| How to plan for labor and delivery of a baby 1. | | | | AM while she's screaming for an epidural is not a |
| Have a written list of your primary care doctor, | | | | good game plan. That route Mapquest suggested |
| OB/GYN's office, the OB/GYN's cell phone | | | | might not take one-way streets into account, and |
| number and pager, and any other doctors you | | | | the second route it suggests may have too many |
| see regularly. You might also want to put your | | | | traffic lights. Learn these things now, while you're |
| boss' phone number in there; if you're in labor, | | | | both still calm and rational. 4. Develop a game plan |
| you aren't going into work the next day. Call it | | | | for what to do dependant upon where she's in |
| "calling in really, really sick". A lost phone on the | | | | labor. If you're both at home, just go straight to |
| rush to the hospital is the worst time to realize | | | | the hospital. |
| that you don't have your doctor's phone number | | | | Nevertheless, what about other scenarios? What |
| recorded anywhere else. 2. Along with all the | | | | if you're both at work when it happens? Does she |
| contact lists should be maps. You should have | | | | go to the hospital and have him meet her there? |
| picked which hospital you're having the baby at by | | | | Does he pick her up from her job and take her |
| this time. | | | | to the hospital from there? Do you go home to |
| Unless you're walking distance to the hospital or | | | | wait it out for a few hours before going to the |
| going to call an ambulance, have all your maps | | | | hospital? Who will pick up her car, if you don't |
| printed out and ready. Note: ambulances will take | | | | want to leave it in her work parking lot overnight? |
| a laboring woman to the nearest hospital, which | | | | What if she's at home and you're at work? Does |
| may not necessarily be the one you want to give | | | | she wait for you to get home? Have someone |
| birth at. Detailed maps turn-by-turn directions, an | | | | else drive her to the hospital and he meets her |
| overview map with a highlighted route to the | | | | there? 5. What is your backup plan? What if he's |
| hospital, and alternate routes in case of bad traffic | | | | out of town? What if she goes into labor and is |
| should all be included. Pre-program it into your GPS | | | | unable to drive anywhere to meet him? Who's |
| and car route planner, if you have one. 3. You | | | | the backup transportation? A neighbor? A friend? |
| should practice driving the planned route to the | | | | A relative? 911? Who is a backup for your |
| hospital several times to get familiar with it. | | | | backup? Built in redundancy is a good thing when |
| Trying to figure out the route from a map at 2 | | | | planning for situations like this. |