The Rooms Of Birth: What To Expect for Labor and Delivery in Pittsburgh!
There are a few rooms you’ll experience your birth journey in, we have laid out what they are and what to expect in each!
✌🏼Triage - these are usually smaller rooms, with not as comfortable beds and no couch for partner- think of them like the ER suites of L&D. They are there to give you a place to wait while the provider decides if they are admitting you. You also may spend time here if you have any pregnancy complications or concerns. Hopefully this is the place you spend the shortest amount of time- the rooms have limited comfort measure options but you can try to ask your nurse for a birth ball to give yourself some movement options! Sometimes the wait can be a while if you are not actively in labor or if the Labor suite is packed. They may also have you wait here while preparing for a cesarean. They will run your vitals and connect you to a monitor to see how baby is doing- you will also be offered a cervical check typically, and someone will come and scan you to make sure baby is head down!
💪🏽Labor Suite/Pre-Op
Where the action happens! Everything from active labor to pushing and two hours of recovery happen in the labor suite. You’ll deliver your baby and placenta here unless there is complications and the OR is needed. These suites have more comfortable beds, couch for partner, squat bars, birth balls, showers/tubs sometimes! Be sure to write your birth preferences on the white boards in the room- and let your nurse know what is important to you with your care! If you are having a cesarean you may be waiting in one of these rooms if pre-op/PACU is closed (sometimes weekends)
🤟🏾Operating Room
If you are having a cesarean or need an OR intervention during labor or the birth of the placenta- you’ll be in the OR! This is a sterile beehive where everyone has a job, is buzzing around, and feels a bit hectic to most. The anesthesia team will be at the head of the bed, and the OB team is by your waist- if you need anything at all communication is key! Anesthesia can adjust everything to your comfort, and your partner sits right next to you! Once baby is out- you’ll be heading to recover!
👍🏽PACU (Recovery)
These small rooms resemble triage and are a time for you to feel more stable before heading to postpartum. You may be groggy from anesthesia, thirsty and wanting ice chips, and the nurses will be assessing your numbness as well as tracking your vitals. Your partner can hold your baby skin to skin until you feel ready for that time to meet your baby officially on the other side of the OR!
🫶🏽Postpartum/Mother Baby
These rooms are smaller than LD rooms but larger than triage! Check your visitor policy ahead of time- typically only one person stays with you overnight, like a partner. There is a couch for the or a pullout chair. Your vitals and feeding relationship will stabilize here and your postpartum recovery begins! You’ll learn how to take care of your new baby and your body postpartum until you are both discharged.
The room everyone cannot wait to be in is their bedroom at home! Now that you are discharged, enjoy snuggles in your own environment!