The modern maternity ward

Talk about sweet! While the last thing on a woman's mind when she's going into labor is, "Does the room have Wi-Fi?", apparently many hospitals are renovating their maternity wards to include such things as whirlpool tubs, Wi-Fi, more attractive decor and linens, and the availability of message therapists, portrait photographers, and manicurists. Why? Of course, they aren't doing it out of the goodness of their hearts because they understand what a stressful, tiring, and painful time it is for moms and moms-to-be. The bottom line is: $$$. Hospitals -- now highly competitive businesses -- are trying to capitalize on the nation's crazy obsession with pregnancy and babies, trying to win over an apparently coveted demographic: women. That's because women tend to be the ones who take charge of their children's health care and take care of a sick or aging relative.

Glad to know that hospitals have our best interests in mind...