Get your support person involved Your helper will feel more prepared and confident to help you through labor if

they are knowledgeable about the labor process. You should review this on-line

class together and discuss your preferences related to comfort techniques, pain

management options and developing a “birth plan.”

If you choose to develop a formal birth plan, please discuss it with your physician

first. Then bring the birth plan with you to the hospital, and review it with your

nurse so we can help to develop your plan of care.

As you view this program together, write questions down as you think of them.

There is a note pad icon at the bottom of the flip book for just this purpose.

Pre-registrationWe would like the families who will be having a baby at St. Rita’s Medical Center to

pre-register their health insurance information prior to coming to the hospital. Pre-

registering will save you time when you do come in to be admitted. There are two

convenient ways to pre-register.

• PHONE - Call St. Rita’s Pre-registration Department at 419-226-9660 Monday

through Friday 10:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. They will take your information over the

phone and enter it into our computer database.

OR

• INTERNET- Submit the on-line pre-registration form via the internet.

- Go to www.stritas.org

- Click on the “Patient and Health Information” tab

- Click on “Online Pre-registration”

- Completely fill out the information

- Click “Submit”

Your information is confidential and only qualified personnel will be able to access

that information.

Find a baby doctorIt is important to choose your baby’s healthcare provider before coming in for

delivery. Your OB doctor or midwife will not be able to complete follow-up care

with your newborn.

On admission to Labor and Delivery you will tell us who you have chosen as your

baby’s pediatrician and if they have accepted your baby as a new patient.

We will complete tests in the hospital and schedule a follow-up visit for your baby

with this doctor’s office.

For a complete list of pediatricians or family practice doctors that are accepting

new patients, phone Call-A-Nurse at 419-226-9000. If the doctor you have chosen

does not have privileges at the hospital, we have in-house pediatricians who will

oversee your newborn’s care until discharge.

Time to PrepareThings to do before the baby arrives

What to bring to the hospital

Labor and Delivery Bag• Robe and slippers

• A focal point – picture, figurine, etc.

• Favorite CD for relaxing

• Lotion for massage (scented if you like)

• Lip balm

• Mouthwash, toothbrush and toothpaste

• Entertainment – books, cards, magazines

• Nutritious snacks for your partner

• Small change and money for snack machine

and Café

• Contact lens case, solution and eyeglasses

• Warm socks

• Items for back massage (tennis balls in a long sock

for massage)

• List of people and their phone numbers to notify

of birth

• Tie back for long hair

• Camera or video camera with extra batteries

and film

• Extra pillows for comfort with colored pillow cases

• Anything else you may find useful during labor

Encourage your support person to wear comfortable

clothing and shoes.

Postpartum Bag• 2 or 3 nightgowns/pajamas

• Robe

• Slippers

• 2 or 3 supportive bras

• If you are planning to breastfeed:

- Nursing bras (you will probably need a full cup

larger than you wore before becoming pregnant)

- A good breastfeeding book

- Nursing gown; the hospital provides these during

your stay

• Hair care items

• Cosmetics

• Comfortable clothes (early pregnancy size)

• Previously laundered outfit(s) for baby to wear

home and to get his/her picture taken

• 1 or 2 baby blankets for the ride home

• Baby book (for footprints)

• Toiletry articles (St. Rita’s provides pads and

disposable panties)

• Extra reading, other entertaining items you feel like

you will want

If your support person is planning to stay overnight,

please pack a small bag with sleepwear, toiletries and

supplies for a few days.

When you arrive at the hospital for labor, you will only need to bring up a small bag containing items you may

need throughout the labor process. Please leave all of your other luggage in the car. Those can be retrieved after

you deliver and move to your postpartum room. Please leave all valuable items at home.

Good to know

Car SeatThe day of discharge we will ask to bring your car seat to your room. The nursing

staff will not place the baby in the car seat or inspect the car seat for you. You

must have previously read the directions, installed and understand how the car

seat functions. If you are unsure about the car seat installation, please have a

child passenger safety technician check the car seat. Local fire departments

or police stations may have car seat safety checks throughout the year. Please

contact them for dates and times.

PrivacyBy law our staff is not allowed to provide callers with any private information. If the

patient supplies a “pass code,” staff may give out limited information. However,

we prefer to transfer the caller to your room to speak with you and your support

person.

We will ask your permission to put your last name for identification purposes only

on our white boards at the nursing stations.

Pictures and video taping are allowed at the discretion of the physician and

laboring women. All healthcare providers must give consent before you can

include them in pictures or videotaping.

SecurityInfant and mother security is the chief concern at St. Rita’s Medical Center. We

have several safety features in place to maintain a secure environment for mom

and baby.

• The OB unit and both nurseries are locked at all times. Staff has access to

these areas, but visitors must use the phone at the entry point of the unit.

Once it is determined the visitor may come in, the doors will automatically

be opened.

• Employees that work only in the OB unit wear name tags that specify Women/

Children Department. These staff member are the only people who have

access to take your baby for a procedure, physician assessment, etc.

• ID bands are placed on the newborn immediately following birth and match

the bands placed on mom and her support person. We will check these band

numbers every time we bring your baby back to you to confirm a match.

