Birthing Rooms What can I expect from my birthing room?

Birthing Rooms


Birthing rooms are equipped with all of the necessary supplies that are needed to deliver a baby vaginally. Upon admittance to most hospitals, a woman will be given a room and that is where she will stay until her baby is born. In the past, there were rooms for laboring, sterile rooms for delivery and a separate room for recovery. Most hospitals now have rooms that the mother can labor and deliver in. After delivery, you are usually moved to a recovery room. At some hospitals and birthing centers, the mother is able to labor, deliver and recover all in the same room.

Hospitals and birthing centers realize the importance of creating a peaceful, home-like environment for expectant families. Most labor and delivery rooms have a standard hospital bed for laboring that will convert to a delivery bed. Stirrups pop out and the bottom of the bed usually breaks away for the doctor to deliver the baby. There will be a recliner or birthing chair and there is usually some kind of couch for visitors. At some hospitals, the couch will fold out into a bed for the labor coach. Televisions are normally mounted to the wall or placed in some kind of entertainment center and the remote is attached to the birthing bed for easy access. Tucked away behind the cabinets are all of the medical supplies that may be needed during labor and delivery. There is also a nurses station in the room that has a computer and monitoring equipment. The monitor measures the baby's heart rate and your contractions. The baby's bed is also in the room with oxygen, a warmer, blankets, hats, diapers, a nasal suctioner and other necessities for after delivery. Private bathrooms are in the rooms and some have birthing tubs.

However, keep in mind that all hospitals and hospital rooms are not always the same. If you live in a large city, there will most likely be a number of hospitals that you can choose from. If you live in a smaller city, you might only have one option. Find out which hospital(s) in your area your doctor has practicing priviledges at. It is important to take a tour of the hospital that you will deliver at before you are due so that you are familiar with the facility.



Comments: Birthing Rooms

Comments 1 to 24 of about 54.
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luv4myfamily - 14 days ago.
When i delivered my 1st son, i wasnt scared at all. I was super excited. My room looked much like the one in the picture except there was also a couch in my room. I will be delivering at the same hospital. All of my nurses very nice and i actually ran into a woman tha worked as a nurse at the high school i graduated from. The food was great and so was the staff.

rachel17 - 54 days ago.
So I was flipping out about the non-private rooms. Since my son was born at 35 weeks we ended up staying at the hospital for 4 days. They said they got busy but we never got a roommate so my husband was able to stay every night. Also the room we toured was smaller than the one we actually stayed in. The nurses were super-sweet and smart except for a few. Yes, one nurse would actually come in for my shift exam and squeeze the colostrum out of my breast and spread it around my nipple. I was like WTF are you doing. I hated her. Also my husband found out that my employer’s health plan is great. We had zero co-pays. First day back at home. Need a nap. Talk to ya’ll later.

rachel17 - 60 days ago.
I'm worried that this being my second I won't have time for drugs. Also my first experience was in a room like the one pictured above. We just took a short tour on Saturday of the maternity ward of our new hospital. It was part of the sibling prep class for my son so they took them to see where mommy is going to have the baby and they even brought in a newborn for the kids to see. They actually have two beds shoved in a room a third of that size pictured above. If it’s really as bad and I think it might be I will blame my husband because he begged me not to change my insurance plan from PPO to HMO. If I had changed to PPO I could have had this baby at the hospital where I had my first. My MIL works at the hospital that takes the HMO policy so that is why he didn't want to change (mama’s boy). If they try and send my husband home I am going to tell them that they have to send me home too! I don't care about the luxuries or the size of the room but gee golly I want my husband there the WHOLE time! K, sorry for venting. I mentioned in a earlier post that I had 6 people in the delivery room but they were all very respectful, quiet and I think too in shock too say anything lol (also I had drugs so it was a fun and relaxing experience). This time my mom and MIL are invited but my mom said she will stay with my son and my MIL can’t make it if she is working. Let’s hope she is working or else I am going to have to tell my husband that she is not aloud to say anything to either of us while I push or even before. She’s a doctor and she has a big mouth. So I’m not sure how she will be. Plus she isn’t one of the 6 that was in the room last time. This is her first grandchild (my husband’s first).

mama40 - 60 days ago.
about eating and laughing - it is that some girl was telling about her experience with bringing her MIL and FIL together with husband into birthing room. It made great impression on me - how she was in pain and they kept laughing and munching food. Better to be alone, like I was. This time I don't know. I know it is customary here to have husband in the delivery room, but I feel highly uncomfortable even thinking about this.

