Postpartum
Our Birthing Suites or our Mom-Baby patient rooms are where you will stay for your hospitalization. Usually you will stay two days if you have had a vaginal delivery and three days if you have had a Cesarean birth. Your Postpartum stay begins the period of recovery and getting to know your baby. Visitors are welcome to share in your joyous event, but you may find long visits tiring. This policy is subject to change during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your physician will order several treatments for your recovery and comfort. Please do not postpone these treatments when visitors are present; the treatments help you heal faster and feel better.
Please do not bring valuables with you to the hospital. If you find you have arrived with valuables, please utilize our hospital safe. Never leave your valuables unattended.
Hospital Discharge
On the morning of discharge, your obstetrician and pediatrician will write the order for your discharge and the Nursery will be notified. The Nursery nurses will obtain an order for your baby's discharge.
Sometimes you may have to wait for lab test results from you or the baby before you can leave.
You will need to have your federally approved car seat in your postpartum room prior to discharge. You can dress the baby as you desire and then place the baby in the car seat. Be sure you have read both the instruction manual for the car seat and the instruction manual for your vehicle to know exactly how to secure your baby in your car for the first ride home.
Once you and the baby are ready, you will be wheeled downstairs in a wheelchair for your safety. You will be discharged through the entrance to Building 2. Once the baby is properly restrained in the car seat, you will be free to take your baby home.
Maternity Visitors
Visitors are welcome to share in your joyous event. However, short visits will allow you to rest and spend time with your baby. Remember, guests must wash their hands before handling the baby. Siblings are also welcome to visit their new family member, but those who are ill should wait for you at home. We ask that you have one visitor stay with you during the night. The chair in the delivery suite pulls out to make a bed. Your guest may wish to bring their own pillows.
Throughout the day your visitors are welcome to visit you as you desire. Some new mothers find the combination of frequent visitors and caring for a new baby a little overwhelming. If you find that to be the case, you may desire to limit your visitors. Ask your Postpartum nurse for a sign which states, "Check with the nurse before entering" to be placed on your door. We have a very open visitor policy, but we do try to have “quiet time” every day from 2 to 3 both a.m. and p.m. where we will not come in and won’t allow visitors to come in. This time gives you an hour to nap or just rest without any disruption.
The visitor policy is subject to change during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rooming In
At Springhill we encourage parents to keep their newborn in the room as much as possible. This helps to teach mom and baby feeding cues for when your newborn is hungry. Please use this time as an opportunity to practice caring for your baby while you have the Mother-baby staff available as resources.
Our pediatricians do ask that the babies be present in the Nursery first thing in the morning for examinations. If you are breastfeeding, you will need to feed "on demand" or as your baby shows hunger cues. Breastfeeding infants are not given formula supplements without your consent. If your baby is not breastfeeding, you will still feed on demand and look for the same feeding cues. We do not provide pacifiers to our newborns in keeping with Baby-Friendly Policies.