Preparing for your baby

Guide for Expectant Parents

MARY HORRIGAN CONNORS CENTER FOR WOMENS HEALTH

Your Checklist: What you need to do nowThe obstetrical admitting packet you received contains anadmitting form that should be filled out and returned in atimely manner so that we may prepare for the birth of yourchild. Along with general information, the form also requestsinformation about your insurance coverage.

Thank you for choosing Brigham and Womens Hospital. The Center for Women and Newborns is committed to

patient- and family-centered care. We recognize the importance of sharing this experience with family and friends.

Our team will work with you to establish and deliver individualized family-centered care for you and your baby.

We honor the trust you place in us and wish you a comfortable stay at Brigham and Womens Hospital.

Important points about insurance:

Be aware that insurance plans differ regarding lengths ofstay for obstetric care. Check with your insurance providerfor their policy on length of stay. Massachusetts State Lawallows a hospital stay of 48 hours for vaginal birth and 96hours for a cesarean birth.

Please understand that you are ultimately responsible forpayment of any service not covered by your insurance planor any copayments required. Please contact your insuranceprovider to become familiar with these costs.

Please know that no one is refused care at Brigham andWomens Hospital for lack of the ability to pay. If you haveany questions about your ability to pay for your stay, callour Financial Counselors at (617) 732-7005 or toll free at 1-866-736-1510. They will investigate resources thatmay be available to you through government and privateagencies.

The hospitals pre-admission staff also may contact youprior to admission for additional information or notifyyou of any estimated charges.

Pediatrician PostcardYour baby must be examined by a pediatric care provider before being discharged from the hospital. The obstetrical admitting packet you received contains a pediatrician post-card that should be filled out and returned in a timely man-ner. If you have not already selected a pediatric care provider,your obstetrician or midwife can help you select one. Youmay also call the Brigham and Womens Hospital PhysicianReferral Service at 1-800-BWH-9999 for assistance.

Parent and Childbirth Education ClassesThe birth of your baby is an exciting experience, and we offera number of options that allow you to participate fully andto be as prepared as possible. Our approved parent and child-birth provider, Isis Maternity, offers various childbirth prepa-ration programs and refresher courses, as well as breastfeeding, infant care and infant CPR classes. Visitwww.isismaternity.com for locations and available classes orcall (781) 429-1500.

FAMILY-FOCUSED CAREFamily-focused care at Brigham and Womens Hospital is acomprehensive approach to preparing and supporting eachfamily. This care begins with preparing you even before thearrival of your baby, with prenatal care, information and educational programs, programs for siblings and other services to ensure that you are well prepared for your newaddition. And, after the birth, the nurses caring for you andyour baby become familiar with your specific needs and provide information and education that will serve your family long after you go home.

Brigham and Womens HospitalWelcome to

Health Care Proxy/Living WillWe often receive inquiries from patients and their familiesabout health care proxies or living wills, which are legal documents that define an individuals feelings about the extent of care they wish to receive under extenuating circum-stances. For further information, call (617) 732-7453 orvisit www.brighamandwomens.org/livingwills. You musthave these forms filled out prior to coming to the hospital.

Planning for Your StayItems to BringDuring your hospital stay, we will provide you with sanitarypads and panties, and diapers for your baby.

Bring only essential items, such as:

maternity or nursing bra

personal toiletry articles

nightclothes, bathrobe, slippers

eyeglasses

MP3 player

list of current medications

small amount of money for newspapers and expanded television service

clothing for the baby to wear on the day of discharge

personal items for the father or partners overnight stay

Do not bring:

large amounts of cash

Please, do not bring any jewelry. For your safety, it is im-portant to remove all jewelry prior to coming in the hospital.It can cause injury and could get lost within bedding, etc.

unnecessary charge cards

checkbooks and other valuables

medications, if your obstetric care provider does notspecifically instruct you to bring them to the hospital

For your baby:

When you are ready to leave, you may dress your baby inthe clothes you brought from home. Baby clothes should bewashed in a mild detergent first and should include:

undershirt

stretch suit

booties

sweater

hat

two small receiving blankets (for support in the car seat)

heavy blanket, depending on the outside temperature

Arriving at the HospitalValetFor women in labor, there is valet parking at the Main Entrance of the hospital at 75 Francis Street. For more infor-mation on parking and rates, visitwww.brighamandwomens.org/security, or call (617) 732-5877.

Obstetrical AdmittingWhen you arrive at the hospital in labor, enter through themain lobby at 75 Francis Street and check in at the Obstet-rical Admitting office also located in the main lobby. An ad-mitting interviewer will complete your admission paperworkand escort you to the Center for Labor and Birth in ourMary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health. Theobstetrical admitting staff is on-duty 24 hours-a-day and willmake all the arrangements necessary for a swift and comfort-able admission to the hospital.

Labor and Birth After you have been admitted, you will be:

assessed for labor in the triage area and then admitted toa private labor and birth room which features special light-ing and equipment, including a birthing bed, rockingchair and television

moved to an obstetrical operating room located on thelabor floor only if you are having a cesarean birth or com-plicated birth

Obstetric Anesthesia ServicesThe Obstetric Anesthesia Service provides specialized care 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. There are many non-medicaltechniques that exist that can help you during labor, including: breathing and relaxation techniques warm showers massage position changes

Our obstetric anesthesiologists are available to discuss withyou the different types of anesthesia that may be given dur-ing labor and birth, including intravenous or intramuscularmedications and regional anesthetics such as epidural anes-thesia or spinal anesthesia. If you have concerns or questions,call the Obstetric Anesthesia Service at (617) 732-4805.

your baby in your room at all times. However, a nursery isavailable for medical observation or, if you request, to carefor your baby for a short period. During your stay you can:

review basic care and safety with your nurse

attend daily classes on topics including breastfeeding andbathing your baby

Newborn Tests and VaccinationsScreening tests and vaccinations will be based on require-ments of the Massachusetts Department of Public Healthand your pediatric health care provider.

