will be plumb tuckered out! 


Needless to say--the first few hours in the baby's life are awful busy for him/her! Hopefully he/she will be able to keep up--because their mommy does not like to sit still either! It better get ready for a busy, fun, wild ride! 


I guess that's about all from the hospital tour--the rooms are pretty small I thought. I think they are going to feel cramped fast--which Carl will probably not be a fan of. On the labor and delivery floor- they have 4 rooms that have a whirlpool tub in them--I think I am going to start saying some prayers that they are available when I go into labor--the thought of water sounds so amazing! It's also supposed to make the contractions more bearable---and heck, I'll try anything (but hopefully not the actual medicine). We're leaving that all up to the day though--who knows what kind of birth this little one and God have orchestrated together! Whatever it is--will be the best for all of us though, that I do believe. 


Well--I guess that's it! I'll leave this post with stating how thankful I am for an awesome hospital to give birth in, an awesome doctor to assist me in giving birth, an awesome husband to support me during the birth process, and an awesome God who already has this whole thing planned out for me! I guess I should add, and an awesome baby who I will be meeting VERY soon!