What to Expect During Your Labor and Delivery Stay + A Full Tour of AdventHealth for Women
During my first pregnancy, I was so overwhelmed with moving into our new home and planning for our baby’s arrival that I never fully embraced the planning process for my delivery. While I’m thankful that our daughter was safely delivered in good health, there are so many things I’m doing differently with my second pregnancy. I know firsthand just how overwhelming it can be to prepare for the arrival of your little one, so during this pregnancy, I’m making a commitment to you to be a supportive and helpful resource for you. Over the next few months, I’ll be partnering with AdventHealth for Women to share my pregnancy and delivery experience with you. We’ll be covering all sorts of topics to prepare you for the arrival of your little one, so that you can go into your delivery day with confidence!
As I mentioned earlier, I did little to no planning during my first pregnancy. I headed into the hospital on my delivery day with only a small insight of what I’d be experiencing. In today’s post, my goal is help you prepare for your big day. I’m sharing what to expect on the day of your delivery and taking you on a full tour of AdventHealth for Women Orlando. I’m covering everything from the check-in process to creating a birth wish list to post-pregnancy services, so you’ll be prepared for every single step of your labor experience!
What to Expect During Your Labor and Delivery Stay
+ A Full Tour of AdventHealth for Women Orlando
Choosing a hospital for your delivery day is incredibly important. After careful research and consideration, my husband and I have chosen to deliver our second baby at AdventHealth for Women Orlando. We love that this hospital is close to our home and has state-of-the art medical services including a Level 3 NICU.
If you live in the Central Florida area, AdventHealth for Women has four convenient locations to provide care near your home: Orlando, Winter Park, Celebration, and Altamonte Springs. The Orlando location has a Level 3 NICU and all of the other locations have a Level 2 NICU through AdventHealth for Children. For babies who have complications or are born prematurely, having access to special care at a top-ranked neonatal intensive care unit is absolutely essential. We also loved the hospital’s amenities and emphasis on personalized care. Keep reading to see what to expect on your delivery day.
First Steps: How to Prepare for Your Delivery Day
1. Meet Your Birth Experience Team: Personal Health Care Coordination
One of my favorite features of the maternity program at AdventHealth for Women is the complimentary Birth Experience Team. Each campus of AdventHealth has its own Birth Experience Coordinator to help mamas-to-be navigate the pregnancy, labor and delivery, and recovery process with confidence – free of charge. Their job is to give mamas-to-be the individual support and education they need to create your ideal delivery experience. Click here to learn more about the Birth Experience Team or schedule an appointment.I’ve personally had a wonderful experience with my Birth Experience Coordinator, Heather Collins, RN, CCE. Heather has answered my questions, helped me schedule parent education classes, and of course, gave me a tour of AdventHealth for Women Orlando. Having access to her knowledge is a game-changer. I already feel so much more confident and empowered with my labor and delivery experience than I did the first time around at a different hospital.
You’ll also have access to a Women’s Health Navigator who is specially-trained registered nurse that provides expecting moms with expert clinical guidance and support. They can answer any questions you may have, connect you with the appropriate health care providers for your needs, and assist with medical insurance or appointment scheduling. The team can also share resources and support services in addition to scheduling hospital tours for you to see the AdventHealth facilities in person. Click here to learn more about the Women’s Health Navigator program.
2. Schedule A Tour of AdventHealth for Women
Once you connect with your Birth Experience Coordinator, it’s time to schedule a Baby Place Tour at one of AdventHealth’s locations: Orlando, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, or Celebration. During your tour of the Orlando location, you’ll meet your coordinator at the Center for Women’s Wellness on the first floor of the hospital, and they will guide you through the entire labor and delivery process to prepare you for your big day. You’ll be able to see each step of the process, so you’ll know exactly what to do and where to go when you’re in active labor. Click here to schedule a hospital tour at AdventHealth.
