Last-minute decisions you can make in the delivery room

The name

There are countless stories of parents who have decided on a name, felt amazing about it, known that it’s perfect for their family…and completely changed their minds as soon as they saw their little one. She just looks like a Violet, you know? There are also parents who can’t decide on a name on the spot and end up going home with Baby Girl Smith until they can settle on their baby’s perfect future Twitter handle.

Your delivery crowd

You might just be planning on having your partner with you, or maybe you want as many people as you can stuff into the room. Regardless, if you change your mind once you’re actually in labor, the nurses will be happy to bring in a few extra people, or kick a few out. Some hospitals won’t let you have more than two or three guests at a time, but if you need to sub someone in mid-birth, you’re the boss!

Cord blood banking

If you find yourself in the delivery room wanting to collect your baby’s cord blood, don’t worry – our partners at ViaCord have you covered! Give them a call, and they’ll send a courier with a collection kit to your location. Many hospitals actually stock ViaCord kits for last-minute collections.

Families choose to collect and save cord blood because of the powerful stem cells it contains. Cord blood is already used in treatment of nearly 80 diseases today, including certain cancers and some genetic diseases, and clinical research trials are showing progress in treating children with cerebral palsy and autism. Banking cord blood at your baby’s birth is a way to think forward and plan for your family’s future. Of course, it does make things a bit easier if you get set up prior to the big day. ViaCord recommends enrolling before your 34th week to make sure everything’s ready for you in the delivery room.

Your technique

Lamaze, the Bradley method, water birth: there are some things that you can switch up while you’re in labor. If you want to ditch your breathing methods or see if you can find a tub to sit in, that’s totally up to you. Delivery methods aren’t always adjustable, however. If you have a planned C-section or complications that could require an unplanned C-section, you might not be able to change your delivery method.

The epidural

You can go into labor thinking you want a natural birth and change your mind when you get to the hospital, or you can plan on having an epidural and decide you don’t need it. Sometimes an unplanned epidural isn’t possible due to the unavailability of an anesthesiologist or the swift advancement of labor, but in most cases, you should be able to change your mind about getting one.

Last-minute decisions can give you a nice rush of adrenaline, but you’re probably going to have enough excitement on your delivery day. ViaCord makes it easy to enroll in cord blood banking, ensuring that there’s less one decision to make in the delivery room. Plan for the future with ViaCord, and tap the button below to get their free interactive info kit to learn more.