As your due date approaches, it’s time to prepare for the labor and
delivery of your baby. Altru Health System’s Family Birthing Center
provides a
variety of labor and birth services so you feel prepared and at ease throughout the process.
Register for your delivery:
Sign into your MyChart account
Click on Menu, then under the Find Care section, go to Register for My Delivery
You will be prompted to fill out a prenatal history, as well as any specific
plans for your birth experience, even if they aren't finalized. Please
complete this before your hospital admission.
Please schedule a childbirth education visit if:
You are a new mother
You have a birth plan or anticipate the need for discussing your birth plan
You have had a difficult delivery in the past
You want to speak with an OB/GYN health coach before your delivery
Once your delivery registration is complete, MyChart message will be sent
to you with information regarding:
How to prepare for your baby's birth, what to expect during your labor,
and the post-delivery care you will receive
Pain management options or techniques to utilize without medications, if
you desire
Customized plans based off your preferences for your delivery, infant care,
and breastfeeding
Our infant security measures to keep you and your baby safe
After you have reviewed the information sent to you, a childbirth education
visit can be scheduled if you have further questions or concerns. This
may be scheduled by replying to the MyChart message or contacting our
OB/GYN health coach at
701.780.6900.
Delivery
There are two main types of delivery:
Vaginal Birth
Labor for a vaginal birth consists of three main stages.
During the first stage, you will begin to experience contractions and your
cervix will dilate to prepare for birth. Your physician will monitor the
position of the baby at the hospital. The first stage of labor is the longest.
The second stage is the actual pushing and delivering of your baby. You
will get in a comfortable position and alternate between periods of pushing
and resting between contractions.
The third and final stage is the delivery of the placenta, that gave your
baby nutrition and oxygen in the uterus.
Some women choose to have an unmedicated birth. This means going through
labor without use of pain medications and with limited use of artificial
medical interventions. For women who want pain relief during labor, we
offer many safe interventions. You can meet with a nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
while in the hospital to review the epidural option, if desired.
Cesarean Birth
A cesarean birth, or C-section, may be best for you and your baby depending
on your circumstances. Our skilled obstetricians will discuss this with
you should it be necessary. Our surgical suite is located close to our
Level III
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and conveniently adjacent to your private labor room.
We offer several choices to help make this a special birth experience for
you and your partner:
Your partner may be present with you after your anesthesia is initiated.
A clear viewing drape is available so that you can see your baby’s
birth if you desire.
Skin to skin can be an option in the operating room and/or recovery room
if it is safe for you and baby.
A private post-anesthesia room is available for you and baby to get to
know each other while being cared for by an experienced perinatal nurse
during your golden hour.
A highly skilled group of professionals with expertise in the perinatal
specialties will be available just for you and your newborn during your
birth experience. They will continue to care for you during your post-anesthesia
recovery and check on you during your stay.
Postdelivery
Postdelivery is a time to celebrate your new baby. It’s also the
time for a mother to regain her strength after labor and for parents to
learn how to take care of a new addition to the family. Our perinatal
nurses provide
postdelivery care that includes breastfeeding support, continued monitoring and coordination
of care and medications.
Specialty Services
Altru offers the following specialty services for you, your loved ones and baby:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Within Altru’s Family Birthing Center is the NICU. The NICU is a
16-bed, Level III nursery specifically designed to care for critically
ill or premature infants.
Experienced physicians use the latest technology to provide specialized
care to those in need. Working in collaboration with providers throughout
Altru and Mayo Clinic, our NICU providers make decisions in the assessment,
diagnosis and management of the healthcare needs of neonates and infants.
Our full-service neonatal transport team is available round-the-clock to
move infants requiring intensive care services to and from Altru Health System.
Spiritual Care
We realize that childbirth is a memorable and spiritual experience for
many. Because of that, a trained chaplain from
Altru’s Spiritual Care is available 24 hours a day to provide support to you and your family.
Additionally, access to the chapel, located on the second floor of the
hospital, is available for prayer, meditation and quiet time for families.
To contact
Altru’s Spiritual Care or members of the pastoral services staff, call
701.780.5300 (between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.) or 701.780.5000 (after hours). Your nurse
is also available to coordinate a chaplain visit.
For more information about preparing for labor and delivery at Altru’s
Family Birthing Center, call
701.780.5480 or
800.732.4277.
.jpg)
