Nobody is more important to us than you and your baby.
Welcome to Family Beginnings at Uniontown Hospital!
Our goal is to help make your birthing experience a healthy and joyful event. To that end, we offer the talents of a highly skilled and dedicated staff specially trained in the latest obstetrical procedures and techniques and devoted to providing you the highest level of personalized care.
From the moment you enter our department and throughout your stay, we encourage you to talk with our nurses about any questions or concerns. Remember, you're in the hands of childbirth experts devoted to your health and the health of your baby.
When to Call Your Doctor and Check-in:Following your doctor's instructions, you should plan to check in to maternity services once labor symptoms have begun. Recognizing that labor has begun is not always easy, and it is sometimes not clear when you should contact your doctor. As a general guideline, the symptoms of labor include:
- Strong regular contractions that increase in frequency and intensity over time. You may not be able to walk, talk, or laugh during these contractions.
- Pain in the lower back that spreads to the abdomen and may spread to the legs.
- The presence of a pink or "bloody" show.
- The rupturing of membranes or "water breaking."
Moms in labor should report to the Emergency Department. Your husband, partner or family member should drop you off at the Emergency Department, park the car and then go to the FBBC Waiting Room, located on the Third Floor next to the Labor Suite. The Emergency Department staff will transport you via wheelchair to the Family Beginnings Birthing Center.
Please note that such admission procedures as lab work, IV hydration, fetal monitoring and others are completed by our staff in accordance with your physician's orders. These procedures should be discussed with your doctor in advance.
We recommend that you be prepared for coming to the hospital by the time you begin your ninth month, and that you have your bags or suitcase ready to go. Among the items to consider packing are these:
- A clock or watch with a second hand to time the frequency of contractions
- A camera or video equipment to record your childbirth event
- Heavy socks to wear during labor
- Robe and nightgown
- Toiletries: hairbrush, comb, hand mirror, shampoo, toothpaste and brush, deodorant, lotion, make-up and similar items
- Going home outfits for yourself and your baby
- Baby blanket
- Hard candy or gum
- Quarters for telephoning or vending machines
- Lunch or snacks for husband or partner
The Family Beginnings Birthing Center has been designed to help make your childbirth experience as comfortable and memorable as possible. The heart of these facilities is the Labor, Delivery and Recovery Room, or LDR.
The LDR is a private suite where expecting mothers go through each phase of childbirth. It is a safe, warm, intimate environment that captures the look and feel of your bedroom at home, and allows you to experience birthing without undue interruptions and without having to be relocated.
Upon entering, you and the father or coach will settle in to your LDR and remain there through the recovery period. At the conclusion of the recovery phase - usually about two hours - you and your infant will move to a postpartum room.
At the moment of delivery, your attending physician or nurse will clear the baby's mouth and nose of fluid, and dry and cover the infant with a blanket to retain warmth. Your baby is then placed in your arms to begin the miraculous process of bonding.
Your newborn may stay with you as long as you wish after delivery. Family members may also take this time to meet the new baby. After your recovery period, your baby is taken to our nursery for a physical assessment and will then be cared for in your room day and night. If you need to rest or sleep, the baby may be taken to the nursery.
Family Services and VisitationWe urge that fathers and coaches arrive at the hospital with the mother and remain with her throughout childbirth, including cesarean deliveries. Their presence can be invaluable to the quality of the birthing experience. You may alternate your visitors during labor, but only two coaches may remain with you during delivery.
Children are not permitted to visit during the labor and delivery process, but may visit their mother and new brother or sister during the recovery period. Grandparents and other family members/friends may also visit at this time.
In the postpartum room, general visiting hours are from 10 AM to 8 PM. Out of consideration for other new mothers in maternity services and to preserve the special environment of the facility, we ask that these guidelines for visitation be followed:
- Siblings must be accompanied to and from the unit and be attended by an adult.
- Children, other than siblings, are not permitted in the department.
- Family and friends who are ill with a fever, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, skin infection, eye infection or other contagious illness may not visit.
- Siblings who have been exposed to chicken pox, mumps or measles within the last 3 weeks may not visit.
- Siblings may touch and hold newborns at the discretion of the parents.
- Handwashing is necessary for everyone who will be holding or handling the baby. Antiseptic soap is provided in the postpartum room.
Prior to discharge, your doctor will provide instructions about caring for yourself and your baby at home. On the day of discharge, your baby will have lab tests and a hearing screening performed. When these tests have been completed, your newborn may go home. Discharge is usually around 12:00 noon. If you have any questions about your baby's care, remember that we offer the expert care of skilled pediatricians to help ensure your baby's best health. Be sure to consult your pediatrician about when to schedule your baby's first well baby visit. You will have a postpartum exam with your obstetrician four to six weeks after the birth of your baby. Take time to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns regarding birth control in the postpartum period.
According to Pennsylvania law and the Child Passenger Protection Act, all children from birth to age 8 years are required to be restrained in an approved child passenger restraint system when traveling in a motor vehicle. If you do not already have an infant car seat, the Family Beginnings staff will be happy to provide you with a list of rental services.
During the postpartum period it's not unusual to experience a temporary period of increased sensitivity, rapid and frequent mood swings, sadness or crying. This is referred to as the "Postpartum Blues." The period should be short-lived. Get plenty of rest, eat high-protein foods and drink plenty of fluids. If the mood swings and feelings of sadness continue, call your doctor.
Caring for Your BabyOur experienced staff is available 24 hours a day to answer questions and assist you in becoming comfortable caring for your newborn son or daughter. Educational films (covering such topics as breastfeeding, bottle-feeding and related infant-care subjects) are available through our Family Beginnings program. At discharge, each patient receives a video/DVD showing basic infant-care skills.
