|
PATIENT CARE TEAM
Our providers and Childbirth Center (CBC) staff work as a highly trained and
skilled team providing exceptional and compassionate obstetrical and newborn
care to our community. Our professional nursing staff has an average of 15+
years of experience. If there are any concerns at any time, please ask to
talk to the Nurse Team Leader, Unit Manager or the House Manager after
hours. We hope you enjoy your stay with us. MODEL OF CARE
There are 10 labor rooms where moms will labor, deliver and recover
unless a surgical intervention, C-Section, is required. C-Sections are
performed in the CBC Operating suites; recovery is provided in our recovery
room; after recovery, mom will be moved to a postpartum room. We have 12
postpartum rooms in the CBC and an additional 12 rooms on 2nd Surgical where
staff are trained to take care of moms and infants. The rooms are designed
for mom, baby, and one support person to stay together at all times. We
encourage the support person to assist mom in partnership with the nursing
team. If your baby requires closer observation, we provide a higher level of
newborn care in our Special Care Nursery.
REGISTRATION
We highly recommend that you pre-register. This will expedite your
admission process, as we will have a lot of your paper work completed.
This
way you can just focus on having your baby. Forms can be obtained in the
Childbirth Center or from your physician’s office. PREPARING FOR YOUR
HOSPITAL STAY
We invite you to join us for a tour of our Childbirth Center. You can
sign up on our website or call us. You may want to bring your own pillow,
slippers, CD player, clothes for yourself and baby. We provide refrigerators
for any food and beverages that you want to bring in. You will need a car
seat to take your new little one home. You will need to determine what
physician is going to care for your baby (i.e. Pediatrician, Family Practice
Physician). PROCEDURES
If you are scheduled for a procedure (i.e. non stress test, induction,
scheduled C-Section,) please call ahead to make sure that we have a room
available. There are times when we are full and have to delay non-emergent
procedures. We will reschedule your procedure as soon as possible.
IT’S TIME!! to come to the hospital
If you can, please call the Childbirth Center before your leave your
house. This allows our staff to prepare your room for your arrival. Your
nurse will help you get settled in your room, take your vital signs, monitor
your baby’s heartbeat, obtain a urine sample, and perform a vaginal exam to
determine your labor progress. We want you to feel comfortable asking
questions; we are partners in this birth experience and we want you to be
prepared and informed. If you have a birth plan, please share it with your
nurse.
LABOR TIPS
- You will determine who your support person or labor coach will be.
This individual will be able to stay with you throughout your hospital
stay.
- Walking/Moving – there are usually no restrictions during labor;
your nurse will let you know if you can’t be out of bed.
- Comfort measures – there are multiple ways to get more
comfortable during labor: you can shower, lean on furniture, use the
birthing ball, walk in the halls, or utilize breathing and relaxation
techniques.
- Usually labor starts on its own; however, sometimes it is necessary
to induce labor. Your physician will discuss these options with you.
- Nutrition – most women can have fluids in early labor. Clear
liquids such as Jell-O, popsicles and ice water are popular. Sometimes
an IV is needed. If an IV is needed, your doctor and nurse will discuss
this with you.
- Pain management – medications are ordered by your physician
to help take the edge off of pain from contractions. Epidurals are also
available upon request. An anesthesiologist will place the catheter and
put medication into it. Please talk with your Obstetrician before you go
into labor so that you have a good understanding of the epidural
procedure.
- Monitoring labor – your nurse will monitor your labor, vital
signs and baby’s heart rate very closely. Vaginal exams will be done as
needed to continue to assess your progress. The monitoring of the baby
is done by an electronic fetal monitor. We will get a baseline that will
take about 20 minutes. After that, we will monitor on an intermittent or
continuous basis, depending on your labor status.
DELIVERY AND POSTPARTUM
- Near delivery time, the nurse and doctor will help you find the
most comfortable position. Your support person will be invited to cut
the cord and the baby is then placed on mom’s abdomen to begin the
bonding process. The nurse will continue to monitor vital signs of mom
and baby and will frequently massage the uterus until the nurse feels
that all is stable. After 2-3 hours, mom, baby and support person will
be moved to a postpartum room for the duration of your stay.
This
could be in the Childbirth Center or on the 2nd Surgical unit.
- Baby Medications – We are required by state law to
administer Erythromycin eye ointment in your baby’s eyes within an
hour of birth and to administer a Vitamin K shot to promote proper
blood clotting. All medications are “baby friendly” and will not
impede breastfeeding.
- Pain Medication – we provide a “Self-Administered Medication” kit.
Research shows that there is better pain management when the mother
can administer pain medication herself. We will teach you about the
pain meds and stool softeners to keep you as comfortable as possible.
- Breastfeeding – we encourage you to breastfeed your baby. This can
begin right after the delivery; let us know what your nutrition plans
are for your baby so we can help you get started.
- You can expect to stay in the hospital for 1-2 days after a
vaginal delivery and 2-3 days for a C-Section birth.
- Circumcision – most physicians do this procedure in their office
with the first newborn check up; please discuss this option with your
physician.
- Handwashing – we ask visitors and families to wash their hands
before holding the newborn.
DISCHARGE
- Discharge time is between noon - 2 pm. Please talk with your nurse
to determine when you are planning to go home.
- Don’t forget your car seat. Washington State Law mandates that
children ride in a car seat.
- Your nurse will teach you many things to help you take good care
of your baby. You will also receive teaching materials to read after
you get home.
- You can rent breast pumps for home use. Please ask your nurse
for information.
|
