Friday, August 10, 2007

Pregnancy & Childbirth 101: Hospital tour

Last night we toured the facilities at OHSU to see what awaits us when the R.A. finally decides to come into the world. The birthing suites are nice. The mother baby units are nice. It's all nice. And in just a few short months we'll be experiencing it for ourselves in a non-tour way. This was the last class Darr will attend with me as next week, for the final class, we're going over breastfeeding with a lactation specialist. Boobs galore might normally be of interest to the menfolk but since it is a bunch of pregnancy boobs instead of the boobs you get on, oh let's say, Baywatch, we're guessing all of the mens are going to opt out.

The best part of the class came when we were discussing the various medical procedures in labor and delivery, specifically the various interventions that can be used. One of the alternatives listed for Misoprostol was sexual intercourse. I wanted to ask, since Misoprostol is what you get once you are at the hospital, if that meant you could elect to have some, um, alone time with your partner instead of taking the drug. While I didn't have the guts to pose the question to the class, I did point out that particular alternative to Darr, to which he replied, "Finally, something I can do." I had to stifle the inappropriate laughter that followed out of fear the teacher would single me out to explain what was so damn funny. But seriously, is that an option? Do they just hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door to your birthing suite and give you a few minutes to take care of business?

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