On Monday night, hubs and I were able to do a tour of the hospital where we’re planning on welcoming little one. I wanted to do this tour so as to better know what to expect and where we’d be going in and staying.

I was really hoping that doing the tour would help ease some of the anxiety I’d been feeling surrounding having a hospital birth, but I ended up having a panic attack in the labour room.

For as much as the hospital we’ve chosen is progressive and unlike the hospitals of the past, things still just felt so… medical. And I don’t think of birthing as an illness needing treatment. So.

I’m very glad we did do the tour, as it answered a lot of my questions around alternatives to traditional birth practices we’d be able to use. It also let hubs and I get a better idea of what process things will follow. And heaven forbid that anything should go wrong, knowing that we’re in one of the best facilities in the country brings a lot of peace of mind.

What amazed me though, were the questions my fellow mamas-to-be were asking. Normally I try not to pass judgement on any of these ladies, however, I was utterly shocked at how woefully unprepared the majority of them were for their baby’s birth. The questions they were asking were simple enough that if they’d simply picked up a book on pregnancy they’d have known the answers.

As soon as we found out we were expecting, I started educating myself with everything I could on pregnancy, birth philosophies, breastfeeding and baby’s first days. Becoming a parent is a big responsibility and you should be prepared. I imagine these couples put more research and thought into buying their coffee maker than they have to having children. I think it’s just the way society is now. People are lazy, and sadly, it’s the children who suffer. (And that’s enough judgement from me today!)

Mamas: Did you do a hospital tour of your birth facility before baby’s arrival? Did you find it helpful?

Photo via: morrissey, Flickr.com