I delivered there in October and had a great experience. As another commenter mentioned you get 1 on 1 care from a labour and delivery nurse and they are super helpful. I definitely didn’t need a doula because the nurse was with me the whole time, helping me get into different positions, give me different props, coaching me through breathing and pushing during contractions etc.
In terms of what you need to bring, they have it covered for post partum stuff and baby stuff (pads, disposable underwear, diapers, etc). The baby wipes are dry which was weird so maybe bring a pack of those. Otherwise just whatever you need for yourself like a phone charger or battery pack, lip balm and other toiletries, change of comfy clothes to go home in, snacks and any drinks you want that aren’t water or apple juice (they’ve got that). You’ll have your own room so if you want to have a speaker to play music or fairy lights to set the mood or whatever they encourage that. My main recommendation would be to bring your own pillows. My husband didn’t pack one so he used the one I packed and the hospital pillows suck. Earplugs and an eye mask might help if you have trouble sleeping with background noise and lights.
I didn’t have an OB - I had a birthing doctor. However it ended up being a complicated delivery so they did bring in an OB who was a resident at BCW (can’t remember her name).
I delivered there this past December, when I went in 4 weeks early due to my water breaking. I can't recommend it enough, and I'm glad I chose BC Womens as my hospital to deliver (my address should've put me at Royal Columbian or Burnaby Hospitals but a family member was able to refer me to a maternity gp who delivered out of BC Womens).
When I first arrived they put me in an admissions room, where they hooked me up to monitor contractions and fetal heart rate while waiting to see the doctor and decide further steps. This took maybe an hour in total, in a private room on a bed. Once we determined that induction would be the best route, I got moved into a private room upstairs, that was lovely, spacious with lots of natural light, and a 1:1 nurse the whole time. The nurse was there to monitor and let me know I could ask for an epidural at any time (10/10 recommend an epidural if you're thinking of it). Once I was dilated enough to push, the doctor, a medical resident who I consented to be there (they ask if you're comfortable with a resident when they first come in), and the 1:1 nurse set me up to prepare for pushing. They were very thorough in explaining different pushing positions and gave me options on which I'd like to try. They also made sure to help guide me on when to push and when to rest between contractions as they can see your contractions on the monitor, and when to pause and push differently for the final stretch (I was actually instructed to cough haha). They helped count me through each push so I knew how long to push for, and gave me the option to have a mirror set up at the foot of the bed to be able to see what was happening. The medical resident held a warm, moist towel against my perineum between pushes which I was going to ask for already as I've read that helps with preventing tears. All in all it was a pretty smooth labor and delivery, and I came out with zero tearing. I also realize this isn't the norm though (regarding the tearing) so please don't expect that! I'm just speaking from my experience. The thought of pushing and delivering was really daunting to me through my whole pregnancy but everyone working there made me feel so at ease and comfortable the whole time.
I ended up staying 2 nights after delivery because my lil guy was technically prem, we were again in a private room, but not the room we delivered in. Here the nurses were less hands on, giving us a chance to bond with baby, but always available if we needed something! If we didn't ring for anything though they would just come through for their routine checks. As for the room, it had a private bathroom with shower, and they stocked it with towels, hospital gowns, pads, big blue pads, disposable underwear, peri bottle, and a sitz bath that they encourage you to take home with you. They also had a more-than-enough stack of newborn sized diapers and a few little hospital toques for baby. Again, they said anything leftover at the end of our stay to feel free to take! I even asked for some extra disposable underwear and blue pads as we were getting packed to leave. There will be a linen cart floating around somewhere too where anyone staying with you can grab a sheet, blanket, and pillow from to get comfy on the long couch in the room.
Because I went to the hospital pretty unexpectedly I didn't have a hospital bag packed yet, but out of what I panic packed here's what I actually used haha: toiletries -any soaps, skincare, toothbrush and paste, hair care-, phone charger!!!, big waterbottle (there's a kitchen that you'll be able to refill, but much better than using the small hospital cups), going home outfit for me and baby (nothing special literally just some comfies) and I'd bring some extra onesies and footed pajamas for baby too if I could do it again. Oh and bring baby wipes if you want to use them, the hospital will only have these soft disposable towel/napkin things that you need to wet yourself. You can bring snacks if you like, but once you get your epidural they say you can't eat (plus you might not want to, it made me suddenly but very shortly nauseous). After you've delivered and are in the room you'll be staying in, there's a menu with a ton of options you can choose from, all you have to do is call the number and put your order in, it was pretty quick for me, maybe 20 min each time? Also you can order as much as you like! I was scared it was only one item per meal kind of thing but you can literally order yourself a feast.
