Maternity & Birthing Centers
Bon Secours — The Birthplace at Mary Immaculate Hospital
Welcome to The Birthplace!
At The Birthplace at Mary Immaculate Hospital, we define ourselves as “The Birth Place of Choice” because while in our care, we want your birthing experience to match your preferences. We take a family-centered approach to labor and birth, designing our services to allow you to bond with your baby through every step of your journey. Our team of board-certified OBGYNs, certified nurse midwives, anesthesiologists, and nurses will work with you and your family to design a care plan tailored to your particular needs and preferences ranging from natural childbirth with minimal medical intervention, to the management of high-risk pregnancies with issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and multiple pregnancies. Our commitment to quality care and patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do, ensuring both the well-being of you and your baby throughout the entire process.
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We're Proud to be a Birthing Friendly Hospital! "Birthing-Friendly" is the first-ever CMS designation to describe high-quality maternity care. To earn the designation, hospitals and health systems report their progress on CMS's Maternal Morbidity Structural Measure to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program. |
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Create a Birth Plan
A birth plan is a great tool to let our team know about your unique preferences for labor, birth, and post partum. Because you cannot control every aspect of labor and the birth, we encourage you to be flexible in your planning in case something does not go as you anticipated. In your birth plan, it is a good idea to list the people you want to have with you at the birth, what kind of pain relief you would prefer and if you have any special needs. You can also include things you are hoping to avoid. The health and safety of you and your baby is always our first priority and we are committed to communicating with you throughout the birthing process. Please note, you do not have to create a birth plan.
Pack Your BagsWhen packing a labor bag, be sure to include:
Other items that may keep you comfortable during labor include:
Please note you do not need to bring your luggage or car seat to your room until after delivery. |
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The Big Day
When do I call my doctor?If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are pregnant and think your water is broken or you are in labor, please go directly to Mary Immaculate Hospital. For all other concerns, please follow the instructions given to you by your primary care provider’s office.
Arriving to the Hospital
To receive care for issues related to your pregnancy after 20 weeks gestation, you will be seen in the labor and delivery triage area where a nurse will assess your condition, work closely with your primary physician or midwife, and provide appropriate care. Between the hours of 5am and 10pm you can enter through the hospital main entrance near the flagpole and facing Denbigh Boulevard. Before 5am and after 10pm, please enter through the Emergency Department and check in with the staff there, they will assist you in reaching The Birth Place.
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Labor and Delivery Rooms Our newly renovated, private labor and delivery rooms provide a comfortable and peaceful environment designed to enhance your birthing experience. In addition to everything mom needs, each room is also furnished with two comfortable chairs that pull out into twin size beds and our labor team is happy to provide linens and pillows to your guests. |
Inductions and Cesareans
Scheduled Inductions
Our goal is to maintain scheduled delivery dates.
However, to provide safe, excellent care to you during the birth of your baby, the scheduled time of your arrival might change. If there are any changes, we will call you (usually 1-2 hours before admission). We will also communicate any changes with your doctor or midwife. If you have questions or concerns about changes to your scheduled delivery, you can speak to your provider or the charge nurse on the Labor and Delivery unit.
Please keep in mind that scheduled inductions can be lengthy procedures lasting multiple days. It is important to discuss realistic expectations with your doctor or midwife.
Scheduled Cesarean
If you are having a scheduled cesarean, please remember the following:
- You will need to come to Mary Immaculate Hospital the day before your cesarean to have lab work done. Monday through Thursday, please check in at Registration just inside the Medical Pavilion entrance of the hospital. After checking in, your blood will be drawn in the laboratory. On Sunday, please enter through the main entrance of the hospital (near the flag pole) and proceed to The Birth Place on the 2nd floor. One of the labor and delivery nurses will draw your blood. Please do not remove the red bracelet prior to your procedure – if it is removed, we will have to redraw your blood.
- Do not eat or drink at least eight hours before the procedure or the procedure may be rescheduled, possibly to another day.
- On the day of your procedure, please arrive to the labor and delivery unit on time. You will be prepared approximately two hours prior to the procedure. During this time the nurses will complete an admission assessment, monitor the baby, check your vitals, and start an IV. The anesthesia provider and your surgeon will visit with you before the procedure to answer any questions you may have.
- In the operating room will be your doctor, a nurse, two scrub technicians, and an anesthesia provider (anesthesiologist and/or certified registered nurse anesthetist). There will also be a separate nurse assigned to care for your baby and a neonatologist or neonatal nurse practitioner if needed. Typically, you will be in the operating room for about one hour.
- You may have one support person with you during your scheduled cesarean section as long as we are able to successfully place spinal anesthesia. Should it be necessary to place you under general anesthesia (asleep), no visitors are allowed in the surgical suite.
- After the surgery you will be moved back to your room on the labor unit with your baby and support person. You will remain there for approximately two hours and, barring any safety concerns, will have skin-to-skin time with your baby in order to establish the first feeding.
