Your Labor and Delivery

Ensuring a safe delivery for your new baby

Our Family Birthing Center staff members are delighted you have chosen Touro as the place to have your baby! We are committed to providing every family with safe, high-quality care before, during, and after childbirth.

At Touro, we understand that waiting for your due date is both exciting and stressful. Though most women give birth between 38 and 42 weeks, no one can know exactly when labor will start. You can generally expect to give birth within 2 weeks before or after your expected due date.

For your benefit, Touro has compiled FAQs related to the processes and procedures before, during, and after delivery. Read on for some helpful advice regarding your delivery.

Before delivery

When I arrive at the hospital for a pregnancy-related concern, which entrance should I use?
You may use the Prytania Street Entrance. Alternatively, you may park in the Delachaise Parking Garage and take the bridge from the 3rd floor of the garage to the 3rd floor of the hospital, then look for the elevator on the right side of the hallway. Take one of the two elevators to the 2nd floor of the hospital and follow the signs to “M-2”. Do not go to the Emergency Department unless you are having a non-pregnancy-related emergency.

What do I do when I arrive in the M-2 Labor and Delivery/Family Birthing Center Area?
We have a security officer at the Welcome Desk in the Labor and Delivery waiting room who will allow you entrance to the Labor and Delivery Unit. All adult visitors must have a picture ID in order to obtain a visitor pass. The visitor pass must be worn @ all times, so that it is visible to staff. If the officer has stepped away for a moment, walk through the waiting room to the door and press the button on the wall to the right of the door. The door will be opened for you by the Labor and Delivery Staff. The Nurses’ Station is just inside the door on your left. You will be assigned to a room by the nursing staff. Visitors to the Birthing Center will need to present a picture ID and give the officer the name of the person they are visiting. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Is there paperwork to complete on admission?
Routine admission paperwork consists of:

• Patient registration / consent of treatment
• Consent for vaginal / cesarean delivery
• Consent for anesthesia
• Consent for Circumcision (if applicable)
• Birth certificate

If you have completed your Patient Registration Form and Birth Certificate Worksheet prior to your hospital admission, you will not be asked to do this again. Otherwise, you will need to complete this paperwork on admission. Your obstetrician or certified nurse midwife will have you sign consent for treatment and for your vaginal/cesarean delivery at your appointment closest to your 36th week of pregnancy. Otherwise you will need to complete this paperwork on admission. In addition, you will be asked to sign a “Consent to Anesthesia.”

You may have already signed the “Consent for Circumcision” for your male child when you signed your other consents at 36 weeks. If not, this consent will also need to be signed shortly before the circumcision procedure is done. In addition, photographs may be taken of your newborn. If you desire a photograph, the “Consent to Photograph” will need to be signed before newborn pictures are taken.

Is there ever a time when all the labor and delivery rooms (LDRs) are full and unavailable?
Yes. This happens only occasionally. If all LDRs are full when you arrive in labor, there are other rooms (on the Labor Unit) where you can labor in private with your support person, until you can be moved into an LDR. We cannot reserve rooms ahead of time.

Is it true I must have the name of a pediatrician to care for my newborn after birth, and while at Touro the child must be seen by a pediatrician who is a member of the Touro Medical Staff?
Yes, to both questions. There are many ways to find a pediatrician. You can ask family and friends for a recommendation, your obstetrician/midwife can suggest a pediatrician, or you can refer to the pediatrician list given to you in your Family Birthing Center Packet early in your pregnancy. Most pediatricians welcome “get acquainted” visits before you deliver. These visits must be scheduled with your pediatrician’s office personnel ahead of time. You may also visit our partner’s at Children’s Hospital for pediatric care. Search their website for pediatrician’s in your neighborhood.

What should I bring to the hospital?

• Birth plan, if applicable
• Camera
• Snack for support person
• List with names and telephone numbers of family/ friends to notify
• Personal items such as: toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, comb, brush, make-up, “special” soap, or other skin-care products
• Lip balm
• Socks, slippers, bathrobe
• Nursing bras/gowns, if applicable
• Nightgowns or pajamas
• Panties
• Clothing to wear home from the hospital
• Clothing to take your baby home from the hospital (include blanket)
• Baby book for footprints
• Age appropriate, properly installed infant car seat for day of discharge

Is it necessary to have a written birth plan? How long should my birth plan be?
No, but a written birth plan helps you prepare emotionally for your birth. Your birth plan should be no more than 1 or 2 pages listing options most important to you. You must be willing to negotiate. Birth plans must be approved by your obstetrician/midwife and sometimes your pediatrician.

Does Touro provide services for obstetric patients with high-risk pregnancy?
Yes. Touro is a Level-Three Obstetric Hospital. This means normal-risk and high-risk patients can receive care for themselves and their newborns during their pregnancy, labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum. In addition, our high-risk (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-NICU) nursery is a state-of-the-art facility within the Labor and Delivery Unit.

