Baby Week 30 - Crowded Maternity Ward?
November 7, 2008
At my last doctor’s visit, I learned that there are 6 women all scheduled for repeat c-sections within 1 week of me. Apparently the end of December is a popular time of year to have a baby. I don’t know if everyone is trying to get the tax write-off for 2008 (not the reason for our decision by the way).
When Xander was born, we had a wonderful experience with the hospital staff. Our hospital is a relatively small regional one - only 4 post-delivery rooms, but that wing was entirely rebuilt (finished about 2 months before Xander was born) so everything is new and pretty high tech for our rural setting. Aside from one nurse who was a little obsessive about rules on the maternity ward, they were all awesome. The nurses were incredibly attentive. One nurse who usually works in the ER spent the day with me while I was in labor (filling in a shift) and actually came up to check on me the next time she was working. One of our doctors actually came in (with one of his kids) on his day off to check on me. Overall, it was a great experience. They were great with Xander - showed us everything a new parent might need to know, and they were always patient with us, never talked down to us, and truly seemed interested in our well-being. It was such a great experience that a week or so later when I was feeling up to a walk, we bought them a gift basket of cookies and brought it to the hospital (I should mention that our house is less than a mile away from the hospital).
I think one of the factors in this positive experience was that we were the only ones in the maternity ward for 3 of the 4 days we were there. The undivided attention was quite nice! This time, if we’re lucky it’ll just be full and not over-full.
So now I’m nervous. Not that I think the care will be any less amazing, but I don’t think that we’ll get the undivided attention that we got last time. When they have the time, the nurses will keep the sleeping baby in the nursery, allowing mothers to get some much needed rest as well. Again, this is only as time allows, so I suspect that this bonus feature will be offered far less during our upcoming stay.
I’m sure everything will work out just fine in the end - the baby will arrive, the doctors and nurses will give us great support, and we’ll go home a happy and slightly larger family. But, that doesn’t stop me from wondering about what to expect when we arrive 
On most of the websites and in the literature I’ve read, everyone suggests finding a childbirth class that “works for me” has the philosophies I’m looking for, talks about the topics I’m interested in, etc. Unfortunately, in a small town, my options are limited. My doctor’s office and the local hospital put together a childbirth class, and pretty much, that’s it. So of course I signed up.