hospital tour...

When did you guys take your hospital tour? I know that traditionally you wait until pretty close to the end but with twins, since you never know.....when should we plan on going? And will they tour you by the NICU if we request it? Since the chances are we may wind up there (praying we don't but trying to be realistic) we'd like to at least see it.

Any particular questions we need to ask? Anything in particular that I didn't need with my DS that I would need to make sure we have on hand when we go to deliver for the twins? I'll have a scheduled c-section since my Dr has forbidden me to go VBAC.

Thanks!

 

My due date was February 21, and we did our tours in October/November. I was much less pregnant than the other women, but who cares? I was worried I wouldn't get to tour if I waited (plus, walking becomes increasingly difficult). I couldn't have done the tour at 33+ weeks.

As for the NICU, they walked us past the doors, but they don't take you in. We saw triage rooms, L&D rooms, c-section rooms, c-section recovery rooms, and post-partum rooms. And of course had the opportunity to ask lots of questions.

As far as what questions, have them walk you through what to expect with a scheduled c-section - what rooms you'll be in and how long and who can be there. Find out if rooms are private or shared. The hospital we deliver at doubles up when it gets busy, but they were able to assure us that it was highly unlikely we'd be sharing a post-partum room given that we were having twins.

 

I never did a hospital tour, but I do know that the hospital I delivered at offered them. They would also do NICU tours upon request. I am not sure who you have to coordinate these visits with, but I know for sure for the NICU tour you had to have an escort. Good Luck!

 

I did mine at 15 weeks. I was by far the least pregnant one there, but the woman coordinating the tour thought it was great that DH and I were so pro-active. We were only toured by the NICU entrance door (our hospital allows only staff, babies and families to keep it sterile). We did get to see pictures, though. Plus, once the tour guide found out we were having twins (1) she focused the tour on us and our questions (a bit embarrasing) and (2) she spent extra time explaining their NICU and capabilities. In fact, we have already pre-registered.

 

We did it the same day we did the pre-registering, I think I was around 30 weeks. However our hospital didn't have an nicu so we just saw the nursery. It was coordinated through our ob's office. Good luck!

 

We took a special birth prep class just for people expecting multiples, and a hospital tour was part of the class. We got a tour of the nicu as part of that as well - I don't think they do it in the normal classes, but they did it for ours. They did tell us that you can schedule a tour of the nicu by special request if you think you may end up there - just ask. I think I was around 28 or 30 weeks when we did this. It was nice at the time to see a little of what to expect, but honestly it was all so overwhelming to me that I didn't really remember a thing. When we were there for real it was all brand new and overwhelming - most of the hospital stay is still a total blur to me - but I think it was helpful for my husband, he knew where he was and was able to find his way easily between my room and the NICU (one of my twins was in twice, for about half a day each time).

 

Ours was done as the last session of our childbirth class. I was about 28 weeks by that point, and had to do it in a wheelchair because I couldn't stand up and walk for half an hour straight. It was kind of embarrassing, but manageable. Still, I wished we'd done it earlier.

I don't think it is really strictly necessary anyway. What was more helpful was having my doctor (at one of my last appts) verbally walk me through the whole scheduled c-section procedure. Everything else we needed to know about the hospital, we learned in the first 24 hours we were there.

 

We did 32 weeks and our hospital took you thru the NICU upon request.

 

I honestly never found value in my tour. I was a c-section and never saw a true L&D room. So it was a waste of my time. Now the hospital has a new L&D wing, and I'm not touring that either. I figure I'll see it when I get there LOL.

 

I think I was about 24 weeks... and looked full-term, LOL. It was part of my other classes- a multiples class & a class about how to do birth certificates, etc. It toured the NICU but I don't remember any specific questions I had at the time that were helpful.