Do you offer private rooms? If so, what is the cost?
Southside Hospital has private rooms available upon request.
Do you offer prenatal, sibling or other classes?
We offer two complimentary prenatal classes to all of the hospital’s patients and employees. One class is labor and delivery, covering the basics of what to expect during your birth, as well as basic newborn care. Southside Hospital also offers a prenatal breast-feeding class taught by an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). Both of these classes include a tour of the maternity center.
What special things do you do for the mother and baby?
After the birth of a baby and upon transfer to the postpartum unit, the mother and her significant other push a button that plays a lullaby throughout the entire hospital. This was initiated by one of the hospital’s labor and delivery nurses and it really brings a smile to everyone’s face when they hear it.
Do you have an on-site neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?
Southside Hospital has a level two special care nursery with 24/7 neonatologists on site.
Do you have a labor and delivery room?
We have six beautiful labor and delivery suites.
Are doulas or midwives allowed?
Doulas are allowed at the mother’s request, but we currently do not have midwives who practice at Southside Hospital.
What kind of security measures do you have in place to make sure the baby is safe?
We have a state–of-the-art newborn security system. Every baby has a newborn security tag on his/her ankle, which is a transmitter. The patients are given instructions regarding the use of the tag, such as leaving it on the baby securely throughout the hospital stay. Both the labor and delivery, and maternity units are locked units and every baby is accounted for at all times. These transmitters can activate an overhead alarm system if any change in tag status occurs.
Is there a breast-feeding coach and lactation consultant available on-site? Does the hospital support breast- and/or bottle feeding?
All of the hospital’s maternal-child nursing staff are trained in supporting breast-feeding mothers, as well as our lactation consultants who do daily rounds on patients. Southside Hospital is on the journey to become a baby friendly designated hospital and has many resources for breast-feeding families. We offer a free prenatal breast-feeding class prior to birth, as well as breast-feeding support after discharge through its breast-feeding support group.
Is videotaping/photographing the birth allowed? A photographer for newborns available?
The hospital has a newborn photography company on the mother-baby unit (postpartum). However, videotaping during the actual childbirth on the labor and delivery unit is not allowed.
What do the rooms look like?
Do you offer anything special for moms during labor (i.e. hydrobath, labor ball, etc.)?
Southside Hospital has nonpharmacologic measures to help a mother during childbirth, such as birthing balls, peanut balls, rocking chairs and support to labor outside of the bed when the patient is medically stable.
Do you offer a hospital tour?
Yes, the tours are incorporated into the complimentary prenatal classes.
Does the hospital do cord blood banking?
Patients are encouraged to bank their cord blood privately with one of the many companies we are associated with. They are given multiple resources by their doctors regarding both banking for themselves as well as donating cord blood for banking.
Do you offer any parting swag bags with samples?
We offer a Northwell Health cooler tote to each of the mothers who are admitted to the NICU, so they can safely transport their breast-milk to and from the NICU. We also give each baby a complimentary Northwell Health newborn T-shirt.
Are siblings allowed to visit? Can the spouse sleep in the room?
Siblings are allowed to visit at any age. Spouses may stay overnight and are encouraged/taught to assist in the care of the newborn.
What are the visiting hours?
We have 24-hour visiting hours with a designated “quiet hour” during both the day shift and night shift to allow for the patients to rest.
What’s the rate of C-sections at the hospital?
Primary C-section rate is 20 percent.
What’s the rate of breast-feeding mothers?
50.68 percent.
What is the episiotomy rate?
16.8 percent.
Will my baby be able to sleep in the same room as me? Is there a nursery?
The baby is able to stay in the same room throughout the hospital stay and there is a nursery available at all times.
Average length of a postpartum stay?
The standard length of stay is two nights for a vaginal delivery and three to four after a Caesarean birth.
Does the hospital offer anything new/cutting edge?
We offer immediate skin-to-skin contact for all our mothers after birth. Even babies who are born via a Caesarean section can be placed immediately skin-to-skin after the birth in the operating room. They may stay with the mother throughout the remainder of the surgery and be transferred to the recovery room with the mother. Skin-to-skin can also be performed by the baby’s father in either setting (labor room or operating room), as well. Southside Hospital also has a Baby Café, a drop-in service for all mothers in the community to receive professional support by a board-certified lactation consultant, as well as support from other mothers.
