Mom Tip: The hospital part 2

Disclaimer: I gave birth at an inner city hospital. According to some other moms I have spoken to the hospitals in the suburbs are not like this.


Tip: Be prepared for surprised hospital staff

I was too swollen to wear my rings on my hand at the end of my pregnancy so I wore them on a necklace. While in labor and delivery I had this conversation:
      Nurse: "Oh, Are you married?"
      Me: "yes"
      Nurse: "That is so great! Congratulations!"
      Me: "Thank you?" confused face, this is kind of hard to respond to. One I have been married for almost 3 years and I am currently in labor.

This is a different conversation with a different nurse. Also, while in labor.
    Nurse: "Do we have a name?"
    Me: "Yes, Emily Paige"
    Nurse: "Oh good! A normal name!"
I heard later from a mom who works at the hospital that random crazy names are typical, one example she gave me was a child named Chlamydia.

Tip: Be prepared to be visited by social services, several times

Yes, I was visited 3 times. I had conversations/lectures about if we had a car seat, post-partem depression, if I needed help telling the father, about domestic abuse and about not shaking the baby and tips if I feel like I want to.

Tip: Be prepared to have the WIC person really try to push signing up.

She did not believe we did not qualify. At least I hope we don't qualify. Was stupefied that I did not want to sign up.

Tip: Be prepared to have unrelated medical advise shoved on you.

I am the type of person who gives my whole medical history. Apparently this is a mistake. I have asthma. It is very controlled but I needed to start using an inhaler while pregnant and only during exercise. This means that I received a visit from a respiratory specialist to teach me what happens to my lungs during an asthma attack, about peak flows, and how to take my inhaler. She was very surprised to learn I already knew all of  this.

Now all of these things are really funny. But when you are sleep deprived and in pain it is really annoying. This also means that while I really like my doctors I will be going to a hospital in the suburbs for any other children we have.