Hearing ScreeningAs part of our routine care, your baby will receive a hearingscreening test before being discharged from the hospital.Please let your nurse know if you do not want your babyscreened. For more information on screenings, read theNewborn Screening brochure in your obstetrical admittingpacket for additional information.

CircumcisionCircumcision is the surgical removal of part of the foreskinof the penis. The decision regarding circumcising a son is apersonal one, and parents are encouraged to discuss this de-cision with their obstetric and pediatric health care providers.Your obstetric care provider will ask you to sign a consentform for circumcision before the procedure. And, if you areinterested in a ritual circumcision, our staff will be happy tohelp you arrange the type of service you prefer. Please planthe service as early as possible so that a convenient time maybe arranged for the hospital and your family. If you wish,your own rabbi may be invited to say the prayers while amember of our staff performs the circumcision. Written in-formation about circumcision is available by calling Parentand Childbirth Education Department at (617) 732-4081.

Partner/Support PersonBrigham and Womens Hospital is committed to providinga safe and supportive birthing experience for expectantmothers in a family-focused care setting. We understandthat, for some patients, sharing the birthing experience withfamily and friends provides additional special support. Weencourage participation of the partner, and an additionalsupport person, if you wish. For a cesarean birth, only oneperson is allowed in the operating room and recovery room.You should discuss your plans with your obstetric careprovider. Visitors are encouraged to stay at home until thebirth of the baby. There are waiting areas located near theCWN security desk and off the main 75 Francis Street lobby.Refer to the visitor policy in your regristration packet for ad-ditional details.

Nursing StaffA registered nurse will be assigned to your care, providingyou support throughout your delivery. You may take photographs or a videotape of the birth please ask the staffbefore including them. Should your labor be premature, youwill be initially assessed and may be transferred to our specialantenatal unit for women with complicated pregnancies.There you will be assigned a nursing care coordinator whowill coordinate your care with the medical and nursing staff.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)It is reassuring to know that if your baby needs intensivecare, the Brigham and Womens Hospital Neonatal IntensiveCare Unit is one of the most progressive facilities of its kindin the country and serves as a referral nursery with special-ized care for newborns throughout New England. Prematureinfants and other newborns with various health difficultiesstay in the NICU for expert care and observation. Family-focused care and developmentally supportive nursing careare practiced in the NICU, and parents are encouraged totouch, hold, feed and care for their babies to the extent allowed by the babys health. The unit has family rooms located adjacent to the NICU where families can spend time with their babies. A number of supportive programsfor families are provided including Kangaroo Care an innovative approach to encourage newborns to thrivethrough skin-to-skin contact with their parents. Infantswhose conditions are stable, but require a continued inter-mediate level of care prior to going home, may be transferredto an appropriate community hospital closer to home whenthey are medically ready.

Postpartum CareAfter a brief recovery period in the birthing room, mom,baby and partner will be brought directly to a private post-partum room in the Center for Women and Newborns you will not need to be separated from your baby at any timeunder normal circumstances. We encourage you to keep

Additional Services All internal phone numbers can be connected using the lastfive digits from your bedside phone. External phone num-bers require area code and seven digits.

Care Coordinator/Social Work (617) 732-6462 or (617) 732-6469Social workers are available to help with personal and familyproblems related to illness, housing, health benefits and in-come, and can provide counseling, evaluation and referralto a community agency. The Care Coordinator meets withall patients to review the discharge process, discuss homecare options, and assist with any discharge planning. Contactyour nurse or obstetric care provider to reach a social workerwho is on-call for emergencies.

Interpreter Services (617) 732-6639We are committed to communicating clearly and thoroughlywith all patients about the care we provide. Informing yourdoctor in advance about your language or hearing needs willhelp make you more comfortable. If you need an interpreterwhile in the hospital, your nurse or doctor can arrange forthis service at no cost for you.

Lactation Support/Breast Pump Rental (617) 732-8045Your nurse will assist you with breastfeeding. In addition,certified lactation consultants are available for inpatient bed-side consultations for diagnosis and treatment of problemsand special situations related to breastfeeding. Please askyour nurse about additional supplies, such as nursing brasand breastfeeding support equipment.

Patient/Family Relations (617) 732-6636Patient/Family Relations staff will help you communicateconcerns, complaints, suggestions and compliments regard-ing your hospital stay and provide you with information onhospital policies, procedures and services.

Phone Numbers At-a-Glance

BWH Main Number (617) 732-5500

Patient Condition Information (617) 732-5500

Birth Certificate Information (617) 732-6108

Blood Donation Program (617) 732-6620

Care Coordination (617) 732-6469

Family Liaison Service (617) 732-7440

Financial Counseling (617) 732-7005

Health Care Proxy/Living Will (617) 732-7453

Interpreter Services (617) 732-6639

Isis Maternity Childbirth Education (781) 429-1500

Lactation Support/Breast Pump Rental (617) 732-8045

Newborn Intensive Care Unit (617) 732-5420

Notary Public (617) 732-6636

Obstetrical Admitting Office (617) 732-4005

Obstetric Anesthesia Service (617) 732-4805

Parking Office (617) 732-5877

Patient and Family Relations (617) 732-6636

Security (617) 732-6565

Shop on the Pike (617) 732-7445

TTY Machines (617) 732-6458

75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115

(617) 732-5500 | www.brighamandwomens.org

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