Does the Family Birthing Center Hydrotherapy in Labor?
Yes, but not all pregnant women qualify. If you are considering the option of hydrotherapy in labor, you must first discuss this option with your healthcare provider and obtain approval. . At this time, there are three built-in tubs/pools in the Family Birthing Center for hydrotherapy.

Please review our current statement on hydrotherapy.

During delivery

What happens in the Labor and Delivery Room (LDR)?
If you are in labor or if you arrive for an induction of labor or cervical ripening procedure, you will be admitted to one of our 13 LDRs where you will remain during your entire labor, delivery, and approximately one to hours of your initial recovery period. You will then be transferred to a private recovery room on the Postpartum Unit. Here you will continue recovery during the remainder of your hospital stay.

Are there limits on who can be with me in my LDR during my labor and delivery?
We encourage you to choose people who will support you and your birth choices during labor and delivery. We ask that no more than two people are present in the LDR at the same time during your labor and birth. Your husband or partner is considered one of these two people. Other visitors may wait in the Family Waiting Room and take turns visiting in the LDR. Visitors may not wait in the hallways. The Family Birthing Center offers comfortable seating while visitors are awaiting the birth. Visitors should not sit on the bed or use patient bathrooms.

Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult whose sole purpose is to care for the child while visiting in the hospital. Pets are not allowed! Shortly after delivery, all your visitors may enter the LDR to congratulate you and see your new baby.

What are the visiting hours in the Family Birthing Center?
Visitors are welcome from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. The Labor and Delivery department welcomes visitors 24 hours a day.

One adult may remain with the patient overnight. Children are not allowed overnight visits under any circumstances. For the safety of our newborns, their parents, families, and friends, all visitors must sign-in at the welcome desk and receive a visitor pass, which must be worn during the entire visit. Upon leaving the hospital, the visitor must sign out.

What is the average length of hospital stay after delivery?
The average length of stay after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is 48 hours, which begins at the time of the birth of your baby. After a cesarean delivery, the average length of stay is 72 to 96 hours which also begins at the time of the birth. For medical reasons, the length of stay may be extended. Early discharge (within 24 hours of giving birth) for both mother and/or baby is discouraged.

Are cell phones, laptops, etc. allowed?
Yes. There are free wireless Internet connections in patient and waiting room areas.

What are my options for pain control during labor?
There are non-medical and medical options for pain control.
In addition, there is the option for pain medication, Nitrous Oxide and Epidural

Some options include:

• Patterned breathing, touch, and relaxation techniques
• Massage
• Visualization and guided imagery
• Warm water, such as sitting in the shower or use of hydrotherapy
• Support person present during labor
• Position change
• Walking
• Use of body supports, such as pillows behind back of under knees
• Use of a birthing ball
• Distraction, such as soft music, TV, books, concentration on a focal point during contractions, etc.

In addition, there is the option for pain medication and anesthesia (epidural).

After delivery

I have heard that after the birth of my baby, the baby will remain in my room, with me, rather than go to the nursery. Is this true?
Touro offers “rooming-in/mother-baby care” before and during the newborn’s initial bath and examination by the nurse and pediatrician. Of course, circumcisions and other necessary procedures are done in the nursery, not in the mother’s room.

Is it true that all babies born at Touro have (a) medication placed in their eyes shortly after birth and also (b) receive an injection?
a. Yes, for the prevention of purulent conjunctivitis of the newborn, an antibiotic ointment is placed in the eyes of every newborn within the first hour of birth.
b. Yes, for the prevention of hemorrhagic diseases and coagulation disorders of the newborn and infants, related to vitamin K deficiency.

What tests are performed on newborns before they leave the hospital?
Louisiana State Metabolic Panel (done by heel stick). There are several conditions that are screened for before the baby leaves the hospital or shortly after.

Some of these conditions include but are not limited to:

• PKU
• Congenital hypothyroidism
• Cystic fibrosis

A hearing screening is also performed before the baby leaves the hospital.

Does my baby receive any immunizations while in the hospital?
Hepatitis B vaccine may be administered after signed, informed consent by the parents. However, this is optional.

Am I required to have antibiotic eye medication, Vitamin K injection, as well as the Louisiana State Metabolic Panel and Hepatitis B Immunization given to my baby at birth?
If you have concerns about any of these medications, screenings, or immunizations, please discuss with your obstetrician and pediatrician prior to your labor and delivery.

Does Touro validate parking during my obstetric hospital stay?
Yes. Parking tickets will be validated for the patient’s husband, significant other, or partner, only. This will be done for the entire hospital stay. Visitors may pay to park in either the Delachaise Parking Garage or the Prytania Parking Garage.

What is Touro’s car seat procedure?
You will need a car seat to safely transport your infant home from the hospital. You are not required to bring the car seat into the hospital. We will, however, ask if you have one.

It is recommended that you have the car seat properly installed in your car by the time you come to the hospital for delivery. Mothers are discharged in a wheelchair with their infant in their arms. If we do need to see how your infant responds to being in the car seat before discharge, you will be informed.

Do these questions and answers apply to patients coming in for “scheduled Cesarean sections?”
Yes. In addition, your OB physician/midwife will give you specific, individualized instructions.