Hello and welcome to the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center.
The birth of your baby is an exciting time. We will take excellent care of you and your family.
Today we're going to give you a brief tour of our labor and delivery unit,
our maternity or post delivery unit, and our neonatal intensive care unit.
When you think your labor has started, please call us. One of our labor
and delivery nurses can help you decide whether you're ready to come in.
Plan ahead so you can reach our facility quickly. There is a drop-off circle and
parking garage with special women in labor parking spots on the first floor,
just outside of the main hospital entrance. If you're arriving at night
plan to enter through our Emergency Department entrance off Piedmont Avenue.
We have special women in labor parking spots for you there too.
Once inside, our labor and delivery unit is on the third floor. When you arrive one of our nurses will
greet you, check you in, and take you to your private triage room to be assessed.
If you need an interpreter, let your nurse know. If you're ready for
labor, a nurse will escort you to one of our private labor and delivery rooms.
Your labor and delivery room will have everything you'll need for a safe delivery and recovery.
We use the most up-to-date fetal monitors to make sure
your baby is doing well at all times. You can walk or even shower while wearing a
fetal monitor, depending on your health and the health of your baby.
Each room has Wi-Fi a pullout guest bed and a refrigerator for you and your family.
Your room will also feature our Get Well network on a 40 inch plasma screen.
Using your bedside keyboard you can use this program to order meals, watch TV or
patient education videos, read your care schedule, and more.
Your care team will include an obstetrician, also known as an Ob/Gyn.
Ob/Gyns are doctors who specialize in women's health. Your doctor will work closely with the rest of your care team,
including registered nurses, midwives, and resident doctors, to make sure you have a safe and healthy delivery.
Midwives are registered nurses with advanced training – usually a master's degree in pregnancy and delivery.
Many women value the personal and patient-centered care they receive from midwives.
Your entire care team will do all they can to make sure you have the best possible birth experience.
Most babies are born through vaginal delivery in one of our labor and delivery rooms,
but some babies do need to be born through cesarean delivery.
In nearly all cases, your support person can still stay with you during the birth of
your baby, even if a cesarean section is necessary. You can expect to stay in the
hospital for 1 to 2 days following a vaginal birth or 2 to 3 days if you've had a C-section.
During this time you'll be able to recover and bond with the newest member of your family.
Your partner or another support person is welcome to stay with you. Our visiting hours are 24/7.
Breastfeeding is the best way to give your baby the nutrition he or she needs.
Learning to breastfeed your baby takes time, patience, practice, and most importantly, support.
If you choose to breastfeed, our nursing staff and lactation specialists are here to help.
Most babies thrive after their birth. They stay with their moms in their rooms,
but some babies need a little extra help. For them we have our neonatal intensive care unit,
also known as the NICU or NICU. Our team of experienced specialists is
here to provide exceptional care for your baby and support for you and your family.
Thank you for visiting our Kaiser Permanente Oakland Labor and Delivery unit today.
We've shown you some of what you can expect, but there's more to see and learn.
We encourage you to find out if your facility offers in-person labor and delivery tours.
We can answer your questions and tell you more about the care you'll receive.
We also invite you to sign up for one of our classes.
Thank you for choosing Kaiser Permanente for this very special time in your life.
We look forward to providing the best possible labor and delivery care for you and your growing family!