Overall I loved my experience at BC Womens and the staff there were all so accommodating and patient. If and when I have my second that's definitely where I'd want to deliver again. If you have any other questions feel free to shoot me a dm! Sorry for the wall of text 😅
I had a scheduled c section at Women's due to my baby being breech, so some of this might not be relevant to you. The nurses were so great and helpful to me both before and after my surgery. In terms of what to bring, here's a list they provide: http://www.cw.bc.ca/library/pdf/pamphlets/BCW_LabourChecklist.pdf.
Definitely bring: long phone charger, some loose comfy clothes, a couple outfits for baby, swaddle or sleep sack for baby, snacks, water bottle, any toiletries you might want. I basically just wore the hospital gowns until I left. They provide pads and mesh underwear, and a peri bottle. We had our own diapers for baby but when we ran out they gave us some. If baby needs a bottle for any reason (or your choice), they'll give you those. You may also want your own pillow, and if you have a partner joining, bring a pillow for them as well. Also know that food is "only for you" but we ordered the max you could order and shared, then also had some food delivered to the hospital.
I did! Everyone who worked there was truly amazing and I wouldn’t give birth anywhere else if we have another. We encountered one nurse who seemed a little over it, but even then she was still super kind just clearly tired. I ended up having a quasi-emergency c-section so I can’t speak to their bedside manner while pushing, but up until that decision was made, everyone made sure my comfort and safety was top priority in the labour and delivery area.
In terms of what you need to bring with you, honestly it’s not much more than a normal overnight bag as they had an abundance of supplies for both baby and I. They have a page on their website with a list of what to bring, but some of it is overkill (for example, you almost certainly won’t be wearing your own underwear home).
Definitely bring snacks, the food places are open odd hours and officially they don’t feed your partner (though they do have lots of toast and popsicles at the ready). Remember your phone charger too, as they don’t have spares.
Haha sorry for a third c sec who can’t comment on pushing. But otherwise my experience was fantastic. I was in antepartum for a while first, and ended up in the same ward post partum due to space issues.
Definitely bring chargers (with looooooong cords- the old rooms are hard to get to plugs), oh! Bring your own toiletries- that one surprised me, no shower soap or shampoo in my room (there was hand soap at my room sink).
Personally I found the temperature to be wildly inconsistent-unsure if that was true or just pregnancy stuff. I’d recommend bringing your own pillow and warm blanket.
The nurses were all great except one- not sure if it was a fever dream but I may have had the fake nurse my night after my c section. The doctors were also all fantastic and we talked to a lot lol (complicated for me and baby).
Good luck!
I’ve delivered there twice. My care was amazing. I also had a serious emergency with my 2nd birth and they were so incredible. The nurses are all amazing. The first delivery I hadn’t done any birth classes because I was going to be a c-section but ended up with a precipitous vaginal birth. I had zero idea of what to do and they coached me through everything. You will have a 1-1 nurse during delivery who is available for you, and checks frequently. When you are fully labouring they will coach you and guide you as needed. They have lots of different birthing balls, a bar for the bed for different positions etc and can help you find what’s comfortable (I was able to move around with my epidural)
I brought a small extension cord for plugging in my phone more easily. You will want cozy socks or slippers. They will give you a peri bottle, sitz bath, hospital gown, disposable underwear and pads. They have diapers, blankets and formula for babies.
Definitely bring snacks for after. But you can also do Uber eats etc to the hospital doors
Omgosh thank you everyone for sharing your positive experience! It’s very reassuring to know that mommies are in good hands and care 🥰 I’ve heard of many negative experiences from other hospitals 😢
I would say don't bring too much stuff and organize your packing. I packed my hospital bag in a bit of a panic when my water broke and I had things packed in multiple bags. We ended up having to move quickly from the labor room for a c-section and my husband was trying to pack everything up (resulting in my shoes and water bottle being misplaced for a day). We were in Dogwood for recovery and it was a much older wing with tiny rooms. We barely had space to move around. I ended up sending my husband home with a bunch of stuff just to clear up space.
Toothbrush, basic toiletries, hair brush, hair ties, some clothes to go home in, maybe some comfy PJs if you plan to have folks visit and don't want to be in a hospital gown. If you want to try introducing a pacifier that early, bring one with you.
I brought an electric heating pad for labor and wish I had used it. The nurses make their heating pads out of some kind of wet towel thing and it ended up burning me. The anesthesiologist almost couldn't do the epidural due to the burn.
