Labor and delivery

• Advanced technology to help make your delivery safer and easier
• Highly trained healthcare team ready to provide exceptional care 24/7
• 12 contemporary and private labor and delivery rooms
• 23 private mother-baby rooms
• Operating suites nearby for cesarean sections (C-sections)
• Level II and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), should the need arise
• Lactation consultants available to provide breastfeeding support

The entrance to our maternity center is located on the second floor of the East Tower.

We know getting ready to expand your family can be overwhelming, so we are here to help your family prepare for birth and your maternity stay at our hospital.

All expectant mothers and their support partners are welcome to tour the Maternity Unit. If you'd like to schedule a tour, please call (305) 227-5590.

Whether you are a first-time parent or not, we offer a variety of classes to answer questions related to pregnancy, birth and infant care. Our maternity classes include:

• Breastfeeding class
• Childbirth education
• Infant CPR
• Pumping class

Additionally, we offer a monthly car seat inspection event, at which certified car seat technicians provide education on car seat safety.

To sign up for a maternity class, please register for a class online or call (305) 222-2200.

For your convenience, you may preregister online for your delivery. Preregistration allows you to experience the joy of your “big day” without the need for filling out excessive paperwork. We recommend that you preregister prior to your fifth month of pregnancy.

We also encourage you to notify your insurance carrier that you are pregnant. This gives you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with what your insurance plan covers before your baby is due.

During admission, you will be asked to provide the name and phone number of your chosen pediatrician. We will notify your chosen pediatrician as soon as your baby is born.

We provide comprehensive pediatric care at our hospital. If your pediatrician or family practice physician is not on staff with us, your baby will be cared for by our in-house physician during your stay.

Because babies have a timetable of their own, we suggest you have an overnight bag packed and ready to go in advance of your due date. Some of the items you may want to bring include:

• A comfortable robe and slippers
• An approved infant car seat
• Comfortable going home outfits for you and your baby
• Important phone numbers and information, such as your Social Security number
• Nightgowns, underwear and nursing bras
• Personal items, such as a favorite pillow
• Phone charger
• Toiletries and cosmetics

When your water breaks or you think you are in labor, call your doctor right away, and they'll notify us so we can prepare for your arrival.

You can use our main hospital entrance Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 8:00pm. Outside of those hours, please use the emergency room (ER) entrance.

We use advanced technology to monitor you and your baby during labor to ensure the safest, easiest delivery possible.

Wireless telemetry monitoring allows us to watch your heart rate, your baby's heart rate and your uterine activity through Bluetooth. This means you can get up and walk around or use the restroom while in labor, as long as approved by your obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN), and we will still be able to keep a close eye on you.

We also offer remote monitoring, which enables your OB/GYN to evaluate you and your baby at all times, even when they are not in your room. By just using their phone, your physician will be able to track your:

• Contraction activity
• Baby's heart rate
• Vital signs

Our pain management services are available to you 24 hours a day. Before your delivery, we recommend discussing the various pain management options with your OB/GYN.

Should your baby need additional care after delivery, we provide immediate support in our neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Here, our neonatal doctors and nurses deliver skilled, gentle care to our tiniest patients.

Our maternity services don't end after childbirth. We continue to provide individualized attention and support during your recovery. This includes helping you begin the bonding process with your baby, begin breastfeeding (if desired) and learn the basics of newborn care before transitioning home.

Our maternity care team is available to answer any questions you may have, and the television in your room provides access to the educational Newborn Channel. Other educational materials are also available, as needed.

In keeping with our philosophy of family-centered maternity care, your baby may room-in with you throughout your hospital stay. This means your baby's crib will be kept in your room, allowing you and your support partner to get to know and learn how to take care of your little one.

Our certified lactation consultant and lactation counselors are available to support and assist you with breastfeeding.

We share in your excitement and personal choice to announce your baby's birth with family and friends. If you'd like,  professional pictures of your baby will be taken while you're still in the hospital, which you can purchase if you like.

We've partnered with Mom365 to provide family and friends the ability to search our online nursery to see photos of your newborn.

A birth certificate must be completed and submitted to the Dade County Health Department and the Office of Vital Statistics for all newborns born in the hospital or newborns brought to the hospital immediately following birth.

A representative from our Health Information Department will visit you after your delivery to begin the process.

The Social Security number will be sent to you by mail within eight weeks.

We encourage your family and friends to visit you in the hospital after giving birth. We support open visitation, but proper rest for both you and your baby is important, so we may limit the number of visitors.

We recommend that healthy siblings be the only children visiting. Additionally, individuals with colds or other illnesses should not be visiting you during your stay.