• On one ankle of the newborn, we will place a security tag that is secured with

a band. Our state of the art security system will alarm when an infant is in any

restricted area and all exit doors will automatically lock.

• We encourage parents to walk in hallways throughout their stay, but the infant

must be placed in a rolling crib. Infants are not to be carried in the hallways.

• Infants are never to be left alone without the supervision of a responsible adult.

• The nursery is available at all hours of the day for patients to use as needed.

Labor and Delivery Rooms We have 10 labor and delivery rooms available. You will

labor, deliver and recover for two hours in this room.

During that recovery period, you and your support

person can bond with your new baby. This is also an

opportune time to breastfeed your baby for the first time.

After delivery, family and friends may be permitted

at the discretion of the laboring woman, nurse and

physician. In Labor and Delivery only your other

children will be able to visit you. Once you have

moved to the Mother/Baby unit, other children may

visit, as long as they are well. Support people, siblings

and grandparents can visit at anytime. Other family and

friends are asked to visit you in the Mother/Baby unit

between 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

As moms are moved from Labor and Delivery to the

Mother/Baby unit, listen closely. We play the baby his/

her first lullaby throughout the entire hospital. It puts a

smile on everyone’s face when they realize that a new

baby has been born!

Surgery SuitesCesarean births, as well as some high risk vaginal

deliveries, may occur in our OB surgical suites. We

have two OB surgery rooms available. If you need to

deliver in one of these rooms, only your support person

may attend. We have anesthesia and surgery teams

available 24 hours a day in the event we need

to deliver your baby by cesarean. Once you deliver,

you will go to a recovery room beside the surgery

suites for two hours You will then be moved to

your postpartum room for the remainder of your stay.

Mother/Baby Unit - Postpartum Once you have had an initial recovery period in Labor

and Delivery, you will be transferred via wheelchair

or bed to the Mother/Baby unit. This is where you will

stay for the remainder of your time with us. A vaginal

delivery typically stays two days in postpartum. The

cesarean birth moms may stay between three to four

days after delivery. We have 22 postpartum beds that are

available on this side of the department. These rooms

are equipped with personal bathrooms with showers and

places for mom and one support person to sleep. We

have a TV in every room with DVD capability.

While you are here getting to know your newest family

member, our nurses will spend time teaching you how

to care for yourself and your newborn. Your healthcare

provider will see you and evaluate your lab work, vital

signs and overall health before sending you home.

NurseryWe have a Well Baby Nursery and a Special Care

Nursery. The majority of newborns transition smoothly

and go to the Well Baby Nursery. In this nursery we will

place the infant under a radiant warmer and assess the

baby head to toe. We will bathe the baby for the first

time while under this warmer to maintain his/her body

temperature. Once the baby’s assessment and bath

are complete, the baby can return to your room. We

encourage “Rooming In” but understand you may need

some time to rest. This nursery is always available for

you to use.

St. Rita’s Medical Center

The baby will go into the nursery nightly to

be weighed. Any procedures and medication

administration will be completed in the nursery.

The staff will educate you on how to care for your

newborn throughout your stay with us.

Level II Special Care Nursery We also have the area’s largest Level II Special Care

Nursery. We have a wonderful staff of neonatologists,

neonatal nurse practitioners and nurses. After delivery,

if your baby needs specific monitoring, IV fluids,

medications, oxygen, or testing, he/she may be

admitted to this nursery for closer observation. The

nursing staff will keep you up to date on the plan of

care and talk to you about bonding and feeding your

newborn.

PhotographySt. Rita’s Medical Center uses Bella Baby

Photography, a professional photography group for

the newborn pictures. If you like, a photographer

will come into your hospital room and use items you

supply such as baby blankets, basic outfits, bows,

and ribbons and take beautiful pictures of your

newborn. The photographer will create a slide show

for you to view. Then you may decide if you would like

to purchase any of the photographs. To see sample

pictures please visit the following website, www.

bellababyphotography.com.

If you have not already viewed the video on page 5 in the eBook above, please do so now. Below are St. Rita’s Medical Center’s answers to those questions.

• St. Rita’s Medical Center offers a birthing room to

all mothers.

• We encourage parents to room in with their

newborn, but the nursery is available at all times.

• Siblings to the new baby can visit anytime; there

is no age restriction for immediate family.

• Visitor guidelines: In Labor and Delivery we only

allow three people at a time. If you have more

visitors, they can wait in the Waiting Room and

rotate in and out if that is mom’s request. Once

pushing and delivery begin, we ask that rotating

stops.

Support people, grandparents and children can

visit anytime mom wishes. Other family and friends

can visit in the Mother/Baby unit between the hours

of 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

• We have two lactation consultants who are

available to assist with breastfeeding. They will

check on you to make sure your questions are

answered and assist you with positioning, latch

and other concerns you may have about your

nursing baby.

• For security we have a locked OB unit as well as

locked nurseries. We also have an Infant Security

System in place as an extra safety measure.

• We have two surgery suites where cesarean

births are performed. If you need a cesarean

birth, one support person will be allowed in the

operating room with you.

• Throughout the hospital, high-speed wireless

(Wi-Fi) internet service is available.