Motherhood is one of the most rewarding yet challenging stages of a woman’s life. The expecting mother has to be extra careful while doing anything; even a task as menial as walking is done under the guidelines of pregnancy care. If only the initial stages of pregnancy require such precautions, then one can only begin to imagine how difficult labor would be.
Healthcare plays an important role during the stages of pregnancy, from giving you the “good news” to handing your newborn infant to you, your healthcare partners are there with you at every step, or they should be. The quality of service is very important when it comes to pregnancy care, one cannot risk the life of herself and her infant on the poor healthcare providers. The mother cannot make a google search for “maternity hospital near me” and go with the first option that appears on the search engine. One has to be extremely careful because going into labor is the most pivotal stage. Therefore, the best option is to plan everything from the very first day of pregnancy, and choosing a maternity hospital is on the top of the list.
Half of the tension is resolved if a maternity hospital is up to the expectations, but that is not the case. People in a country like India have to struggle for every quality service, including healthcare, because if it’s of better quality that means it’s expensive and if it’s cheap that means it’s of poor quality. However, some healthcare systems provide quality services at an affordable price, these are mostly part-government funded organisations.
To identify such healthcare systems, one should consider the following factors:
- Experience in Labor and Delivery: To make sure you haven’t just gone with the first option of your google search “maternity hospital near me”, you need to do some research. With the options available to you, make sure the maternity hospital has a qualified team of OB/GYN and anaesthesiologists. They should be board-certified specialists with years of experience. Apart from them, the mother would need board-certified laborists who will help her get through labor until she is ready to push. And last but not the least, there must be registered nurses to take care of the mother.
- Nursery: After your infant is born, he/she needs to be taken to a nursery, headed by a team of dedicated neonatologists, where he/she is kept under close observation. Nurseries have been specially designed for premature babies, where they are handled with extra care and kept under observation.
- Birthing Options: Different stages of pregnancy care predict what mode of delivery will be suitable for you. Every case is different and thus needs to be handled carefully depending on the condition of the mother and the baby. Your maternity hospital should give you a pre-planned birthing plan tailored to your and your child’s needs that involves supporting birthing techniques.
- Breastfeeding Support: Mother’s milk is the only form of nutrition for a newborn, but sometimes the baby is unable to latch on to it. This is where a lactation consultant can help. He/she can guide you through the process of breastfeeding, because if you are a new mom then all this is new to you. Therefore you should look for a maternity hospital with a lactation consultant.
- Proximity: Your google search for “maternity hospital near me” might come in handy while considering this factor. Although your date of delivery must have been estimated by your doctor, it is always good to have a contingency plan. Choosing a maternity hospital that is in close quarters to your home is one of the most important decisions, your and your child’s life depends on whether you can access the right form of healthcare on time. Once you are in labor there are only a few minutes in hand to get you to a hospital, and the distance between your home and the hospital is influenced by natural conditions such as weather, traffic, social situations, etc. So it’s better to go for a maternity hospital that is accessible and offers 24×7 support.
By considering all the given factors, you can find a maternity hospital that will get you through this beautiful and amazing yet life-threatening experience with comfort and ease.
