Our experienced labor and delivery team is here to help you plan for your birth experience. After months of anticipating the arrival of your newborn, you’ll know that when the time comes for giving birth, you’ll have everything you need at our state-of-the-art Labor and Delivery Unit.
Your birthing plan
Before you arrive, we’ll ask you to complete a short birth preference plan so you can outline your wishes for labor and delivery, including who you’d like to have in the room with you. Many people bring a support person or doula to labor; some people also bring family members or friends. You may bring whomever you wish to support you during your labor and delivery. Children and siblings are invited if they’re supervised by another adult at all times. However, if people in your room are making your labor more difficult, they may be asked to sit in the waiting area. We’re fully committed to creating an environment that supports you during this important time.
We encourage you to complete your birth plan, discuss it with your health care provider, and then share it with your nurse when you come for your birth. We know that many moms change their minds about their plans as labor progresses. So, although you state your wishes on your birth plan, you can change them at any point.
As part of the planning process, we also recommend that you pack a hospital bag 2 weeks in advance of your expected due date.
The birth experience
We offer spacious labor and delivery rooms designed specifically for the needs of women. Each room provides a home-like setting for mother’s relaxation, including large windows, a jetted tub, birth ball, a glider rocker and iPod speaker. All rooms are spacious enough to accommodate women who prefer to labor out of bed, and available wireless fetal monitoring makes it possible to easily move around the room.
Unmedicated and assisted childbirth
At Texas Children’s we support both unmedicated childbirth and assisted childbirth options. Birthing balls, breathing techniques, hydrotherapy, massage and music are all available to you and can be helpful in supporting women through unmedicated childbirth. For those who desire a medically assisted birth, epidurals and other medication options are readily available.
One room for you and your baby
Women labor, deliver their baby and recover with their baby near them in the labor and delivery room before moving to the Mother Baby Unit for the remainder of their stay. A dedicated nurse will care for you and your baby in the room throughout your stay, and will encourage skin-to-skin contact to increase the bonding experience. Promoting mother-baby bonding is part of our family-centered approach to maternity care. We keep you close to your child as much as possible throughout the labor and delivery experience.