3. Pre-Register for Your Delivery
During your tour, you’ll stop by the registration area on the first floor of the hospital to complete the pre-registration process. Be sure to bring your photo ID and insurance card, so that you can complete the process quickly and easily. The forms only take a few minutes to complete, and you’ll be all set for your big day. You can also start your pre-registration process online before your hospital tour. Click here to pre-register for your stay.4. Prepare Your Birth Wish List
AdventHealth places an emphasis on personalizing your stay to give you the ideal birth experience. Before you arrive on your delivery day, write a Birth Wish List with everything you’d ideally want to happen. Whether you’re interested in specific music, the ability to move around during labor, a low-intervention birth, or pain care options, write everything down. When your big day arrives, it’s easy to get distracted or feel overwhelmed. So many things can happen, so it’s best to gather your thoughts on your ideal birth experience well before active labor begins. While things can change during your delivery, the AdventHealth team will work with you to help you accomplish your Birth Wish List in a way that will keep you and your baby safe.I truly wish I would’ve put together a Birth Wish List before I gave birth to my first daughter at another hospital. While I’d thought about my wishes beforehand, the events of my labor became so hurried and chaotic that I wasn’t able to effectively communicate them with my healthcare team. This time around, I’m preparing my Birth Wish List well in advance and discussing all of my options with my OB-GYN and Birth Experience Coordinator, so that I can feel relaxed and empowered during this delivery.
5. Look into Parent Education Classes
After you’ve determined which hospital you’d like to deliver at and connected with your Birth Experience team, I highly encourage you to sign up for parent education classes. My husband and I skipped this step with our first daughter, and we truly regretted not taking advantage of this resource! AdventHealth offers a wide variety of parent education classes through their Baby Place Academy at four locations in Central Florida: Orlando, Winter Park, Altamonte, and Celebration. These classes cover all sorts of topics including breastfeeding, infant CPR, childbirth information, prenatal yoga and more. I’ll be covering my experience taking a few classes at Baby Place Academy on the blog next month, but in the meantime, take a look at the full schedule of classes available. Click here to learn more about AdventHealth’s parent education classes.
When You’re in Labor: What to Expect on Your Delivery Day
Since you’ve already toured the hospital and pre-registered for your stay, you’ll be ready to go on your big day. When your physician says it’s time to head to the hospital, you can easily park at your preferred AdventHealth hospital or take advantage of the low-cost valet parking available at the front of the hospital.
One of my favorite parts of AdventHealth for Women Orlando is the uplifting entry area. Whether you’re entering from the parking garage or front doors, you’ll see some of my favorite Bible verses and a bright and airy waiting area. When you’re worrying about your delivery, it’s so nice to walk into a beautiful and serene environment.
1. Get Assessed at Obstetrical Triage
After you arrive at the hospital, it’s time to head to Obstetrical Triage to get evaluated. Your healthcare team will determine if you should be admitted for delivery, or if you should come back at another time once your labor has progressed to the appropriate level.
If You Have to Wait
On the day that I delivered my daughter, I got to the hospital when my labor hadn’t progressed far enough to be delivered; however, I was close enough that they advised that I walk around the hospital for a bit and check back in with the obstetrical triage team after a certain amount of time. If something similar happens to you on your delivery day, or if your loved ones are waiting on you while you’re in delivery, AdventHealth Orlando has all sorts of amenities to keep you comfortable. Their waiting rooms are absolutely stunning, and there’s quite a bit of seating available for you and your family.
You’ll also find a gift shop in the lobby with toiletries, pre-made food, and gifts if you need to make a purchase, and there’s a 24/7 cafeteria available to you just around the corner. If you have children who need a place to roam, head to the Walt Disney Pavilion, where they can play in a child-safe environment.
After You’ve Been Admitted: Move to The Baby Place
When you’re admitted for delivery, you’ll be escorted to The Baby Place, the hospital’s labor and delivery area, in a private patient elevator. This area has everything you and your family will need for your baby’s arrival.
The Baby Place has a spacious and comfortable waiting area for your loved ones and a play area to entertain children while you’re in labor. Your guests will also have access to a complimentary coffee area to keep them alert throughout the waiting process.
1. Move to Your Labor and Delivery Room
The labor and delivery rooms at AdventHealth for Women Orlando are equipped with everything you, your baby, and your healthcare team need for a safe and successful delivery. You’ll have round-the-clock access to experienced medical professionals as well as a comfortable environment for you and your partner or loved ones to go through the labor and delivery process.
One of my favorite features available is the mobile fetal monitors, which allow you to move around your room during delivery to stretch, dance, use the squat bars, or walk around to facilitate your labor. Be sure to ask your healthcare team if mobile fetal monitoring is a safe option for your and your baby’s medical situation.
