What To Expect From Your Christmas Labor And Delivery

Have you chosen to give birth in a hospital? Expectant mothers due around Christmas may be worried that there will be fewer doctors and nurses on staff during the holiday period and that there may be some problems if you need any emergency procedures like a cesarean section.

I have spoken to a few labor and delivery nurses about this, working in different hospitals in the United States. All said that there are just as many people working in labor delivery (and on other floors) during Christmas as there are on other days of the year. In fact, many nurses love to work during Christmas because of the overtime pay.

The hospital will always have plenty of people on call in case they are needed, and Christmas is no different. There may be fewer administrative staff working, but that will not affect your labor and birth in any way.

The staff at your hospital may work extra hard to make your baby's birthday/Christmas special for you if you are in labor during Christmas. Some hospitals have full-blown Christmas parties, but those that do not are bound to have cookies or special meals. It's still Christmas for those hospital employees that observe the holiday, even if they're working. If you are lucky (or unlucky, depending on your views) they may sing Christmas carols!

Those mothers to-be who have decided to give birth at a free-standing birth center or at home with a homebirth midwife may have have a few more complications. Some homebirth midwives will be going away for Christmas, and the same may be true for those working at free-standing birth centers. This is something you and your midwife should have discussed by now, along with any back-up options.

If there is bad weather as well when you go into labor, your midwife may take longer to get to you. This means that you will have to agree on when to call her — probably right when you notice that you are experiencing regular contractions or when your water breaks. Keep in mind that subsequent labors are usually shorter than first labors.

Your baby's birthday will be special, whether or not you go into labor during Christmas. You have nothing to worry about if you are going to give birth around Christmas this year, though your child may complain about having to have a two-in-one birthday and Christmas party in the future!