During Your Hospital Stay

We strongly encourage birthing partners to remain with mothers at all times to provide comfort and support.

Recliner chairs are available in every room. Ask your nurse for assistance if needed.

We welcome your doula or labor support companions. In order for us to give you the best possible nursing care, we have guidelines for you to consider.

Following are the ways a labor companion can be helpful:

• Sit with the laboring mother
• Help with labor position changes
• Assist with relaxation and massage
• Reinforce/coach breathing, focus or other comfort measures
• Provide reassurance and support
• Write down questions for the doctor and answers for the family
• With a nurse’s approval, help mom get out of bed, to the bathroom or walk
• Advocate birth plan to providers
• Get ice, snacks or refreshments for mom and partner
• Keep family members and friends informed of mother’s progress, with mom’s request and permission
• Offer explanation and support of the necessity of a medical intervention outside of the mother’s wishes

Following are the things a labor companion may never do:

• Perform vaginal exams
• Adjust or tamper with IV lines, fetal or maternal monitors, any clinical equipment or epidural catheters
• Administer any medication – including herbal, tinctures, etc.
• Hinder the medical team from proceeding with a medically necessary intervention

We encourage you to speak with your care provider or one of our certified childbirth educators when taking one of our classes to learn more about how a doula may participate in your birth.

Just as we care about your infant's safety in the car and at home, your baby's security in the hospital nursery is a top priority to all of us at Sentara. Although security policies differ somewhat from hospital to hospital, there is one general rule to remember. All Sentara hospitals maintain a strict policy concerning the transport of infants. Babies are always transported around the hospital in their cribs. Never let anyone carry your baby away in their arms. The exception to this is immediately after birth, when your infant is carried to the nursery - often by its father - for newborn assessment. You should also check the identification on any nurse who comes to take your baby for tests or to the nursery. At the minimum, the nurse should be wearing a hospital ID badge with a visible name and photo. If you do not see proper identification, do not hesitate to request it before you let anyone take your baby.

Immediately after your baby is born, a nurse will place two bracelets with the same identification numbers on your baby. Mom will receive a wrist bracelet bearing the same number, and most of our hospitals have an additional bracelet available that the baby's father can wear. This bracelet system helps us make sure your baby stays in the right hands.

You must show your identification number to be permitted in the nursery. If your baby is transferred to one of our specialty nurseries, we'll give you a different set of instructions.

We encourage rooming in because the time immediately after birth is critical for mother/baby bonding. However, we also offer respite nursery care. If you need a break or extra rest, our nurses will gladly watch your baby until it is time for feeding. Once you are ready to room in again, we will bring your baby back to you. Our nurses are available to answer your questions and help you learn to feed and care for your baby.

One support person is welcome to stay overnight with you in your postpartum room.

• All overnight visitors must wear pajamas (or equivalent) during sleeping hours and must be dressed during the daytime hours - including shirt, pants and shoes. Night nurses will be making rounds in the rooms during the night.
• All overnight visitors should remain in the room from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. to protect the privacy of other patients.
• All overnight visitors must sleep in the cot or chair provided and not in the patient's bed. Chair bed must be up and out of the way by 7 a.m. so it does not interfere with nursing care.
• Personal articles are the responsibility of the visitor.
• The hospital is not responsible for providing meals to the visitor.
• Nursing staff is not responsible for cleaning the overnight visitor's area.
• If dad is not married to mom, he must be over 18 years old and have mom's permission to stay overnight.
• Siblings are not permitted to stay overnight.

We know having a baby is a very important event in your life, and we want you to be able to share your joy with family and friends.

While you are in labor, you may designate two to three primary support people.

Once you are recovering, family and friends are welcome to visit unless you tell us otherwise. For your safety, visitors must check in and you will be contacted to verify that you are ready for visitors. Children under 12 must be supervised by a responsible adult (other than the patient) at all times. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate overnight stays for children.

Newborn babies have very vulnerable immune systems so we want to minimize health risks for your baby. If someone is ill, it would be a good idea for them to wait until they are in good health to visit you and your baby.

Your stay with us is relatively short, and you will want time to rest and recover from your birth experience. In the weeks before your delivery, you may want to consider who you would like to visit you while you are in the hospital.

With so much else to think about after baby's birth, you can rest assured about one keepsake. Color photographs taken of your newborn are available from a company authorized by the hospital. Personal photography (still, digital and video) is allowed before delivery and when the mother and baby are both stable after delivery. Audio and visual recording shall not be allowed during procedures, such as vaginal or cesarean delivery or administration of anesthesia. Photography that includes any clinical or hospital staff is allowed with the permission of the persons being photographed.

After a vaginal birth, most women will stay with us for two nights. For a c-section, the average is three nights. At the provider’s discretion, some women leave sooner and some stay longer.

Before you leave the hospital, a women's health administrative associate will visit you concerning your baby's birth registration. After you fill out and sign the forms, the hospital will file the official record of your child's birth with the state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics. Part of this paperwork can be used to automatically apply for your newborn's Social Security number. The administrative associate will also furnish information about obtaining an official copy of the baby's birth certificate.

Your obstetrician, the baby's doctor and the nurses will review special discharge instructions with you before you leave the hospital. All of this information will be given to you in the "Mom and Baby Basics" booklet. It is very important for you and your family to pay close attention to this information to help make your baby's homecoming as smooth as possible. You must have a written order by your physician to be discharged from the hospital

For a safe first ride, remember to have your baby's car seat already installed at the time of discharge. Please make arrangements ahead of time for your transportation home.

Following is the process for your hospital discharge:

1. Doctor writes the order for discharge (both OB and pediatrician)
2. Nurse completes the discharge teaching
3. Nursery nurse must discharge the baby to the mother with teaching
4. Baby will not be discharged to the mother until her transportation has arrived
5. Support person loads all personal belongings, gifts and flowers into the car
6. Make sure that the car seat is already secured in the back seat
7. Mom is wheeled down to the front lobby (holding baby)
8. Support person loads mom and baby

Because of the coordination and education that occurs during the discharge process, discharge may take up to two hours.

Patient representatives are available at each hospital. They are responsible for ensuring you are satisfied with the services you receive. They are your advocates for protecting your rights as a patient and are available to assist you with any concerns you may have during your stay to make it a positive experience. If there is something that would enhance your stay, please contact your patient representative by dialing "0" for the hospital operator.

For more detailed information including arrival instructions and parking information, view hospital information by location:

• Sentara Albemarle Medical Center
• Sentara CarePlex Hospital
• Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital
• Sentara Leigh Hospital
• Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
• Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
• Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
• Sentara Obici Hospital
• Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
• Sentara RMH Medical Center
• Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center