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Memorial Regional Hospital Maternity Services - The Family Birthplace
Maternity Care Frequently Asked Questions
Expectant parents usually have many questions as they prepare for their labor and the arrival of their new baby. At the Family Birthplace birthing center, we want you to feel comfortable with the maternity care you will receive at Memorial Regional Hospital, so we have compiled a list of questions we commonly are asked by our patients.
How many rooms are there in the Family Birthplace?
There are 14 private labor/delivery/recovery (LDR) suites. There are 39 private postdelivery, mother-baby suites, with a capacity to expand to 53 beds.
What do the rooms look like?
All LDR suites in the Family Birthplace are private and large enough to share your birthing experience with the important people in your life. The private postdelivery, mother-baby suites are furnished with warm and relaxing design elements, including wood floors and natural light from large windows. Each suite is equipped with a flat-screen TV, DVD player, wireless Internet, in-closet safe, dinette set and a sofa bed for your designated support person. All suites have private baths.
What is the normal length of stay in the hospital?
Most moms stay up to 48 hours after a normal, vaginal delivery and 72 hours after a cesarean-section delivery.
How can I register for my hospital stay?
Simply complete and submit the Secure Online Patient Preregistration Form, or obtain a registration form from your doctor or midwife. Complete the form and return it to Memorial Regional Hospital with a copy of your insurance card and picture identification. Mail the information to:
Memorial Regional Hospital
Attn: Admitting Office
3501 Johnson Street
Hollywood, FL 33021
You may also fax the information to 954-985-6109 or drop it off at the hospital,
Monday - Friday, 7am - 6pm or Saturday, 7am - 3pm.
How can I register for classes?
Memorial Regional Hospital Perinatal Education offers a wide variety of childbirth and parenting classes. For more information see our links for classes on the menu to the left. Complete the Online Class Information Form or call us at 954-265-5930.
How do I know when to come to the hospital?
Your physician or midwife will advise you on when you should come to the hospital for labor or other concerns.
Will my healthcare provider give me anything to bring to the hospital?
Your doctor or midwife may give you either a yellow card or a copy of your medical records to bring to the hospital or will forward these to the hospital around your 36th week of pregnancy. This will contain the results of your lab work and progression of your pregnancy.
Where do I go when I arrive at the hospital in labor or for a planned induction or cesarean?
Monday through Friday, from 5:30am to 8pm, you should enter Memorial Regional Hospital through the outpatient entrance with valet parking. After 8pm, come directly to the hospital Emergency Room entrance. On weekends you should enter through the outpatient entrance from 6:30am to 4pm. After 4 pm, please use the Emergency Room entrance. At either entrance, you will receive an identification band to help provide for your safety during your hospital stay. After being identified, you will be escorted to Labor and Delivery, where you will be evaluated.
What are the visiting hours for the Family Birthplace?
We realize that many friends and family members will want to visit at this joyful time. However, your birth experience may be exhausting. For this reason, we encourage you to use your time in the hospital to rest and get to know your baby with minimal interruption. We do not limit visiting hours in LDR, however, only two visitors may visit at one time (plus the designated significant other). Once moved to the Mother/Baby unit, visitors are not limited until 9pm. At that time, one identified individual (plus the designated, banded person) may remain until 11pm. One adult may stay the night, if the mother chooses.
What security measures are in place to help keep my baby safe?
The safety of newborns and mothers is utmost priority at Memorial Regional Hospital, which uses a highly advanced controlled-access security system. Electronically locked and secured single entrances to the Family Birthplace and the labor/delivery/recovery suites are monitored 24 hours a day by security personnel and numerous closed-circuit surveillance cameras. The visiting policy and a visitor list prepared by the mother are strictly enforced. In addition, babies are footprinted and banded at birth with identification bands and a security sensor. Corresponding information about your baby will be entered into a monitored computer. The system will track your baby at all times until discharge from the hospital. The best security, however, is the parents' watchful eye on the baby.
Can the baby 'room in' with me?
Yes. We encourage you to keep the baby in the room with you. This allows you to care for your baby while in the hospital with the assistance of the nurses. If questions arise, this is the ideal opportunity to address them. Remember, the safety of your baby is most important. If you are too tired to care for your baby and there is no one else staying with you, a nurse might suggest that your baby be taken to the nursery while you rest.
