Hospital birth...

I am getting my IUD removed this morning in a couple of hours. DH and I are going to be trying for second little one. We're interested in hearing about hospital births and how they went since our first wasn't born in a hospital. Does the hospital let you have free roam, move about during labor, take a bath/shower, not hook you to cords if you don't want to, let you roam the halls, etc.? I'm SO SCARED of being tied down to a bed and not able to move about. I'm also anti-medication and drugs so if I don't want none of that, can I refuse being poked on unless something were to start to go wrong? Or can I just ask for a hep lock instead? I am going to tour both hospitals upon becoming pregnant (that my insurance allows) and if I am not comfortable with either or, I'll be going with a home birth and midwife or the midwifery center again. Please help ease my mind. I'm not even pregnant yet, but I am a planner and it's already freaking me out, the thought of a hospital birth. Also, can I check myself out after having the little one a few hours after if I feel okay? I'm not going to stay there longer than I have to. I went home 4 hours after Chris was born at the birth center...

If you want all those things do the birth center again. Otherwise get a midwife to do a hospital birth.

If you had no complications with your first labor/delivery, you'll be allowed to walk around. As far as not being hooked up to IVs, talk to them in advance so they know your wishes. In all honesty, I'd at least allow them to put an IV in you in the event anything should go wrong (like you said, a heplock)- just so they have access to your veins should they need it.

Write down your wishes and make sure they're very clear, and I'm sure you'll be fine. You might have to search around for a doctor you'll feel most comfortable with/will understand your wishes.

Quoting lolajessup:" If you want all those things do the birth center again. Otherwise get a midwife to do a hospital birth."

I just know the birth center isn't covered by our newer insurance so it'd cost over $4,000 if I did it at home or in the birth center whereas it'd be 1,500-2,000 in a hospital OR less. That's why I am thinking I'll have to go the hospital route unless we get a good tax return. Just fear my wishes not being done. I guess I could aim for finding a midwife who is more on the natural side.

You will have to ask the hospital all of that stuff when you go. Some are more flexible than others. When I had my son the first thing they did was give me an IV.   I didn't know enough then though.

Quoting tinana +2:" If you had no complications with your first labor/delivery, you'll be allowed to walk around. As far ... [snip!] ... you'll be fine. You might have to search around for a doctor you'll feel most comfortable with/will understand your wishes."

And I'm okay doing that. If it takes a few months bouncing around in the beginning to find one I like, I'll do so. I hear Kaiser (my insurance) also has some Midwifes so that might be a more reasonable answer should I find one that likes my thoughts on the whole labor and birthing process.

Quoting Klaus:" You will have to ask the hospital all of that stuff when you go. Some are more flexible than others. ... [snip!] ... flexible than others. When I had my son the first thing they did was give me an IV.   I didn't know enough then though. "

So do you suggest I tour both hospitals in the beginning before finding a doctor to work with me or should I do it the other way around? I only have a choice over two hospitals. I am so confused at how to go about it all in the beginning, but I don't want to wait too late into the pregnancy like I did the first time around. I switched to the birth center when I was 33 weeks pregnant with Christopher. It was such a good experience. Of course I had an IV, but I also had GBS.

Quoting I♡C.:" So do you suggest I tour both hospitals in the beginning before finding a doctor to work with me or should ... [snip!] ... center when I was 33 weeks pregnant with Christopher. It was such a good experience. Of course I had an IV, but I also had GBS."

Yeah, if that is important to you I would check with the hospitals first.

Probably just about all of that is possible at a hospital as long as you stick to your guns...except checking out a few hours later. They may let you sign out AMA, but they more than likely won't let you take your baby out AMA. My SIL had her first couple in a hospital (she has 7 kids) and then started going to a birth center. After she would give birth she would relax for an hour or 2 and then go home with her baby. Well the birthing center shut down after like 3 of her kids were born and she had to go back to a hospital. They would not let her leave with the baby after birth, even with no issues. I believe she was allowed to go home the next day though.

<blockquote><b>Quoting I♡C.:</b>" So do you suggest I tour both hospitals in the beginning before finding a doctor to work with me or should ... [snip!] ... center when I was 33 weeks pregnant with Christopher. It was such a good experience. Of course I had an IV, but I also had GBS."</blockquote>

Yes tour the maternity. The experience is gonna be a huge factor. You want the one you'll feel more comfortable in. Then choose a dr/midwife that practices with that hospital. All of our midwives here are NPMW so they can do hospital births. Most of them practice in an office with a dr so that if u became high risk for some reason you have the dr option as well.

Quoting willoughfam:" Probably just about all of that is possible at a hospital as long as you stick to your guns...except ... [snip!] ... not let her leave with the baby after birth, even with no issues. I believe she was allowed to go home the next day though."

That's so stupid if there are no complications. I might just be looking into a home birth with midwife and talking a payment plan or something instead of going through the hospital BS. I also know I'll be going back to work a week after having LO so I hope my work is understanding of that as well. I am one who has a kid and gets back to normal life activity. I went back to school not even 24 hours after having my son. I was fine, he was fine. His Dad is capable too.

is north suburban one of the ones you're looking at? that's where i had brooke..

Quoting T♥B:" is north suburban one of the ones you're looking at? that's where i had brooke.."

It isn't. Thank God. That's where I ALMOST had Christopher until I heard how horrible their csection rate was and I quickly switched to the birth center.

The choices I have are Good Samaritan or St. Joe. I am leaning towards St. Joe because they have the lowest C-section rate, but no clue about how "natural" they do things. Steven and I agreed to go tour both when I become pregnant before choosing a midwife/doctor.

I don't think they give you a choice about being hooked up to monitors. Maybe it depends on the hospital. I know they like to monitor the baby the entire time  

I paid 2,000$ for my homebirth mw. Pretty affordable...