Gametes In Love

S and I are thinking about switching OBGYN’s. Since OBGYN’s and delivery hospitals come in pairs, we figured we’ll visit a few of the local hospitals around, until we found one we liked and work backwards.

… so today was the visit to our first hospital. It was a nice place – gave us some good things to think about.

As we showed up to the hospital there were at least a dozen other couples already there. Most everyone was towards the tail end of their second trimester because there were baby bumps supported by just about every woman on that tour. I felt a little out of place lacking a bump of my own.

The tour started with a visit to the Special Nursery. Sadly it’s where babies that need some help are there. It was nice to see the nurses be so attentive, but a little sad too.

Then we were issued to a private delivery room.

S was asked to do some role playing with the nurse for the benefit of the tour. So there he was squatting towards the end of the bed, pretending to be The Doctor.

Then IT happened. Apparently with a few minor changes the most innocent looking hospital bed, in full-on Transformers fashion, can turn into a Delivering device with crazy stirrups, handles and a collection container. I think I know what this is for 🙁

I think it was at the stage that the bottom of the bed went away, and the grab bars came out that I realized what S and I are about to embark on. I, no joke, had a panic attack. It was just like ring shopping before S and I got engaged – too many options…it was just overwhelming.

Now… to understand said panic attack – let me tell you a little about me. As interested as I am about kids, parenting (and of course the process of getting pregnant), I have always asked to NOT hear birthing stories – it was just something I wanted to leave for myself for after I was already pregnant. Some parents want to be surprised about the gender of their child… I’ve wanted to be surprised about the labor. “Ignorant until the end!” It’s been my policy and request. Well… now I am pregnant and my ignorance got a kick in its rear.

The bed – the bed is where babies come from!

In the classroom at the end of the tour we saw some other goodies that you take home after the birth. I gotta tell you – on TV when you see the mom walk her baby home looking all happy, perky and skinny – it don’t work like that!

When the tour was over, I asked S to let me sit there for a bit. I was feeling faint. I think there’s a reason you’re not supposed to do the tour in the “nauseous” trimester. It just makes you imagine things that your stomach just doesn’t think are pretty 🙂

Interestingly enough though, now that we’re home and I’ve had a few hours to process I’m actually getting excited about it. I want our little one to be healthy and happy through the next months.

There are things that I saw though that I’d never thought would be important to me: things like having your own private room the whole time and not having your baby ever leave the room without your request. Wireless access is also a nice bonus ;p

It’s also made me think about who I want to be there for the labor. For our loved ones that read this blog, please be OK when I say that for the labor part, in the room, I just want to share a private experience with my husband. I love you all, but after what I saw today, you’re welcome to join us in the hospital and greet our new addition as soon as we’re all cleaned up. For your benefit S is already planning on asking our Doc to wear a helmet cam, but unfortunately for you, I’m can’t squash that idea soon enough.
I think a possible exception to this might be my mom. She might be the only person other than S I’d like to have in there… provided she wants to and doesn’t freak her out… after all, she did faint watching me get my ears pierced ;p I LOVE YOU MOM!

So… with our big adventure today, S and I will have many questions.

Here’s the first: what’s the shower for? They told us to have S bring a bathing suit so he can be in the shower with me. It’s funny that there is a private shower in the delivery room, but not a shower in the post-partum room. What gives?