Hospital Pre-Registration for Labor and Delivery

All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Our Medical Review Board includes OB/GYNs, pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, doulas, lactation counselors, endocrinologists, fertility specialists and more.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

Planning on delivering at a hospital or birthing center? You could just show up, but it's better to come prepared — so here’s what you need to know about pre-registration.

The last thing you’ll want to do when you’re in the throes of labor is fill out multiple forms with your name, address, date of birth and other pesky details. Frankly, those tiny boxes can be maddening and you’ve got bigger things to do at this point (like have a baby!). Your best bet: get ready ahead of time by pre-registering at the hospital or birthing center where you plan to deliver.

By pre-registering, you’ll get a bunch of paperwork out of the way and possibly create a less stressful delivery experience — and who doesn’t want less anxiety when those contractions are coming fast and furious?

For some help with this process, here are some of the typical pre-registration steps, the various documents you’ll need and a few other things to prepare for your hospital stay.

What is hospital pre-registration for labor and delivery?

Hospital pre-registration for labor and delivery is basically the business end of giving birth. It’s your chance to fill out the various forms required by your health care facility with the goal of speeding up your admission process.

While pre-registration doesn’t eliminate all the paperwork you'll need to fill out, it does ensure your name, your doctor’s name and insurance info are ready and waiting for you when you arrive. Theoretically, doing so minimizes the paperwork you’ll need to complete and gets you checked in faster.

What is the typical hospital pre-registration process for labor?

• First trimester. Check in with your practitioner to learn which facility he or she has admitting privileges to so you can take a tour and learn about the amenities.
• Second trimester. Contact your birthing location to learn about the forms you need to have on file before you arrive — and then fill them out online or on paper.
• Third trimester. Haven’t completed your pre-registration homework? You’ve still got time. Also, save the link to your details or tuck a copy of it into your hospital bag in case you need to refer to it or hand it over when you arrive.

Once you get to the hospital to check in, you’ll probably be seen by a nurse who will assess your condition, ask about your contractions and their timing and then go over your personal info (which should already be on file if you pre-registered). Your doctor will be contacted, if he or she wasn’t already, and you’ll be moved into a labor room if you’re deemed ready to go.