Resources for Women

What to Expect During Your Delivery and Stay

Our number one priority is to ensure a safe, healthy delivery for you and your baby. You have entrusted us with the birth of your child. Therefore, we take all measures necessary to fulfill our obligation to you.

Admission and Visitation

When you are admitted to Labor & Delivery, you are supplied with visitor stickers. These stickers are to be worn by ALL visitors in the Labor & Delivery unit. Due to patient and infant safety, only four visitors are allowed at a time.  There cannot be any visitors standing in the hallways. Any visitors who are standing in the hallways will be politely asked to wait in the waiting room. Please understand that this is for the safety of our babies and the privacy of our mothers. Security patrols the unit hourly and will ask anyone without a sticker to wait in the waiting room.

Delivery

The delivery of your baby may be attended by the staff from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and staff from the Newborn Nursery may also attend. The baby will have footprints done and identification bands placed on them immediately following delivery.  The baby's temperature, heart rate, and respiration will be checked, as well as blood sugar.  The baby will be weighed at the bedside, and footprints taken.  If the Newborn Nursery Nurse is attending, the vitamin K injection will be given as well as the eye ointment placed.  As long as the baby's temp is above 97.6, he or she can be wrapped in blankets and held by the mother and family.  There will be an identification band on their arm, as well as their leg. The mother and father (or support person) will also get a wristband for identification purposes.  An infant security tag will also be placed on your baby. This is part of our infant security system. This tag will not be removed until you and your baby are discharged from the hospital.

Post Delivery

After you deliver your baby, you will have a recovery period of 1-2 hours.  Your vaginal bleeding, uterus, and vital signs will be monitored every 15 minutes.  If you are unable to use the restroom after about an hour, a catheter will be placed to facilitate emptying your bladder.  If you have an epidural, it may take 1-2 hours for you to be able to use your legs, so please do not try to get out of bed without the assistance of your nurse.  After your recovery phase, you will be transferred to the Mother-Baby Unit on the same floor.  Your baby will be brought to your room after the assessment period is finished. 

• After 10pm, our visitor policy states only one visitor at a time.
• No children under the age of 14 are allowed in the L&D Unit except for siblings.

We take pride in knowing that we provide the best care for you and your baby. All we ask is that you and your family help us in maintaining our visitation policy. Infant safety & security is important to us all.