martina26 - 60 days ago.
wow...mama40 will you change it up this time around--if ur in the states now??? i would kick someones arse if they tried to eat around me--i was so hungry w/ my first i had him out in about 15 min lol. let alone laugh at my pain...what the!!! are they sadistic?! fortunately the birthing rooms at my hospital looked like the pics and i took all the drugs so i had no pain it was quite enjoyable and i look forward to sharing my one of my greatest joys w/ my mom n hubby ;)

mama40 - 61 days ago.
I was alone when giving birth many years ago, since this was the way it was done back in Russia. Nobody was allowed except medical personell and they didn't stay in the room, but came to check from time to time (not often). The room was nothing like that on the picture - large, formal, medical room with a birthing table and a cot - no TV, or comfy bed - nothing. But since this was the way everyone was giving birth, I didn't feel bad about that. Believe me your perception depends on the way you are accustomed to. It was not so awful as it seems. I was alone with my pain, but I didn't have to talk with anybody or think about how I look, or see people munching food when I am not allowed any, or see them laughing when I am in pain. Just me. Come to think of it - not bad at all.

Tori(a.k.a. Tinkerbell) - 61 days ago.
no..it's that i hate my parents,i don't have any real friends b/c of this,n i don't want my ex in there,so i have no1 to com in wit me

martina26 - 61 days ago.
tinkerbell--they dont allow pl in the rooms w/ you like one of ur parents or the adoptive parents or a friend? ive nvr heard of this before. this sounds so cold for a maternity ward in the usa. can u change hospitals?!

Jaclyn82 - 61 days ago.
hey. I have been reading some comments on here about rooms and i just cant get over that some didnt allow husbands to stay or just someone to stay at least and not to let your other child come to visit????? NO WAY would that swing with me. I have a 4year old and at my hospital we labor and deliver in one room, then go to a maternity pavilion to recover. Husband stays the whole time and siblings are welcome anytime. If they ever said no about that i would walk out. hehehe The one thing i dont get is a bathtub but hey everything else i LOVE about that hospital. Good luck!!!!!

jhill2811 - 61 days ago.
I'm so happy I decided to have my baby at the birthing center at the hospital in my community. The rooms look just like the one in the picture! If I had chose to go to the other hospital, I would have to share a room, no place for my hubby to stay, and have to share the shower with the whole floor!

mattie4 - 61 days ago.
i hate that you are going to be alone. If you let the nurses know that you are scared (you probably wont even have to say anything), i am sure that they would have someone sit with you or atleast check in very often.

Tori(a.k.a. Tinkerbell) - 61 days ago.
so i'm gonna be alone in the delivery room,i'm scared...

M.M.Masi - 63 days ago.
I have UH Insurance so I get a private room which is nice but not that big. I also have the option of upgrading to a suite for $75 a night. I'm opting for the suite since I'm having twins and a cesarean i'm going to need someone to stay with me so they can hand me the babies to nurse.

Scooby-doo - 63 days ago.
I've been reading about private hospital rooms. The one that I'm going to deliver says that their rooms are $150 dollars. I think that is insane for a 2 day stay! I mean after I deliver it will be just my baby and me in the room. And the room already has a shower in it. Then they explained what they meant by 'private'. You get to bring your on dvd player, movies, pretty much anything you will do in the privacy of your home. My thing is, who will be focusing on that when all your going to worried about is your baby and yall health. Someone please explain it to me.

SmurfWxMama - 64 days ago.
I'm military but got the good luck to have my daughter in a civilian hospital when we were stationed in Shreveport, Louisiana, and it was so nice! They didn't have any available nursery floor rooms when I had her so I got to stay in the labor/delivery room the first 3 days and only moved to the nursery floor the night before I was let out. It was nice and big and there was a couch that pulled out to a bed for my husband to stay with me, the nursery had the same thing but the rooms were a little smaller. The L/D bathroom had a nice jacuzzi bath that I was able to use after the delivery but the nursery one only had a shower, but it was a decent size shower. The hospital I have now is military and in the process of starting a renovation of the Maternity ward that is going to last 5 mths. They are going from double rooms to single rooms which is great, but I think the baby stays with you the whole night either way. My husband will be gone so I'm going to be all on my own and I'm pretty freaked out about it, plus I have a 4 yr old that I would love to be able to come and visit and I'm not sure she'll be able to, they couldn't at my last hospital. I don't like to be away from her that much if my husband is going to be gone as well. I guess I just have to wait and see what happens, but I'm still gonna freak out!

