Hospital tour

Last night we took a tour of the birthing unit at Menorah Medical Center - where Andy is going to be born. We had already seen a labor and delivery suite - we were in one the afternoon they monitored Lindsay's blood pressure. There is a jacuzzi tub in the suite, and I keep joking with Lindsay that the nurses are going to come in sometime and ask where I am and she'll have to tell them I'm in the jacuzzi tub because we don't have anything that nice at home.

The most interesting thing about the tour to me was the EXTREME security. I would guess most hospitals have that security now. The birthing unit is always locked. The mom and dad both have identification bracelets and then the baby has two bracelets - one on each wrist or a wrist and an ankle, wherever they can get them on. If the nurses have the baby for some reason, they will only give it back to the parent after scanning the parent and baby to make sure they match. They made it seem like they will even come in the room some times to scan you and your baby - just to be sure. The coolest thing is, there is a little computer chip on the clamp on the umbilical cord. If the baby gets close to a door or elevator or laundry shoot, it will set off the alarms! So, there is no getting the baby out of there without everybody knowing.

Here is a link to the birthing center's website, if you want to check it out. There is a virtual tour on there as well. The hospital is caddy-corner from Town Center, at the corner of 119th & Nall.