Mom Tip--Leaving for the Hospital

Hey--here's another tip for ya! This one's especially for the preggos out there. If you are in labor and getting ready to head out (no pun intended) to the hospital and it's getting close to midnight, try to wait to arrive until AFTER midnight (if you can). The reason? Your visit starts on a whole new day!

This never even occurred to me before, but having a healthcare professional as a hubby paid off in this instance. He knew all about how a few minutes can make a huge difference in how long your hospital stay can last. As I mentioned previously, my water broke between 10 and 11 p.m. At the time, I wasn't sure that's what had happened until after I called the doctor. I was not having any contractions or anything. So I took a shower, and Tanna and I were getting our last-minute things together--and that's when the contractions started! (No doubt about it!)

Anyway, in the meantime, Tanna had asked me if it was OK to wait just a few minutes before leaving, just to make sure we'd arrive at the hospital after midnight. And we did. For our situation, it was fine--and it meant that we got another day in the hospital because our visit started on Sunday morning (as opposed to Saturday night). Just a little FYI.

Disclaimer: Follow the advice and recommendation of your physician. Leave for the hospital when you need to. No amount of extra time in the hospital is worth risking anyone's health. Thank you.