Hospital Tours

When we first found out we were pregnant, there were 2 hospital choices - Centennial Hills or Mountain View. Jason told me that while he's "down", he wants to take tours cause he will be able to get a wheelchair to "tour" with. (I wish I got a cool vehicle to cruise around the maternity ward in.)

We went to Centennial Hills tour on Sunday. This was Jason's first choice. I really liked the idea of it. It's newer than MV, which means it has newer equipment which we really liked. However, with the birth method/plan we have, we aren't going to need much more than a bed so new equipment doesn't really matter unless we have an emergency. Based on the very basics we knew about CH, we really liked it. We still wanted to tour the ward just cause we wanted to get the feel of it.

We showed up and there was a lady with a wheelchair dropping someone off at their car. I asked if Jason could use the wheelchair and she was all for it. We told her we were there for the tour and she told us to follow her cause she was the one directing it. We followed her to the maternity ward and there it was. A beautiful table with cookies, juice and water. Yes. We will deliver here! ha ha ha just kidding.

5 minutes til tour time and Jason and I were the 7th couple to show up. I thought, oh good, this will be a small group, we'll be able to have answers to our questions and have a great tour. Well, then, as the nurse came out to start the tour, about 3 more couples showed up, one of which who brought 3 little boys, a sister and her boyfriend and their mother! I was hoping someone was staying in the lobby with the boys, but nope. EVERYONE in the family joined the tour. It was a little rough trying to get into all the rooms with all the other people, and the nurse didn't talk too loud, so it was a little bothersome. What I do like about CH is that they only take the baby from the room if the mother/father asks. Also, they provide a steak dinner for the new parents with sparkling cider. I LOVE Sparkling Cider!

On a spiritual note, I was looking for a sign that would help me know which hospital to deliver at. While viewing the Recovery Room, I got a warm fuzzy. I pictured Jason and I in our room with our friends and family visiting, coming to see us and the newest addition to the Graf-Claessens family. I could fel the pang behind my eyes that was trying to tell my ducts to start tearing, but I fought it, recooped and finished the tour.

I figured there should be more questions to ask, but I couldn't think of any. Also, Jason, Mr Information, didn't ask many questions. I guess being the last people in the group made it a little difficult for us to be up by the nurse to hear everyone's questions and ask some ourselves.

Today, Saturday, we toured Mountain View. I have many friends who have delivered there and since I work right down the street from MV, we get a lot of customers who work at MV and some at MV and CH. I ask them how they feel about each one and they all say, MV. Since it is an older hospital, Jason and I were not as excited about it. I like that it is not even 5 minutes from work. And, there is a lot of food places around to have food brought over! I also have a special little interest in MV because it is a Sunrise company and nearly 30 years ago, I was delivered at Sunrise. As were 2 of my other siblings.

As we walked inside the building, a rush of "yes, this is the place" came over me. Tears actually pooled as I was asking to borrow a wheelchair. I went outside with the wheelchair and then we both came in and waited in the lobby with the other expectant couples/mothers. Michelle, our tour guide, introduced herself and then took us back to the education rooms. We had to go through the kitchen to get to them, which I could smell the gravy and started craving it. Good thing tours are only 20 min. I know I just had some Chipotle before the tour, but can't you smell that country gravy?! Probably being smothered over some potatoes or biscuits or even better yet, french fries?!

There were about 8 couples. Nice size group. And, not that I'm against kids, but it was only the couples. Michelle went over all the things we could ever possibly know about MV. She told us about visiting hours, different classes the hospital offers, and other history about the hospital. One thing I was really impressed with, is she went over what we need to do before coming in for the big event. She told us there are 3 things we need to do: Pre-register (and why), find a pediatrician, and get a car seat, get it out of the box, play with it, install it and stop by one of the places that does free car seat checks. Wow. Thank you for the info Michelle!

After about 10 minutes in there, we went to the Maternity Level. As I walked off the elevator, Another wave of warm fuzzies attacked me. (Geez, am I having an emotional day today? Or is it just this place?) We walked to the level 2 nursery (for premies and other babies that need special attention) and saw a couple little babies in there. They were so adorable! So tiny, but so happy to be swaddled in their little blankets and sleeping in a low lit room. We then walked down to LND. These rooms aren't as nice as CH, but they are nice. There are large rooms and small rooms. Rooms with tubs and jets and rooms with showers. I felt like I was in a Cat in the Hat LND ward. Any kind of room you could dream of they had. I really liked that they had tubs. That was something I forgot to ask at CH.

Jason, being so well read on Husband Coached Childbirth, was asking lots of questions too. He asked how they felt about natural childbirth, do they offer hot compresses or would we need to bring some, what about perennial massages, and do they follow birth plans? For first time parents, there were other vet parents that were very impressed with us. They strongly encourage skin to skin contact and as long as both mom and baby are fine, baby can stay on mom for however long she wants.

The only thing I did not like about MV is that there is no choice, they will take your baby away for a couple hours. Preferably when the mother is needing time to clean up herself and rest. However, they try to make you feel better by saying, the dad or someone else can have a wristband that will allow them to stay with the baby at all times. This is something I'm having a problem with cause that means that Jason will have to leave me. And, if I don't want him to leave me, he leaves BG for those couple hours. Our little family gets separated. Boo! I understand why they do it, I just think that it should be a case by case kind of thing. Michelle told us that they take the baby out cause generally the rooms are so full of people and noise that the nurses aren't able to hear and monitor the baby to make sure everything is as it should be. They also take the baby in the nursery to give them their first bath. CH does everything in the room with the parents. So, we have to figure out if that will work for us. I'm sure it will, but it still super sucks.

We then went to the Recovery Rooms. I've been there before visiting friends. They're nice comfy rooms with views. Again, some are larger than others. They said that you can request a larger or smaller room and if they have it available, you get it. While in this room, I had yet another warm fuzzy attack.

With everything that went on, and how the tour itself went at MV, I am pretty sure that is where we will be going. CH had many great things and we will still take another tour, preferably a non-Sunday one, and ask all our questions, but I still think, MV is our choice.

Carl chooses Mountain View too! Good Choice Carl.