If you have a scheduled birth, you will be given an arrival time and a delivery time. Your arrival time is two hours prior to your delivery time. This two-hour window allows for necessary preparations, including: 

• A blood test
• Detailed health and pregnancy history
• Fetal monitoring 
• Initiation of an intravenous line to begin IV fluids prior to anesthesia

Committed to quality care for mothers and their newborns, services and features of our Labor and Delivery department include:

• Obstetrical anesthesia: If a woman chooses to have IV pain relief as labor progresses, such as an epidural or combined spinal/epidural, our dedicated anesthesiologists are available 24 hours a day to provide and monitor the epidural.
• Dedicated surgical space: We offer a dedicated operating room with full coverage staff for patients requiring a cesarean section procedure.
• Skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care: We choose to enhance the bond between mother and child by providing uninterrupted contact between mother and baby during the “golden hour” after birth. Research has shown this bonding technique is critical to the child’s growth and development.
• Baby medications After Delivery: We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for baby health which include providing vitamin K and eye drops for each child.
• Lactation consulting: Our lactation consultants and nursing staff are experts at assisting mothers with breastfeeding. Babies who breastfeed have lower rates of ear infections, asthma, diabetes, childhood leukemia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Infant security: To assure your newborn's safety and security, birth identification bands will be placed on you and your infant immediately after birth..
• Interactive TV: While in the hospital, additional infant care education is available 24 hours a day on the St. Mary Interactive TV. 

We welcome your family to share in the experience of labor, as long as there is no disruption to other patients and guests do not interfere with our ability to provide safe care. During delivery, the hospital allows for two visitors, with the approval of your physician. For C-sections, only one support person is permitted in the operating room. Toddlers may only visit during the early stages of labor or after.