The labor and delivery rooms come equipped with a couch that can easily transition into a bed, a private bathroom, and a sink area for a quick refresh. The TV in your room is compatible with your favorite streaming services, so you can easily login to your Netflix, Hulu, or YouT ube account to access your favorite shows and music. If you have a specific playlist you’d like to listen to during your delivery, you can even hook your device into the TV to have it play over your room’s speakers.
Once your baby makes his/her arrival into the world, your healthcare team will quickly assess their health and will return them to you for skin-to-skin contact as soon as it’s safe. I absolutely love that AdventHealth’s goal is for immediate skin-to-skin contact (as soon as it’s safe for you and your baby), and to me, it truly shows that they’re a top-notch and modern medical facility.
After Baby Arrives: Your Hospital Stay
Once you and your baby have safely finished the delivery process, you’ll be moved to the room where you’ll complete your hospital stay. The rooms feature some of the same amenities as your labor and delivery room, but there are a few important differences.
The first, and most exciting difference, is that your hospital room will contain a beautiful wooden bassinet for your little one to sleep safely in while you’re resting. It can be wheeled right up to your bed, so you’ll always have access to your baby. I love that AdventHealth prioritizes giving you access to your baby at all times. As long as it’s safe medically, either you or your partner will always be able to be a few steps away from your little one to ensure their safety and stay aware of their progress. You and your partner will also both have wristbands that link to the baby’s wristband to protect the security of your little one.
Your room will also have a couch that can convert into a table or a bed as well as additional chairs for seating guests to keep your loved ones comfortable if they visit you and your baby during your hospital stay.
Each room has its own private bathroom, so you can take a refreshing shower as soon as you’re cleared to by your healthcare team. I have to say that these bathrooms are the most beautiful hospital bathrooms I’ve ever seen!
Your room also has a TV to help you stay occupied and connected to the world during your hospital stay. If you need any additional amenities during your stay, be sure to alert your healthcare team.
Breastfeeding Support
I know first-hand just how intimidating breastfeeding a newborn can be, so I’m incredibly grateful that AdventHealth for Women Orlando offers daily access to their lactation specialists during your stay. The lactation consultants can help you perfect for your baby’s latch and give you insights into how to create a successful breastfeeding experience. If you need any additional help during your stay, simply place a call to The Breastfeeding Center at AdventHealth Orlando (or your applicable hospital) to schedule an additional visit. Click here to learn more about the breastfeeding services available to you.Amenities Available During Your Stay
Throughout your hospital stay, you and your loved ones will have access to all of AdventHealth for Women’s amenities. If you need to purchase any daily necessities, gifts, or a specialty snack, there’s a gift shop on the first level along with a 24/7 cafeteria.
Your loved ones can stroll the beautiful outdoor area or take your children for a walk.
And as I mentioned earlier, your family will have access to the Walt Disney Pavilion on the first floor, where your children can safely play and run around.
Personalized Amenities and Concierge Services
AdventHealth for Women Orlando makes a huge effort to provide your ideal birth experience. In addition to the normal amenities, your Patient Experience Concierge can provide personalized amenities at your request. You can customize your stay with gourmet dinners for you and your partner, a birth day experience complete with a cake and balloons, a toast to welcome your little one, newborn photography, and so much more. Click here to learn more about the personalized amenities and concierge services available to you during your hospital stay.Post-Pregnancy Support Services
I love that the AdventHealth team emphasizes the importance of post-pregnancy services. After you and your little one are safely at home, you’ll have all of the post-pregnancy support you need from the AdventHealth system. With everything from postpartum classes, weekly mom gatherings like the Baby Bunch, and breastfeeding resources, to a pelvic rehabilitation program, you and your little one will be supported every step of the way.
AdventHealth for Women Orlando Video Tour
Click the video belowto see a full video tour of AdventHealth for Women Orlando’s facilities.
After visiting AdventHealth for Women Orlando, I’m so excited for the birth experience of my second daughter. I feel so comfortable with the priorities of my healthcare team and hospital, and I feel empowered and confident in each step of the process. I’m so excited to share this journey with you over the next few months!
Now that you’ve seen every step of the labor and delivery process and gotten a glimpse into AdventHealth for Women, I’d love to know if you have any questions about pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum recovery. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be sharing every step of my pregnancy and delivery experience with you this time around, and I’m happy to reach out to the AdventHealth team to get your questions answered. What topics are you most interested in learning about?
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