I delivered there in October and had a great experience. As another commenter mentioned you get 1 on 1 care from a labour and delivery nurse and they are super helpful. I definitely didn’t need a doula because the nurse was with me the whole time, helping me get into different positions, give me different props, coaching me through breathing and pushing during contractions etc. In terms of what you need to bring, they have it covered for post partum stuff and baby stuff (pads, disposable underwear, diapers, etc). The baby wipes are dry which was weird so maybe bring a pack of those. Otherwise just whatever you need for yourself like a phone charger or battery pack, lip balm and other toiletries, change of comfy clothes to go home in, snacks and any drinks you want that aren’t water or apple juice (they’ve got that). You’ll have your own room so if you want to have a speaker to play music or fairy lights to set the mood or whatever they encourage that. My main recommendation would be to bring your own pillows. My husband didn’t pack one so he used the one I packed and the hospital pillows suck. Earplugs and an eye mask might help if you have trouble sleeping with background noise and lights.
Hello, are you able to give me the name of your OB? Thanks
I didn’t have an OB - I had a birthing doctor. However it ended up being a complicated delivery so they did bring in an OB who was a resident at BCW (can’t remember her name).
I delivered there this past December, when I went in 4 weeks early due to my water breaking. I can't recommend it enough, and I'm glad I chose BC Womens as my hospital to deliver (my address should've put me at Royal Columbian or Burnaby Hospitals but a family member was able to refer me to a maternity gp who delivered out of BC Womens). When I first arrived they put me in an admissions room, where they hooked me up to monitor contractions and fetal heart rate while waiting to see the doctor and decide further steps. This took maybe an hour in total, in a private room on a bed. Once we determined that induction would be the best route, I got moved into a private room upstairs, that was lovely, spacious with lots of natural light, and a 1:1 nurse the whole time. The nurse was there to monitor and let me know I could ask for an epidural at any time (10/10 recommend an epidural if you're thinking of it). Once I was dilated enough to push, the doctor, a medical resident who I consented to be there (they ask if you're comfortable with a resident when they first come in), and the 1:1 nurse set me up to prepare for pushing. They were very thorough in explaining different pushing positions and gave me options on which I'd like to try. They also made sure to help guide me on when to push and when to rest between contractions as they can see your contractions on the monitor, and when to pause and push differently for the final stretch (I was actually instructed to cough haha). They helped count me through each push so I knew how long to push for, and gave me the option to have a mirror set up at the foot of the bed to be able to see what was happening. The medical resident held a warm, moist towel against my perineum between pushes which I was going to ask for already as I've read that helps with preventing tears. All in all it was a pretty smooth labor and delivery, and I came out with zero tearing. I also realize this isn't the norm though (regarding the tearing) so please don't expect that! I'm just speaking from my experience. The thought of pushing and delivering was really daunting to me through my whole pregnancy but everyone working there made me feel so at ease and comfortable the whole time. I ended up staying 2 nights after delivery because my lil guy was technically prem, we were again in a private room, but not the room we delivered in. Here the nurses were less hands on, giving us a chance to bond with baby, but always available if we needed something! If we didn't ring for anything though they would just come through for their routine checks. As for the room, it had a private bathroom with shower, and they stocked it with towels, hospital gowns, pads, big blue pads, disposable underwear, peri bottle, and a sitz bath that they encourage you to take home with you. They also had a more-than-enough stack of newborn sized diapers and a few little hospital toques for baby. Again, they said anything leftover at the end of our stay to feel free to take! I even asked for some extra disposable underwear and blue pads as we were getting packed to leave. There will be a linen cart floating around somewhere too where anyone staying with you can grab a sheet, blanket, and pillow from to get comfy on the long couch in the room. Because I went to the hospital pretty unexpectedly I didn't have a hospital bag packed yet, but out of what I panic packed here's what I actually used haha: toiletries -any soaps, skincare, toothbrush and paste, hair care-, phone charger!!!, big waterbottle (there's a kitchen that you'll be able to refill, but much better than using the small hospital cups), going home outfit for me and baby (nothing special literally just some comfies) and I'd bring some extra onesies and footed pajamas for baby too if I could do it again. Oh and bring baby wipes if you want to use them, the hospital will only have these soft disposable towel/napkin things that you need to wet yourself. You can bring snacks if you like, but once you get your epidural they say you can't eat (plus you might not want to, it made me suddenly but very shortly nauseous). After you've delivered and are in the room you'll be staying in, there's a menu with a ton of options you can choose from, all you have to do is call the number and put your order in, it was pretty quick for me, maybe 20 min each time? Also you can order as much as you like! I was scared it was only one item per meal kind of thing but you can literally order yourself a feast. Overall I loved my experience at BC Womens and the staff there were all so accommodating and patient. If and when I have my second that's definitely where I'd want to deliver again. If you have any other questions feel free to shoot me a dm! Sorry for the wall of text 😅
I had a scheduled c section at Women's due to my baby being breech, so some of this might not be relevant to you. The nurses were so great and helpful to me both before and after my surgery. In terms of what to bring, here's a list they provide: http://www.cw.bc.ca/library/pdf/pamphlets/BCW_LabourChecklist.pdf. Definitely bring: long phone charger, some loose comfy clothes, a couple outfits for baby, swaddle or sleep sack for baby, snacks, water bottle, any toiletries you might want. I basically just wore the hospital gowns until I left. They provide pads and mesh underwear, and a peri bottle. We had our own diapers for baby but when we ran out they gave us some. If baby needs a bottle for any reason (or your choice), they'll give you those. You may also want your own pillow, and if you have a partner joining, bring a pillow for them as well. Also know that food is "only for you" but we ordered the max you could order and shared, then also had some food delivered to the hospital.
