Questions To Ask During a Maternity Hospital Tour

If you’re planning a hospital birth, a maternity hospital tour can help you feel more prepared before labor begins. It’s an opportunity to learn where to park, where to check in, what the rooms look like, and what to expect when the big day arrives.

Most hospital tours usually last about 20 to 30 minutes. A hospital educator or labor and delivery nurse may walk you through parking, triage, labor rooms, postpartum rooms, visitor policies, and discharge.

Your tour is also the perfect time to ask questions. Bring your partner or support person if you can, and use the questions below to learn more about the hospital’s policies, comfort options, and what matters most for your birth experience.

A maternity hospital tour can help you understand parking, check-in, labor rooms, postpartum rooms, and discharge.
Bring your partner or support person so they know where to go and what to expect.
Ask about labor support, pain relief, monitoring, C-section policies, and birth plan preferences.
Postpartum questions should cover rooming-in, feeding support, visitor policies, security, and discharge.
You do not need to ask every question. Choose the ones that matter most to your birth plan and comfort.

Hospital Logistics and Room Questions

You probably won’t need every question below. Focus on the topics that matter most to your comfort, support system, and birth preferences.

1. Are all labor and delivery rooms private, or do some share rooms?

2. Are the bathrooms private or shared?

3. How likely is it that I can get a private room? Do I need to call in advance?

4. What are the fees for private rooms? (May vary with different insurance plans.)

5. Are all the rooms the same as the one(s) we’re being shown? Are some smaller or less renovated, have smaller bathrooms, etc.?

6. Will I be in one room during my entire stay or be moved to a separate postpartum room?

7. Will I have a private tub or shower for my postpartum room, or will I have to share?

8. Is there a TV in all labor and delivery rooms and postpartum rooms? What channels do you have?

9. How many births take place at this hospital on average daily?

10. What happens if the labor and delivery floor is full? How often does that happen?

11. Is this a teaching hospital, and do you utilize students or residents? Will they attend my labor and birth? Can I request that they not participate if I don’t feel comfortable with them there?

12. Can any situation take me away from my birth partner?

13. Is there good cell service in the L&D room and postpartum room?

14. Is there Wi-Fi access?

15. Can my partner sleep in my room? What accommodations are available for them (such as a cot, couch, or recliner)? Can we bring an inflatable mattress?

16. Where’s the cafeteria? When is it open? Is it available 24/7? If not, what are its opening and closing times, and on which days?

17. How do you order food? At what times does the kitchen open and close?

18. Is there a newborn intensive care unit (NICU)? What floor is it located on? Is it easy to access from the postpartum rooms?

19. Where is the best place to park? How much does parking cost?

20. Is there valet parking at your hospital? At what times? How much does it cost, or is it complimentary?

Related: 7 Tips for Partners During Labor and Delivery

Labor and Birth Questions

Labor policies can vary widely between hospitals. These questions can help you understand your options before labor begins.

1. Where will I initially be examined if I believe I am in labor? Will I have to wait in a general waiting area or triage, or will I be brought to a private room?

2. Will I be allowed to have a drink and food during labor? Can I bring my own food?

3. Do you have popsicles or broth that I can eat?

4. What labor and birthing equipment do you provide? For example, birthing balls, peanut balls, squat bars, showers, jetted tubs, rocking chairs, and birthing stools, etc.

5. How comfortable is the hospital with natural births?

6. What pain management options are available?

7. What is the average time a laboring mother needs to wait for an epidural?

8. Is there always an anesthesiologist on-site?

9. Am I able to avoid having an IV put in? Could I get a Hep Lock instead? (Or nothing at all.)

10. What types of fetal monitoring do you offer? Do you offer wireless fetal monitoring? Can I give birth here without fetal monitors?

