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.
Schedule a Labor and Birth Planning Appointment
In preparation for your upcoming stay at Altru’s Family Birthing
Center, you and your family are encouraged to schedule a birth planning
appointment. At your appointment, you and your partner and/or family members
will meet with one of our registered nurses or clinical nurse specialists
who will help you personalize your birth plan.
You will be able to:
Understand the first signs of labor approaching.
Learn more about what to expect in labor and following your baby’s birth.
Discuss the pain relief and labor support options available to you.
Discuss your preferences for infant care and feedings while in the hospital.
Learn about our infant security plan designed to keep you and your baby
safe during your stay.
For your convenience, you can register electronically for an appointment
through the My Delivery feature within MyChart. Here’s how:
Enter your information in the Pre-delivery History Database: Newborn Database,
Birth Certificate, Referrals for Home Visitation, Developmental Newborn
Screening and Military Families Support.
To arrange an appointment via phone, call 701.780.3700. Appointments are
available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and usually
last one hour.
Signs of Labor
Some women experience very distinct signs of labor, while others do not.
No one knows what causes labor or when it will start, but several hormonal
and physical changes may indicate the beginning of labor.
Here are the first signs of labor and birth approaching:
Passing mucus: As the cervix opens, the mucus that has built up at the
cervix during the course of the pregnancy is released into the vagina.
Known as the mucus plug, this discharge may be pink, clear or contain
small amounts of blood.
Contractions: As the body contracts, your abdomen will become hard, and
it will become soft as you relax during contractions. During labor contractions,
you’ll experience pressure in your pelvis, along with discomfort
and sometimes minor aches in your back and abdomen. These contractions
typically start at the top of the uterus and move in wave-like motions
to the bottom. When you’re in labor, the contractions will continue,
even when you relax or change your position.
Water breaking: This occurs when the amniotic sac ruptures, which can happen
before labor has started or during labor. It will either come as a slow
trickling or large rush of fluid.
Effacement and dilation of the cervix. This is when the cervix opens and
become thinner and softer to prepare for birth.
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)