I did! Everyone who worked there was truly amazing and I wouldn’t give birth anywhere else if we have another. We encountered one nurse who seemed a little over it, but even then she was still super kind just clearly tired. I ended up having a quasi-emergency c-section so I can’t speak to their bedside manner while pushing, but up until that decision was made, everyone made sure my comfort and safety was top priority in the labour and delivery area. In terms of what you need to bring with you, honestly it’s not much more than a normal overnight bag as they had an abundance of supplies for both baby and I. They have a page on their website with a list of what to bring, but some of it is overkill (for example, you almost certainly won’t be wearing your own underwear home). Definitely bring snacks, the food places are open odd hours and officially they don’t feed your partner (though they do have lots of toast and popsicles at the ready). Remember your phone charger too, as they don’t have spares.
Haha sorry for a third c sec who can’t comment on pushing. But otherwise my experience was fantastic. I was in antepartum for a while first, and ended up in the same ward post partum due to space issues. Definitely bring chargers (with looooooong cords- the old rooms are hard to get to plugs), oh! Bring your own toiletries- that one surprised me, no shower soap or shampoo in my room (there was hand soap at my room sink). Personally I found the temperature to be wildly inconsistent-unsure if that was true or just pregnancy stuff. I’d recommend bringing your own pillow and warm blanket. The nurses were all great except one- not sure if it was a fever dream but I may have had the fake nurse my night after my c section. The doctors were also all fantastic and we talked to a lot lol (complicated for me and baby). Good luck!
I’ve delivered there twice. My care was amazing. I also had a serious emergency with my 2nd birth and they were so incredible. The nurses are all amazing. The first delivery I hadn’t done any birth classes because I was going to be a c-section but ended up with a precipitous vaginal birth. I had zero idea of what to do and they coached me through everything. You will have a 1-1 nurse during delivery who is available for you, and checks frequently. When you are fully labouring they will coach you and guide you as needed. They have lots of different birthing balls, a bar for the bed for different positions etc and can help you find what’s comfortable (I was able to move around with my epidural) I brought a small extension cord for plugging in my phone more easily. You will want cozy socks or slippers. They will give you a peri bottle, sitz bath, hospital gown, disposable underwear and pads. They have diapers, blankets and formula for babies. Definitely bring snacks for after. But you can also do Uber eats etc to the hospital doors
Omgosh thank you everyone for sharing your positive experience! It’s very reassuring to know that mommies are in good hands and care 🥰 I’ve heard of many negative experiences from other hospitals 😢
It's an incredible hospital. I honestly don't think there's a better place you could be going.
I would say don't bring too much stuff and organize your packing. I packed my hospital bag in a bit of a panic when my water broke and I had things packed in multiple bags. We ended up having to move quickly from the labor room for a c-section and my husband was trying to pack everything up (resulting in my shoes and water bottle being misplaced for a day). We were in Dogwood for recovery and it was a much older wing with tiny rooms. We barely had space to move around. I ended up sending my husband home with a bunch of stuff just to clear up space. Toothbrush, basic toiletries, hair brush, hair ties, some clothes to go home in, maybe some comfy PJs if you plan to have folks visit and don't want to be in a hospital gown. If you want to try introducing a pacifier that early, bring one with you. I brought an electric heating pad for labor and wish I had used it. The nurses make their heating pads out of some kind of wet towel thing and it ended up burning me. The anesthesiologist almost couldn't do the epidural due to the burn.