11. How often are you having fetal monitoring?

12. Is there a TV or streaming option (like Netflix or YouTube) in the L&D rooms? Do the rooms have built-in speakers or Bluetooth connectivity? Are they complimentary? Can I bring and use my own Bluetooth speaker or device if you don’t have one?

13. How many people are allowed in the delivery room simultaneously? Is there a limit?

14. Who should I give my birth plan to?

15. Will the nurse be comfortable with a birth plan that may include things they aren’t used to if my midwife or doctor has signed off on it?

16. Will I be able to labor at my own pace, or will I be put on a time limit? (Typically, hospitals want you to dilate one centimeter an hour.)

17. Will I be allowed to move around freely and get in the tub or shower during labor?

18. Can I wear my own clothes during labor and birth?

19. What is the induction rate at this hospital?

20. What is the episiotomy rate at this hospital?

21. At this hospital, what is the cesarean rate?

22. What are your maternal and infant mortality rates at this hospital?

23. How do you (and this hospital) feel about doulas?

24. What are the policies on cameras and video cameras during labor, pushing, and birth? Are recording devices (like a cell phone, video camera, or digital camera) allowed in the delivery room or operating room (if you are having a C-section)?

25. What positions do you allow mothers to give birth in? Can I push in more ways than just on my back in stirrups? Could I push on my side, on my hands and knees, squatting, etc.?

26. Can I push and deliver my baby in the shower or the tub?

27. Will the hospital’s on-call doctor follow my birth plan if my midwife or doctor is not on-call?

28. What’s the policy on delayed cord clamping?

29. Can I donate or bank my baby’s cord blood when delivering at this hospital?

30. Will this hospital allow me to take my placenta home (if you choose to do placenta encapsulation)?

31. Can we delay all procedures and exams for the baby for an hour for bonding time or skin-to-skin?

32. Is your partner and doula allowed in the room for a C-section?

33. If I have a C-section, will my baby be separated from me right after the procedure? Or can I do skin-to-skin?

Related: How to Create a Birth Plan Plus Free Template and Checklist

Postpartum and Newborn Care Questions

Recovery and newborn care policies often surprise first-time parents. These questions can help you avoid surprises after birth.

1. What is your policy on baby care immediately after birth? Will my baby be taken out of the room, needing to be checked, weighed, or placed in a heater? Or will the examinations take place in my room? Will they allow immediate skin-to-skin contact?

2. Can I have my child immediately placed skin-to-skin after a C-section?

3. Are there any situations where my baby would need to be transferred to another facility?

4. Can my baby room with us instead of in the nursery?

5. Can I breastfeed immediately after a C-section?

6. What sort of breastfeeding support is available?

7. Do you provide an industrial-strength hospital-grade breast pump?

8. Do you have a lactation consultant on staff at the hospital? Is she available 24/7, 7 days a week?

9. Does the hospital support supplementing breastfeeding with formula?

10. Does the hospital support formula feeding?

11. Do you give pacifiers to the babies in the nursery? Will I be asked or notified before doing so?

12. Under what circumstances would formula be given to my baby? Will I be asked or notified first? Even in the middle of the night?

13. What security measures are there? Do people have to be buzzed in, are there security guards, and is a device placed on my baby to ensure they can not leave the floor?

14. Are there specific hours for visitors after birth? Do you allow young children to visit?

15. What kind of information will I go home with?

16. What time of day does discharge usually occur? (Families are often allowed to stay 48 hours post-vaginal delivery and 4 days post-C-section.)

17. Do you follow up with your patients? What new parent support do you offer? Can I call at any time if I have questions or need help?

Related: Visitors at the Hospital After Birth: What New Moms Should Know

A maternity hospital tour can help you feel more prepared before labor begins. You do not have to ask every question on this list, but choosing the ones that matter most can give you a clearer picture of what to expect.

Use your tour to learn the hospital’s policies, understand your options, and talk through anything that feels important to your birth experience. The more informed you feel ahead of time, the easier it can be to advocate for yourself when the big day arrives.