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Going into a maternity unit when you are in labour may be frightening, but attending prenatal classes and visiting the unit during pregnancy should help. Hospitals and maternity units all vary, so this is just a guide to what is likely to happen.

Talk to your doctor about the way things are done at your local hospital or unit and what you would like for your birth. If your wishes can’t be met, it’s important to understand why.

Your arrival
If you carry your own notes, take them to the unit's admissions desk. You will be taken to the labour ward, where a nurse will take you to your room and help you change into a hospital gown or a nightdress of your own. Choose an old one that is loose and preferably made of cotton because you’ll feel hot during labour and won’t want something tight.

Examination by the doctor
The doctor will ask you about what has been happening so far and will examine you. The doctor will:

• Take your pulse, temperature and blood pressure and check your urine.
• Feel your abdomen to check the baby’s position and record or listen to your baby’s heart.
• Probably do an internal examination to find out how much your cervix has opened (tell her if a contraction is coming so that she can wait until it has passed), and she will then be able to tell you how far your labour has progressed.

These checks will be repeated at intervals throughout your labour. Always ask about anything you want to know. If you and the baby's father have made a birth plan, show your doctor or nurse so that she knows your views about your labour and can help you to achieve them. Many women find that they naturally empty their bowels before, or very early in, labour. Very occasionally, a suppository may be suggested if you are constipated.

Delivery rooms
Delivery rooms have become more homelike in recent years. Some high end hospitals in Bangaldesh even have easy chairs, beanbags, mats and the like, so you can move about in labour and change position. Some have baths, showers or birthing posts. Talk to your doctor or nurse about this and write your wishes in your birth plan.

Bath or shower
Some maternity units may offer you a bath or shower. A warm bath can be soothing in the early stages of labour. In fact, some women like to spend much of their labour in the bath as a way of easing the pain.