Why Hospital Maternity Ward Tours Are Important During Pregnancy

Touring the maternity/obstetrics ward of local hospitals is an important way for pregnant women and expectant fathers or birth partners to prepare themselves for the big day. Many hospitals now offer this as an automatic part of their childbirth classes. If you sign up for Lamaze or Bradley Method classes where you plan to give birth, find out if the tours are included. Other times, hospitals offer group tours as a separate class in itself, or do them individually at the patient's request. Some women prefer to do the tours a little earlier in pregnancy as way of deciding where they want to birth before signing up for classes, in which case it is simple to call a few maternity wards and ask if someone could show them around and answer a few questions.

Why Are Hospital Maternity Ward Tours Important During Pregnancy?

Not everyone recognizes how important it can be to go on hospital tours of maternity/obstetrics wards during pregnancy. My own birth partner certainly didn't--I had to drag him to the first one, but after the fact he admitted that the tours were an essential and informative part of the pregnancy experience and preparing for the birth. If nothing else, maternity ward tours allow the expectant parents to see where they will need to go and the best routes to take so that these things a huge surprise when the woman is in labor. Also, simply knowing what the maternity ward and birthing rooms look like can be comforting to the woman during pregnancy and help to alleviate some of the anxiety about the unknown.

Different Maternity Wards Operate By Very Different "Hospital Policies"

Beyond those basic purposes of the hospital tour, it's important to recognize that maternity practices can vary widely between different hospitals. Some are much more willing to work with expectant parents regarding decisions such as the length of the hospital stay and whether the baby rooms in or stays in the nursery than others. Some hospitals are very supportive of natural childbirth and breastfeeding, while nurses in other maternity wards are much more likely to try to talk you into getting an epidural, starting interventions, or even to give your new baby formula without your knowledge. If the expectant parents learn during pregnancy that these "small" things are important issues to them, skipping the process of researching hospitals means risking being very surprised and frustrated when they show up at one in labor.

Ask Lots of Questions During Pregnancy To Avoid Being Surprised

The expectant parents should prepare for maternity ward tours by writing down questions beforehand because some will inevitably be forgotten at the hospital. Nurses, who usually do the tours and are used to showing pregnant women around the floor, know what basic information most people are curious about. However, they don't always remember to mention everything, and they don't know the personal situation or preferences of every pregnant woman who comes in. If the expectant parents have prepared a birth plan, that can be taken to the tour to be reviewed and ensure that everything is acceptable according to hospital policy. Remember that there is no such thing as too many questions. Here are some examples to get started:

What are the c-section and induction rates of this hospital?

How many people are allowed in the delivery room?

Can the expectant father or birth partner accompany the baby at all times while it's being bathed, etc.?

Is the pregnant woman allowed to move around freely and bathe or shower during labor?

Can the woman choose to give birth in the position most comfortable for her?

Finally, it is often a good idea to visit a couple of hospital maternity wards during pregnancy, even if the first one seems "good enough." That will give the expectant parents something to compare their preferred location to and be sure that they are making the right decision. The more comfortable they both are (especially the woman) when they show up at a hospital in labor, the better!