Hospital tour

Tonight we went on our hospital maternity ward tour...and we figured out WHY they want you to do the hospital tour!

We got to the hospital on time, but we couldn't find the tour. We entered through the emergency entrance and went to the maternity ward on the fifth floor -- they told us to go to labor and delivery on the fourth floor. They told us to go to the Lisky Lobby. So we followed the signs to the Lisky Pavilion, which we later found out was not the same as the Lisky Lobby. The people at the Lisky Pavilion sent us back to labor and delivery. We found some nice doctors who led us in the wrong direction for a couple of minutes.

Then we found a nurse and told her we were looking for the maternity tour. She thought I was in labor. "You need a doctor, honey?" she asked.

"No, we're just looking for the tour."

"Oh, you need a doctor! Let me help you up to labor and delivery!"

"NO!" We ran off the elevator and left her yelling after us.

Finally, we found the tour. It was actually great, and we learned a lot. Some really important stuff -- like our hospital (Beth Israel) is where Rachel had her baby on Friends!

Seriously, though, the hospital tour was very informative and reassuring. The hospital is very big on baby bonding with the parents, which of course we are also in favor of! This means that the baby stays with us immediately after it's born -- it doesn't get whisked off to the nursery. Also, the baby gets to sleep in my room, not the nursery. The guide walked us past the nursery -- and there were no babies in it! The babies are sleeping in the mommies' rooms -- what a concept!

Beth Israel also has one of the best neonatal intensive care units in the state. Hopefully, we won't have to use it, but it's nice to know that it's there.

We also got a look at the rooms. Not surprisingly, insurance pays only for a double room, but you can pay extra for a private room. There are even deluxe rooms, which have fridges and flat-screen tvs. Kevin decided if we are going to be there on a Sunday (ie football day), we would splurge for the deluxe room.