Types of Labor Support
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Pain Management Options There is no best choice for coping with pain during labor. Everyone has different pain thresholds and preferences for their birth. Instead, it’s a question of what makes the most sense for you and your partner. Some options available at The Birth Place to help you cope with labor:
• Hydrotherapy – laboring in the shower or a labor tub |
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Labor Support Tools The Birth Place has birthing balls, peanut balls, labor bars, and a Kava Birth Stool to help with positioning and movement. To encourage a calming environment we have diffusers, galaxy lights, battery-operated candles and twinkle lights, and blue tooth speakers. We also invite patients to bring other labor-support tools. Please ask your nurse if you have any questions. |
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Doulas
Mary Immaculate Hospital values doulas and is excited to welcome them to The Birth Place care team. The support provided by a doula can greatly impact the mental and physical health surrounding a woman’s birth experience. We understand the profound impact that the constant emotional and physical support of a doula has on our patients. Doulas are welcome at mom’s bedside as part of her support system and can be hired sometime during the pregnancy.
Doulas who have attended our Doula Welcome Session and provided a copy of their certification will be given a doula badge granting them the ability to follow their client throughout the birth process and their postpartum stay. They will not be counted as a visitor, but rather as a valuable support for the patient. Doulas who have attended the Welcome Session are welcome to accompany their clients in triage, labor and delivery, pre-operative, and post-operative areas and on the Mother Baby Unit. Should the mother need to undergo a cesarean delivery, the doula may serve as their one support person present in the OR if the mother so desires and she is awake for the procedure. Doulas who have yet to attend the Welcome Session will continue to be counted as visitors and will be limited by our visitor policy.
Please email kristy_ford@bshsi.org for more information on how your doula can participate in our Doula Welcome Sessions.
Happy Birthday Baby!
Skin-to-Skin
The first hour following birth is so special, we refer to it as ‘The Golden Hour.’ As soon as possible after birth, nurses will place your baby skin-to-skin for at least an hour to allow time for the first feeding.
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Skin-to-skin is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and has important health benefits including:
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Your health care team will continue to encourage you and your significant other to practice skin-to-skin for ongoing benefits throughout your stay and even after discharge. It is important for the safety of your baby that you are awake, alert, and attentive during skin-to-skin. You may find the semi-reclined, or upright position, works best to see that your baby is well-colored, breathing, and responsive. And should you get sleepy, it’s best to have an alert adult to lend you a hand or to place the baby on his or her back in their bassinet.
Baby’s First Examination
After the first hour, your newborn will be examined by a nurse in your Labor and Delivery room, which will allow your family to be part of the baby’s first exam and measurements. If there are any concerns, our in-house neonatologist or neonatal nurse practitioner will be on-hand to evaluate and care for your newborn. If your chosen pediatrician does not see patients in the hospital, your baby will be seen by one of these providers during the remainder of your stay with us.
Level III NICU
It is our goal to keep your baby with you, but sometimes our smallest patients need to be admitted to our Level III NICU. Our exceptional team of experts in the NICU includes experienced nurses, neonatologists, and neonatal nurse practitioners. Having a child in the NICU can be very stressful for the parents due to the uncertainty, worry and stress about the well-being of your newborn. Our NICU team members try their best to ease fears and make the parents’ journey as smooth as possible by encouraging bonding opportunities and providing timely updates.
Postpartum Care
You and your baby will remain in Labor and Delivery for approximately two hours before transfer to the Mother Baby Unit room where you will stay for the remainder of your visit. Our private postpartum care rooms have been thoughtfully designed to prioritize your comfort and privacy. These rooms offer a peaceful setting for you to bond with your newborn while receiving individualized care and support.
Room Service
Our Birth Place patients are able to order room service between 7:00am and 6:30pm. A wide range of food options are available to you with the ability to custom order.
Lactation Consultants
Breastfeeding is very important to us at The Birth Place. Our staff are all skilled in helping you get off to a good start, but in case you need expert advice, we have two board-certified lactation consultants available to help. After you go home, if you still feel the need for assistance, our consultants are available to you on an outpatient basis by appointment.
Video: The 3 C's of Breastfeeding
Length of Stay
Patients typically go home 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a cesarean birth, but your provider and the neonatology team will work with you to determine the length of stay that is appropriate for you and your baby.
Paperwork
Our birth registrar will collect information from you to complete the necessary paperwork for your baby’s birth certificate and social security number. To order the birth certificate, you will need a check or money order for $12.00 made out to "State Health Department."
If you are not married to the father of your baby, he will need to present a photo identification and be available to sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity in order to be listed on the Birth Certificate. Our birth registrar can any assist you with any additional questions you may have.
Taking Care of You
We encourage you to have a designated support person to stay with you in the hospital and after you go home. Having a baby and adjusting to the demands of a newborn is tiring, and it’s always good to have someone ready to take over to allow you some rest. Make sure you discuss any needs with your nurse prior to discharge so we can assist you.