10 to-do’s before giving birth at a hospital

1. Registration at hospital
   You are required to register yourself for the birth procedure. This can be a slow process and involves finding the correct admin person at the hospital who can assist you. They will provide you with a registration number.
   The last thing you want is to be filling out forms between contractions!
2. Register procedure with insurance
   For your insurance to cover your hospital stay during birth you need to provide them with the procedure registration number the hospital provided you with. Another thing you don’t want to sort out between contractions!
3. Birthplan
   You may plan a natural birth with no epidural and your partner as the dula and end up having a c-section after an epidural with your partner fainted on a hospital chair but it helps to have a plan.
   Having a plan gives you something to work with, helps you remember whats important to you, easily explains your needs to attending doctors and works as your point of reference.

Also add breathing techniques to your birthplan and practice them before hand. Bridget Tyler has some great videos on preparing for birth.

Tip: use visual aids to easily convey your needs and desires and make it pretty as you may wish to past it into your baby photo album afterwards. This website offers visual aids for building a birthplan:

www.visualbirthplanbuilder.com/

4. Hospital bag for yourself and partner/baby hospital bag
Have your go-bags ready from at least 2 months prior to your due date. As you never know… Remember a camera!

Tip: an action camera (eg. GoPro) can be very useful for strapping onto a labor room object to capture the whole birth.

5. Fiber stool softener
Postpartum constipation is the last thing you want to be worrying about and it can be very unpleasant. Pack stool softeners to begin taking after birth to prevent this.

6. Reserve private room
If this is important to you, speak to the hospital staff about reserving a private postpartum room. Do this as soon as you can after arriving for your birth.

7. Emergency phone numbers/ID documents/insurance information/registration information
Keep all your important information together in one place and write down emergency contact information. Contact numbers for your gynecologist, the maternity ward, the hospital, ambulance, family/friends who may be assisting.

8. List of symptoms to look out for to determine when to go to hospital
Speak to your medical provider about what to look out for to indicate you need to go to the hospital. Its good to know this before hand so that you not worrying about every little thing and so that you are better prepared for the magical event.

The Baby Center has a neat video about timing contractions and when to go to the hospital

9. Car seat
It is essential to purchase a car seat before giving birth so you may bring your baby home safely. Ensure that the car seat is not expired and is sold by a reputable retailer.

The Baby Center has a good video on car seat installation and safety

10. Visit the maternity ward so you know exactly where it is and where to park your car
Self explanatory, another thing you don’t want to have to worry about on labor day!

I hope these points helped. Have a wonderful birth!