Your Baby's Hospital Stay

The moment of birth can be an exciting experience. You may feel relieved, exhausted, joyful and proud. Your doctor will clamp the baby’s cord, and your partner may cut it if he or she wishes. Depending on the factors surrounding the birth, your baby may be put on your chest or placed inside a warmer for a few minutes. Or, she may be dried off and given a quick examination first. Your baby’s temperature, heart rate and respiration will all be monitored, and she will be weighed and measured.

During your stay, your baby’s skin color, urination, bowel movements and feeding patterns will be watched closely.  When your newborn's temperature, heart rate and respiration are within normal ranges, a nurse will give the baby a bath.

You are welcome to keep your newborn with you from the moment of birth until you are ready to leave the medical center. Your baby can stay with you or beside you in a rolling bassinet. All our nurses have special training and experience with newborns. In addition, neonatologists (care providers specializing in the care of premature and ill newborns) are available around the clock.

During your hospital stay, your doctor will visit you to check on your recovery progress and answer any questions you may have. Your registered nurse and certified nursing assistant will work as a team to care for you and your baby.

As soon as your baby is born, we will notify your baby’s doctor, who will examine your baby within 24 hours. If your baby’s physician does not practice at Swedish, an attending neonatologist or a nurse practitioner will examine your baby within 24 hours of delivery. Together, you will make a plan for follow-up care.

Safety

Safety is a high priority at Swedish Medical Center.  In order to ensure you have a safe and pleasant birth experience at Swedish, we follow strict parent and infant safety policies.  Part of that policy includes banding mothers, fathers and identified support persons with numbers identical to your baby. Each time your baby is removed from your room or returned to your room, the staff will check bands with you. Only persons wearing an identification band can retrieve your baby from the nursery.

Additional safety policies can be found in the binder you receive from your care provider as well as on location at the hospital.