We choose a delivery day - what should we pay attention to?

The birth of a child is one of those events that you will remember for the rest of your life. It is therefore worth taking care of the best memories. Unfortunately, you don't have much influence on some issues related to childbirth, such as how long it will take. However, you can take care of the others. How? First of all, devoting some time to choosing a childbirthplace where you will feel safe and comfortable. That way you will be able to welcome your baby to the world with joy and peace of mind.

According to the law, it is up to the future mother to decide where she will give birth to her child. The choice is quite large, because it can be any hospital in Poland, and in addition, there are both public and private institutions at your disposal. Which labour to choose? Don't leave this question for the last minute and give yourself time to think and visit even a few places. We suggest what you should pay attention to in order to choose the best possible way.

Location and equipment

The distance measured in kilometres is of course important, but much more important is how long it takes to get from home to the chosen hospital at different times of day and night. Therefore, it is advisable to test the possible routes in advance and check how, depending on the time, the traffic volume looks on them, when traffic jams form, as well as whether any repairs are planned in the near future, which may make it difficult to reach the labour market.

Everything seems to indicate that there will be no problems with access? Great, now is the time to check how the delivery room looks like in a given hospital and, if possible, to look around for it. What should you look out for apart from the standard equipment? First of all, various kinds of helpful gadgets - ladders, sack bags, balls, bathtubs. It is also a good time to check if the room is directly connected to the bathroom and how many women can give birth in it at the same time, and if you want more intimacy - ask about the conditions under which you can use the single room both during and after childbirth.

Also make sure that you can use anaesthesia in the hospital you have selected and reserve this option (in some hospitals you will need to report it in advance or pay extra). It is also advisable to discuss with your doctor or midwife the issue of cutting the perineum during childbirth, as it is routinely performed in some facilities.

Childbirth companionship

Did the hospital deserve a big plus in the previous stage of the test? It is time to move on to the next one, which is related to the human factor - we mean both the medical personnel who will be present in the delivery room, as well as the possible company of a loved one. The composition of the medical team depends primarily on whether the birth is to take place by the forces of nature or whether a caesarean section is planned. When looking for a hospital, you should also pay attention to whether the word "clinical" appears in the name of the hospital - then you must take into account that it is likely that medical students will appear in the room. Of course, you may not agree to this, but in such a case it is worth reporting it to the reception room.

The presence of a partner or other close person during childbirth to some women improves the mood and even reduces the level of pain experienced, but can disturb others. Therefore, even if the birth of a child is still far on the horizon, it is also worth considering. If you come to the conclusion that a so-called family birth is a good idea, ask the hospital for this too. Some institutions require that this be notified in advance, and some of them have to be paid for this option. By the way, ask about the conditions of visiting the family after the birth.

Safety in particular

Comfortable conditions and a good atmosphere are one thing, but much more important is the safety of the mother and her newborn baby. Therefore, in particular, if any complications have occurred during pregnancy and there is a high probability that your baby will need specialist medical help shortly after birth, it is advisable to choose a ward with the appropriate degree of reference. What does this mean? To put it simply, it is the level of its specialization.