Join us for a rare inside peek at a labor-and-delivery room. Have a good look now—chances are you won’t notice much once you’re in labor.

By Emily Bloch
Photographs by Lisa Franchot
Special thanks to Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles

Start to finish, here’s what it looks like...

The nurses at the registration desk will likely welcome you with warm smiles, no matter how you look when you get off the elevator. Most hospitals will offer a “pre-admission” option, allowing you go in to fill out paperwork a few weeks before your due date, to avoid a bunch of scribbled signatures done in triage.

Just in case you get bored, you can always zone out to Ellen, soap operas, or…birthing DVDs?

A great place for dad and other helpers to catch a view ZZZ’s during a slow stretch.

This monitor attaches to mom via a soft, non-constricting belly band. It keeps track of baby’s and mom’s heart rate and vital signs.

Long hallways can be just the ticket. Midwives and docs often recommend getting up and moving to kick-start stalled contractions. No need to feel self-conscious as you waddle past other patients and staff—they’ve seen it all!

This may look scary, but it’s not a view most gals get. The stirrups are hidden under the bed, brought out only if you need them. Stirrups come in handy in case your doc or midwife has to do some post-delivery tear-repair. The bottom portion of the bed can drop away if you’re sitting propped-up to push.