Ryan and I took an hour tour of Mercy Folsom's labor and delivery area the other night. There were 7 other couples there for the same tour which made it a bit crowded in the patient rooms. Not that big of a deal, but it did kind of hamper one's ability to fully look around in each room.
It's a newer hospital, so that is a plus. The rooms look clean (no cobwebs like Kaiser North) and the labor/delivery room is fairly large. The tour guide went over the standard procedures for labor and delivery. I was a little surprised at what point in the delivery the doctor shows up. Pretty much right at the end. I think I've been watching too many birthing shows on tv. I kinda thought the doctor would be there sooner. I get the reasons for not calling a doctor in right away, and usually the nurses do more of the work than the doctors do (this goes for just about all hospital stays), so I'm not worried. I just pictured it a bit different in my head.
Once the baby is born and everything is okay, we all stay in the labor/delivery room for 2 hours and then we'll get moved to the postpartum room (provided there is one....which there better be one). We stay in the room for 2 days after delivery. The nurse mentioned something about starting the 2 day clock at midnight after delivery. That room is a small, standard hospital room with a thin-mattressed, thin-pillowed bed for me and a recliner for Ryan. We were advised to bring a sleeping bag or pillow top as those reclines apparently suck. I'll have a shower (which doesn't seem like it should be an amenity, but it was treated like it was) and a tv with a vcr and dvd player. I don't anticipate a lot of time for tv, but it's nice to have the dvd player available.
Overall, it seemed like a decent place. Ryan and I have both heard good things about their "birthing center" (it's really just a labor/delivery ward. I don't know why they call it a birthing center - not near as homey feeling) from people that have had their babies there. I've heard not so good things about the hospitals in Sacramento - the staff is too busy because the hospitals are much bigger. Although, our nurse/tour guide mentioned that a lot of women tend to go into labor at the same time, so Mercy Folsom just may be busy when I'm there. I would prefer a more birthing center-type experience to a hospital stay, but I chose a hospital because of my age and blood pressure. So, no big deal. It's up to Ryan and I to have as close a birth experience to what we want as we can. The nurse/tour guide did mention the nursing staff is mostly supportive of the wishes of the mother, and if I get a nurse that isn't I can certainly (and should) ask for another nurse. I really don't want the nursing staff to try and convince me to take pain meds if I tell them I don't want any. That's where Ryan will come in.
On to other things......I took the glucose test yesterday for gestational diabetes. The lab results will be in today at the latest and they'll call if something is wrong and I need to come back for the 3 hour test. So, I'm just waiting to not get a phone call. Otherwise, everything else is good. My blood pressure was good again which is good.
Finally, at about 6 1/2 months I started in with pregnancy symptoms. I have varicose veins in at least my left calf. The doctor said it wasn't bad and at this stage totally reversible. I'm going shopping today for knee-high stockings (sigh.). I have some heartburn occasionally and have a little trouble keeping food down if I eat too much in one sitting (which I honestly didn't think I was doing). Another reason to watch the amount I eat - I'm starting to gain weight a bit fast. Nothing to worry about, but I do need to start watching what I eat ( more protein to keep me fuller long) and how much I eat ( I already (usually) stop before I'm full). I do eat a lot I guess over the course of a day, but I didn't think it was that bad. I started the other day walking a 2,000 steps path on campus, but now it's raining.
Anyway, that's the update for now. The baby (still no name picked out) is kicking like she should and it still makes us smile and laugh out loud. It was kinda fun to show up for classes last week totally pregnant looking and see the looks on peoples' faces who didn't know I was pregnant. Can't hide it anymore : )
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