The vast majority of women in the United States deliver their babies in a hospital delivery room.1 A hospital birth is recommended for women with medical histories that put them at risk for delivery complications. Such complications might include being pregnant with multiples or having a preexisting medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of premature delivery. The hospital has the facilities and staff to give immediate medical assistance if needed.
Questions For Hospital Staff
When you visit a hospital, bring along from this list your birth plan questions that you feel are important to your goal of introducing your baby to a healthy world:
• Is the delivery room cleaned with EPA-approved disinfectants?
• Is it possible to obtain fresh, healthy, organic food and filtered water while I am in this facility? If not, may I provide my own?
• Does the facility offer the option of organic cotton bed linens and gowns in the delivery room? If not, may I provide my own?
• Can I avoid medical intervention that is unnecessary to my health and the health of my baby? (Such interventions might include routine internal fetal monitoring—which may be at odds with my preference for “the least amount of unnecessary medical intervention.”)
• What are the bassinets and baby bedding made of? If they are made of conventional materials, can I provide my own bassinet, pads, bed sheets, and blankets?
• Will my baby be cleansed with soaps, shampoos, lotions, and creams? Can I bring my own?
• Do I have an option as to the type of diapers used on my baby—organic cotton cloth diapers or perhaps disposable brands known to have a lower impact on the environment?
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