What is the procedure for a scheduled induction or cesarean section?
Your physician's office will provide you with instructions on your induction or scheduled cesarean section. They will include when to come to the hospital. Remember that priority is always given to women in labor, unless the induction or cesarean is of an urgent nature.
What personal items should I bring to the hospital?
Bring items to help you through your labor: for example, massage oils and tools, a CD or digital media player (docking stations in all the LDR suites), or lip balm. We provide pillows, but you may prefer your own from home. For postpartum, bring toiletries, a hair dryer, toothbrush and toothpaste, a nursing bra, a nightgown, slippers and a robe. Also bring a case for your eyeglasses or contact lenses, if necessary. Please leave jewelry and money at home.
What should I bring to the hospital for my baby?
The hospital provides T-shirts, but we encourage you to bring several long sleepers with cuffs to cover your baby's hands. You will also need a car seat and blanket for discharge. The hospital provides blankets and diapers while the baby is in the hospital, but you will need your own supply for home. Florida state law requires that babies be secured in a car seat when riding in an automobile. We encourage all parents to have the installation of their baby's car seat checked by a child passenger safety technician before discharge. Call the Child Passenger Safety Program at 954-265-2350 for an appointment or assistance.
Who is responsible for overseeing my baby's medical care in the hospital?
Your baby's pediatrician will coordinate care with the nurses. By the time you are 35 weeks into your pregnancy, you should have a pediatrician for your baby. If you do not have a pediatrician, call Memorial Physician Referral Service at 800-944-DOCS. Please bring the name and phone number of your pediatrician to the hospital. If your pediatrician is not on the medical staff at Memorial Regional Hospital, the staff neonatologist will act as the pediatrician during your hospital stay.
Is there a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Memorial Regional Hospital?
Yes. The Wasie Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is a level II and level III NICU with advanced technical equipment and a highly trained staff. Our NICU is one of only 11 regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers in Florida. There is 24-hour in-house coverage by neonatology. Parents are encouraged to visit and care for their NICU baby as much as medically possible.
What are the visiting hours in the NICU?
Parents may visit 22 hours a day; the hours of 6:30 - 7:30am and 6:30 - 7:30pm are excluded to preserve confidentiality during shift changes. Other visitors may come when accompanied by the parents. We ask that only two people visit the bedside at one time. Visitors must be 18 or older; however, siblings 12 or older may visit when accompanied by a parent. To protect the health of our premature and sick babies, no one should visit with fever or other signs of a cold or flu.
Can I have my baby's cord blood collected?
The small amount of blood remaining in your baby's umbilical cord following delivery can be used to save the life of a child or an adult suffering from any of more than 70 diseases. We want you to know that you have choices about what you do with your baby's cord blood. You have the option of paying a private company to collect and store your newborn's cord blood. If you are not going to hire a private company, we hope you will consider donating to the public cord blood bank through CORD:USE, which serves a global registry for patients in need of a transplant. You may donate your baby's cord blood here at Memorial Regional Hospital. You will need to complete a medical screening and sign a consent form. For more information, contact CORD:USE at 888-CORDUSE (267-3873) or corduse.com.
Is there lactation support at Memorial Regional Hospital?
We are very supportive of breastfeeding for babies. The Family Birthplace has a Lactation Center and board-certified lactation consultants on staff to help support you and your family as you learn how to breastfeed your baby. The Lactation Center provides consultation and support after you leave the hospital with classes, educational materials, the twice-monthly Nursing Mom's Support Group and many other services for the mother who chooses to breastfeed.
Is there someone at the hospital to take my baby's picture?
Our365 is not affiliated with Memorial Healthcare System, but is a service that is available for you for prenatal and infant photography. They offer package purchases and secure online posting on their Web Nursery website in a password-protected environment. You can contact Our365 customer service at 800-325-3550.
Does the Family Birthplace have a doula service?
Doula services are available through the company Mother's Care Doula Services. They can be reached directly at 954-433-CARE (2273). They are available for both labor and postpartum support.
If you have further questions about maternity care at the Family Birthplace at Memorial Regional Hospital, please call us at 954-265-5930.
Is Your Doctor a Memorial Doctor?
To find a physician who is committed to maternity and birthing care, call Memorial Physician Referral Service toll-free at (800) 944-DOCS. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
