Questions to Ask During Your Labor and Delivery Tour

Don’t be shy. Ask lots of questions during your tour and take notes. That way, when the time comes to have your baby, you can feel confident about how things will work.

About the hospital

1. Will I have to share a room? Is there an option for a private room? Call us at the phone number on the back of your ID card to check your benefits!
2. Will I labor and deliver in the same room? What about after delivery?
3. How many people are allowed in the room while I’m in labor? During the delivery? What if I have a C-section?
4. Is there a waiting area for friends and family that I can see? What are the visiting hours and policies once my baby is born? Can children visit?
5. Is there a place for my birthing partner to spend the night with me while I’m in the hospital?
6. Is this a teaching hospital? If so, can I expect interns or students to be present during my delivery? You can request no students or interns be present during your delivery.

Labor and delivery

1. How often do you monitor me and my baby during labor?
2. How often do you perform pelvic exams during labor?
3. What positions can I give birth in?
4. What’s the hospital’s C-section rate? What happens if I need a C-section?
5. How long will I have to wait for an epidural?
6. What types of birth experiences do you support? Can I have a doula or midwife present? Or a water birth?
7. When is the umbilical cord cut? Who cuts it?

After your delivery

1. When does my baby receive their vitamin K shot and erythromycin eye ointment?
2. Can I have skin-to-skin contact immediately following the birth?
3. What if my baby needs to go to the NICU? Will they have to go to another hospital?
4. Can my baby stay with me after delivery or is there a nursery?
5. Do you have a lactation consultant? Your health plan can help set that up, too! Just give us a call at the phone number on the back of your ID card.
6. Do you have a breast pump I can use? Will you teach me how to use it? Your health plan can help you get one to take home! Just let us know when you deliver and we’ll talk about your options.
7. Do you use formula?

Going home

1. How long will I be in the hospital after delivery?
2. What else needs to be done before I can take my baby home? Most hospitals require proof of a properly installed car seat.
3. What paperwork is needed before I get discharged? Can I complete it before delivery?

More helpful questions

1. If I want a birth control implant, IUD, or tubal ligation, can I get it here?
2. Do you offer infant CPR classes for new parents before being sent home?
3. Do you offer whooping cough vaccinations for parents and caregivers?