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Peconic Bay Medical Center

Peconic Bay Medical Center
Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. Credit: Peconic Bay Medical Center

Do you offer private rooms? If so, what is the cost?

Yes, at no extra cost.

Do you offer prenatal, sibling or other classes?

Yes. Complimentary prenatal and breast-feeding classes are offered twice a month at Peconic Bay Medical Center and local libraries, available in English and Spanish, and is open to the community. The prenatal class is taught by Labor and Delivery registered nurses (RN) on staff and the breast-feeding class is taught by the hospital’s international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).

What special things do you do for the mother and baby?

The new dad or significant other gets to push a button after the birth of a baby that plays a lullaby throughout the entire hospital. The couple also receives a special “Stork” meal the night before they are discharged.

Do you have an on-site neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?

No, Peconic Bay does not have a NICU, but we are staffed with neonatal specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and board certified Neonatal nurse practitioners are available for transition and stabilization of any at-risk newborn.

Do you have a labor and delivery room?

Peconic Bay Medical Center has eight labor and delivery rooms, and a new state-of-the-art operating room.

Are doulas or midwives allowed?

Yes, doulas are welcome. Peconic Bay Medical Center has brought two certified midwives on staff and the practice is accepting patients starting in August 2019.

What kind of security measures do you have in place to make sure the baby is safe?

Peconic Bay Medical Center maternity unit is a locked unit and has a state of the art RF security system for the babies. The transducer is placed on the umbilical cord.

Is there a breast-feeding coach and lactation consultant available on-site?

Yes, we have an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) on staff. More than 65 percent of the RNs are certified lactation consultants.

Is videotaping/photographing the birth allowed? A photographer for newborns available?

Yes, photographing is allowed. Videotaping is not allowed in compliance with NYS regulations. The staff will accommodate “photo shoots” for families to capture those treasurable moments in the delivery room.

What do the rooms look like?

Peconic Bay Medical Center maternity room
Peconic Bay Medical Center maternity room. Credit: Peconic Bay Medical Center

Do you offer anything special for moms during labor (i.e. hydrobath, labor ball, etc.)?

Yes, we offer Peanut balls to the expectant mothers who would like assistance during labor. The therapy ball helps to shorten the first and second stages of labor, while also decreasing C-section rates.

Do you offer a hospital tour?

Yes, can be scheduled any day of the week and are offered by our RNs.

Does the hospital do cord blood banking?

Yes. Cord blood banking is available to patients at Peconic Bay Medical Center, coordinated through their OBGYN using an outside vendor.

Do you offer any parting swag bags with samples?

We don’t offer “swag bags” to patients when they are discharged, However, we offer departing gifts, including an engraved silver infant spoon, available in English and Spanish, to families during their stay with us.

Are siblings allowed to visit? Can the spouse sleep in the room?

Yes to both.

What are the visiting hours?

We have open visiting hours.

What’s the rate of C-sections at the hospital?

20.6 percent (primary); 41 percent overall (includes repeats and breech).

What’s the rate of breast-feeding mothers?

89.4 percent.

What is the episiotomy rate?

No longer tracked.

Will my baby be able to sleep in the same room as me? Is there a nursery?

Yes to both.

Average length of a postpartum stay?

The usual stay is two days for a vaginal birth, and two to three days for C-section.

Does the hospital offer anything new/cutting edge?

Peconic Bay Medical Center, a member of Northwell Health, offers a warm family-centered community setting with specialized staff and state-of-the-art equipment for serving the east end of Long Island maternity needs. We are a baby-friendly unit meeting all the quality initiatives of New York State. We offer immediate skin-to-skin contact for all our mothers after birth. Even babies who are born via a C-section can be placed on their mother’s chest in the operating room, to help promote bonding. Peconic Bay Medical Center recently had a complete renovation of the unit converting all the rooms to labor and delivery rooms. This facilitates mother/baby couplet model of care, where one nurse cares for both the baby and the mother. This model allows staff to have an enhanced opportunity to educate the mothers and families and to help get familiar with the newborns’ patterns. Each room has a personalized board with helpful information for Mom and family members.

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