Labor and delivery

Our goal is to support you and answer any questions you may have about childbirth throughout your pregnancy. This is because we believe the more informed you are, the more secure and empowered you feel as your due date approaches.

Knowing where to go and what to expect when you arrive at the hospital can help you feel more prepared for your hospital stay. This is why our maternity teams provide childbirth tours, which include a peek at the hospital's labor and delivery suites, postpartum suites and well-baby nursery.

During the tour, we encourage you to ask your guide any questions you may have about labor, birth or the hospital's maternity amenities. Your tour guide is happy to be a resource for you in whatever way they can.

Our hospitals offer a variety of maternity classes, ranging from breastfeeding and childbirth preparation classes to infant care and sibling classes. Each class is taught by an experienced childbirth educator who is dedicated to providing helpful information and answering your questions thoroughly.

We recommend you prepare an overnight bag in advance of your due date. Babies arrive on their own time table, so preparing a bag ahead of time can help reduce stress and ensure you have everything you want at the hospital for delivery.

Some of the items you may want to bring include:

• "Going home" clothes for mom and baby
• Bed pillows
• Camera
• Cards, books, tablets and other items to pass the time
• Change of clothes for support person
• Chargers for phones, camera and other electronic items
• Handheld massager
• Important phone numbers and information, such as your Social Security number
• Lip balm
• Music
• Snacks for your chosen support person
• Socks, pajamas, robe and slippers
• Toiletries and cosmetics for you and your support person

You will also need to have an approved and properly installed infant car seat for discharge, as required by the state of Florida.

• A knowledgeable and compassionate staff of medical professionals, including board-certified obstetricians, certified nurse midwives and certified nurses who understand family-centered care
• Amenities to suit a variety of childbirth preferences
• Comfortable patient rooms with accommodations for your support partner 
• Computerized bedside charting, which allows for better monitoring during labor and more efficient patient tracking throughout your stay
  
• Experienced anesthesiologists who are available around the clock
• Access to highly trained neonatal care teams, should your baby need additional care after birth

Many of our hospitals use advanced technology to monitor you and your baby to ensure the safest, easiest delivery possible.

One example of this is wireless fetal monitoring, which allows us to watch your heart rate, uterine activity and your baby's heart rate using Bluetooth. This provides you the opportunity to get up and walk around or use the restroom while in labor, instead of being confined to your bed.

In addition, your provider may use remote fetal heart rate monitoring, which enables them to evaluate you and your baby from their phone, even when they are not in your room.

Sometimes, newborns need extra attention due to a medical condition, premature birth, low birth weight or a complication that occurred during childbirth. To provide this gentle, yet highly specialized care, many of our hospitals are equipped with neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Our NICUs are staffed by neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners and specially trained neonatal nurses ready to provide compassionate care to your little one, if needed.

Should your baby need a type of care that isn't available at the hospital you delivered at, the maternity team is connected to advanced neonatal care teams in your area. We will quickly arrange a transfer to the nearest NICU equipped to provide the comprehensive neonatal intensive care needed.

After you give birth, we continue to provide family-centered care, which fosters the new bond between parents and their new babies. Your care team is here to help you learn about newborn care, recover from delivery and prepare for the transition home. Our lactation specialists are also available to help you and your baby learn to breastfeed, if you wish.

Our goal is to give you the postpartum support and resources you need to feel confident in your motherhood journey. However, even after you leave the hospital, we are here to support you in any way we can with our network of healthcare resources.

At HCA Florida, we have assembled comprehensive childbirth services teams within our hospital-based birth centers. This ensures you have access to the right kind of support, right when you need it. Every member of your team is dedicated to the safety and well-being of you and your baby.

Our childbirth services teams include:

• Anesthesiologists
• Labor and delivery nurses
• Lactation specialists
• Midwives
• Neonatal intensive care nurses
• Neonatologists and other neonatal specialists
• OB/GYNs