The Maternity Ward Tour

Last night Atom and I took a free tour of the maternity ward at our hospital. I think it is really nice of them to offer these tours. It will be a comfort knowing where to go and who to talk to, when I know I'll be freaking out about impending birth. I am pretty sure everyone in our group are first-time parents, because they all had the deer in the headlights look. We were shown where to register and the lactation boutique (where you can buy breast feeding supplies for a hefty price), and then we headed into the maternity ward. We were shown a LDR (labor, delivery & recovery) room, which is pretty nice. You labor, give birth and recover for a few hours in this room. All the rooms are private, which is pretty much why I wanted to give birth at this hospital. Luckily it is also the hospital right by our house. We were then taken to the private rooms in the Family Center, which is where I'll stay for a few nights after delivery. Atom got to see the oh-so-comfy looking recliner-bed-chair he'll be sleeping on. There was excitement in his eyes (ha!). One pregger lady got a little overwhelmed and started crying. I can relate. It definitely sunk in that this experience is real and there is no turning back now. We also got to swing by the nursery and see three newborns all swaddled and peacefully sleeping in their little plexiglass boxes. Atom asked if we could take one home for a trial run, but the security level is super tight, so it was definitely not an option. They take some pretty cool steps to make sure babies are not abducted. They have a baby Lo-Jack system! We are very happy with the hospital and looking forward to our stay when the day comes to meet our little man.