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?