Angiepangie - 64 days ago.
Wow, you military moms seem to get the short end of the stick! I live in Canada, and although its not perfect, our national healthcare system does work! I unfortunately had a c-section with my son in 2003, and had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. I had a private room, my husband was allowed to stay with me the whole time (night too) and my son never left my side. When I left the hospital, my bill was $153.00, which was mostly from the phone use! So universal healthcare can work, but implementing it when private companies are so entrenched into your health care system already would be a difficult and long process.

lauren8681 - 64 days ago.
after reading a couple of your comments about delivery rooms i got kind of nervous b/c i didnt even know anything about the rooms at my hospital. but i looked it up and it says that the rooms are private, the baby is never separated from the parents, the husband can stay with the wife as long as they are there. They also offer some kind of care program thing for new mothers where they help with any questions and give advice. it sounded pretty nice to me so i am relieved! i hope everyone has a great birthing experiance wherever you may be giving birth!

martina26 - 65 days ago.
i hear you about universal health care--no thanx

kathrynb10 - 65 days ago.
Us-n-kenzie - That is hilarious! That's why I'm always leary when they talk about universal health care... I've seen what the government has to offer in terms of health care... No thanks. In addition to the craziness, the a/c broke down. It was September in El Paso, TX. Let's just say that my first birth experience was 'less than special'.

us-n-kenzie - 65 days ago.
@ kathrynb10: I did not have my daughter in a military hospital, but I have a funny military hospital story...when my ex husband was stationed at camp lejeune, I had gotten very ill and went to the ER. They were apparently having a busy night cuz they did not have any rooms in the ER, so they put me in a janitor closet!! they wheeled a gurney in there with me on it and brought in a folding chair for my husband to sit on. There was a mop, broom, cleaning supplies and one of those buckets for a mop and water. My ex had told me he was glad he had been with me cuz he'd never have believed it if he had not seen it with his own eyes.

derra1976 - 65 days ago.
The hospital I had my son at 7 years ago is the same hospital I will give birth this time around too and I loved it there. I had a huge room and it was really nice. And I had it all to myself. They don't do the sharing of rooms at this hospital and I'm so glad. I mean that is kind of a private time and you don't want to have to share it! I'm sorry some of you ladies had to do that, or will have to do that. I had a normal vaginal delivery so I got to stay in the same room the entire time! It was great!!

kathrynb10 - 65 days ago.
I had my first son in a military hospital and it was the worst! NOt only did I have to share my room with someone but she had a HUGE family. I had an awful time with labor and finally had a csection. I was in terrible pain and was so exhausted. This ladies family showed up and put on mariachi music and started to dance around the room. I swear I thought I was having hallucinations from all the pain meds I was on. Other family members showed up and brought all this pizza. The smell was so awful I gagged all night. In the morning, I too experienced the crime scene shower. I don't care what happens this time around, even if I have to bribe someone, I will not share a room.

tripnstuff99 - 65 days ago.
After reading some of these comments I'm so happy I live where I live. I'm from a town of 20-25000 people but very close (15 miles) to the nearest hospitals. There are 3 hospitals in Lancaster, Pa and most of them have given up the practice of delivering babies. This is due to the addition a few years ago of The Women and Babies Hospital. Its actually a fully functional hospital but catering only to the needs of women and babies. Births, ultrasounds, hysterectomies, you name it they do it. The pavillion that this hospital in contains a diagnosic center, gynecologists, doctors, surgery center, cancer treatment center, and obviously the birthing center. Its CRAZY amazing. EVERY room is private and the staff is wonderful. I guess women in this area are just lucky. I couldn't imagine sharing the birth of my child with another peron in my room or even recouping with someone else in there.

onmywayto3 - 65 days ago.
About my hospital...I have requested a private room with both my previous births and both times I ended up in a room with someone....luckily they left the morning I was put in there but my husband couldn't spend the night 'just in case another woman needed the bed'....I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping this last time I get a private room....I would love for my husband to stay at least one night with me....anyways...good luck ladies!

us-n-kenzie - 65 days ago.
I am glad that I am getting my own room this time. A friend of mine had to share a room and said that she went in to take a shower and it looked like a crime scene...she said that woman left blood in the bottom of the shower and apparently dripped some on the floor. I cant take all that! My friend called housekeeping to clean it all up before she could take a shower.


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