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About Maternity Services
Making the birth of your child a pleasant
experience filled with precious memories is our goal.
HCHC Maternity Services provides personalized care to make
your experience individualized ant to meet your special
needs. Below are a list of topics that will help you
in planning for your birth experience and explain the
services we provide during your stay at HCHC and after care
services for you and your baby.
Choosing Your Baby's Doctor
During your pregnancy, one of the most important decisions
you will make is to choose your baby's first doctor.
Your physician will provide your pregnancy and birthing care
and care for your new baby as soon as it is born.
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Preparing For Your Baby's Birth
If you are planning to have a baby at HCHC, you
may pre-admit. Simply print the form, complete and leave it
at the Admissions Desk or mail it to HCHC, 407 S. White
Street, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641. Using this form will
speed your admission to the hospital. Download the
HCHC Maternity Services Pre-Admission Registration Form
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
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Birthing Options
HCHC offers
two types of delivery: the birthing room and the
birthing chair. You will need to discuss these options
during the course of your pregnancy with your physician in
choosing the best method for you and your situation.
(However, sometimes availability establishes your options.)
Birthing Room-HCHC
offers a birthing room in which labor and delivery occur in
a home-like atmosphere.
Birthing Chair-A
traditional labor room is used with this option. Once you
are ready to deliver, you are moved to the delivery room to
use the chair, which is designed to use the natural force of
gravity to help with delivery and allows for many different
heights and positions to be used to best meet the needs of
each mother and her physician.
We
require that the mother be accompanied only by the labor
coach/partner during her labor and delivery.
If family and friends choose to wait, they are welcome to stay in the
cafeteria or reception/waiting areas.
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"Rooming In"
Not every new mom is the same. Some moms are very tired
after delivery; others have lots of energy and cannot
sleep. We will try to accommodate your preferences after
you baby is born.
Whether
you choose to breast-feed or bottle-feed your baby, we will
be glad to help you. You will have the option of keeping
your baby with you in your room or keeping him or her in the
nursery. Many mothers choose to keep their babies in their
rooms with them during the day and then in the nursery at
night.
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If You...
...breast-feed your baby and keep him or her in our nursery,
our nurses will bring your baby to you when he or she is
ready to eat.
...keep your baby in your room with you in a bassinet, you
may breast-feed as you desire when the baby is hungry. Our
nurses will come in periodically to change the baby's
diapers and to bathe him or her. If you bottle-feed, the
nurses will bring you bottles when your baby is ready to
eat.
...keep your baby in your room with you during the day and
in the nursery at night. If you are bottle-feeding your
baby, we will not awaken you in the night. If you are
breast-feeding your baby, we will bring the baby to you when
he or she needs to eat and any other time you wish to be
with your infant.
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Snack
Center
A snack center is provided for your convenience and
enjoyment.
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Room Service
In place of the regular menu, it is our privilege to provide
room service 7 days a week at no additional charge for
Maternity Patients on general diets. Breakfast is served
anytime from 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Lunch is served
from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Deli sandwich plate and items
from the grill available from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
daily. Dinner is served from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A full
menu listing your choices will be provided for you. Family
members can receive a guest tray for an additional charge of
$3.00.
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Infant Care Education
Videos
During your stay, you will see four short videos on infant
care and bathing, breast-feeding and formula feeding,
parenting and self-care. Our nurses are always happy to do
individual teaching on any other questions you may have. It
is our goal to help you feel comfortable and confident in
caring for yourself and your infant.
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Photos
You may
choose to have your infant's photograph taken by the
hospital staff on the day of your dismissal. You will be
given a brochure with details for ordering information and
pricing during your hospital stay. If you have a special
outfit or blanket for a background, be sure to bring it with
you. We will post your baby's photo on our
web nursery if you would like so your family and
friends from afar can see your baby. Your nurse will give
you details about this free service.
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“Hotel” Service
In some
cases, the infant is required to stay at the hospital after
the mom has been discharged. If you are breast-feeding or
if you live outside of town, you may choose to use our
"hotel" service. With this service, you may stay in the
Maternity Services Department or on the Medical/Surgical
Unit (depending on space availability) to be near your baby.
Because you have been discharged by your physician, you are
free to come and go as you please.
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Home Visitor Program
If you wish, a registered obstetrics nurse will visit you in
the hospital prior to your dismissal to answer any questions
you may have. Before you leave the hospital, the nurse will
make arrangements with you to come to your home once after
you are discharged at no cost to you.
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Payment Information
You will receive separate bills from your Physician and from
Henry County Health Center. Included in HCHC's bill are the
following:
-
The daily
room rate
-
Daily
nursery rate
-
Delivery
charge
-
Supplies
Our
Patient Accounting
staff will be happy to arrange pre-payment. If you are
interested in learning about what financial assistance is
available, contact HCHC's Social Services at (319) 385-6740.
Please call us if you have any questions. We look forward to
serving you and your new baby!
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