Labor and delivery

We work to cultivate a family-centered environment with all the comforts of home, but the safety net of a hospital. Our delivery rooms include high-definition TVs, free wireless internet, rocking chairs, sleeper chairs and a refrigerator. These and other amenities allow you to comfortably recover following delivery, so you can focus on bonding your new addition to the family.

Your comfort is deeply important to us, and the longstanding nursing team at our hospital has as strong a dedication to best practices as they do to you. We take pride in seeing our families have positive experiences at the start of your newborn's life.

Start your pregnancy off right with prenatal care from our highly skilled and experienced obstetricians. Our prenatal team provides comprehensive pregnancy care for both mom and baby by offering tips on nutrition, exercise, as well as sophisticated prenatal testing and imaging.

We also help you prepare for your baby's arrival with a variety of prenatal classes and childbirth educational opportunities, in addition to classes and support in breastfeeding and everyday care.

Our team of board-certified perinatologists are focused on providing comprehensive, compassionate care for moms and babies before, during and after delivery. If your baby arrives early, our Level III NICU can also give you the security of one of the highest levels of care your baby can get. In addition, we keep a watchful eye for signs of perinatal and postpartum depression, and can help with classes focused on prenatal education and the realities of being an expectant mom or family member.

After delivery, the same nurse caring for your postpartum needs will also tend to your newborn. Our experienced care teams, which include obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs), specially trained nurses, lactation specialists, respiratory and speech therapists and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses, will support your family in a relaxed, private environment. Working together, these specialists are prepared to meet the needs of all types of newborns, including both premature and full-term babies.

The specially trained, certified nurses on our lactation team have extensive knowledge in lactation and breastfeeding, and are available seven days per week to help make your breastfeeding as successful as possible. Following delivery, these dedicated professionals fully support new mothers, while encouraging immediate skin-to-skin contact and offering a number of breastfeeding and pumping options.

Our lactation team also leads a number of breastfeeding classes, in addition to a monthly breastfeeding support group that meets on the first Monday of each month. The group is open to all nursing moms, infants and siblings.

Typically, you and your baby can return home within two days after a vaginal birth and four days after a cesarean birth. When your physician and pediatric care provider discharge you, you will receive important information regarding life outside the hospital. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your nurse.

The day before discharge

There are some important things to be aware of before going home, and understanding these with ample time to prepare will prove helpful for you and your family. These include:

• Arrange for a ride home from the hospital. Ask your nurse what time you should be ready for discharge.
• Have someone start to bring some of your flowers and gifts to the car or home. You may also send belongings that you will not need to use overnight.
• Make sure that the person taking you home knows how a car seat works, and has it properly set up when you arrive. Infants should ride facing the rear of the car, preferably in the middle of the back seat. If your car has two air bags in the front seat, make sure the baby is never in the front. Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an air bag.
• Pack clothes for the baby to wear home (at least a t-shirt and blanket that you provide). Be sure the clothes are right for the season, and make sure you have comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and shoes for yourself as well.

The day of discharge

Before going home with your new baby, it will be important to have the following information:

• Bring your baby to the nurses' station in the crib, do not carry them. After the nurse is finished checking your bands, you may carry your baby to the main lobby or car.
• Do not remove any of the identification bands on the baby or your wrist. Before you leave, someone will check your bands one last time, so leave one leg and foot out of any clothes on the baby.
• Make sure that a friend or relative will be able to take you home at the appropriate time.
• Please make sure you have signed the birth certificate worksheet. The birth registrar should have brought this to your room. If you haven't signed it prior to your discharge day, please check with your nurse or the birth registrar.
• Wait until you and your baby are seen and discharged by the doctor before you leave.

Below are some important safety practices that we follow in the hospital. If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's safety, please ask.

• If your baby has been away from you, the staff will check the baby's ID bands with you before you and your baby are reunited.
• To prevent accidents, we do not allow anyone to carry a baby in the hallway. This includes the parents and other family members. If you are taking your baby down the hall, please wheel them in the crib.
• Please do not take your baby out of the unit until it is time for you to go home.
• Never leave your baby alone in the room or the bed. If you need to leave your room, bring your baby with you, or bring them to the nursery.
• If you are showering, bring the baby to the nursery while you shower.
• If you are adjusting your bed, please make sure the baby's crib isn't too close to the bed, as it can get caught and cause the baby to fall.
• Always place your baby on their back to sleep, as this has been shown to reduce the chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• It's important for babies to be held and cuddled a lot in the first weeks and months of life. We encourage you to hold your baby often while you are on the postpartum unit. It is fine to have your baby in bed with you while you are awake, but please do not have the baby in your bed if you are feeling tired or sick, as they could fall or be injured. Ask your nurse for help in these situations. Always place your baby back in the crib if you are going to sleep.

Our women's services nurse navigator program offers the information and tools you will need to welcome your new baby at our hospital. During pregnancy, delivery and postpartum, this program helps guide you through everything you can expect.

 

We know planning for a baby can be exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, so our nurse navigator is here to help you become as comfortable as possible leading up to the big day.

Have questions? Please complete the form below, and our nurse navigator will contact you within three business days.