Getting to Know Your Baby

You won't miss a minute with your precious newborn because our birthing suites are designed for your baby to room with you.

Your nurses are only a call away, and can offer expert assistance or advice whenever you have any questions.

Your Baby's First Hours

The first hours after birth are magical – your baby is more alert, responsive and ready to feed than it will be for the next several hours.

This is an optimal opportunity to begin nursing your baby. Your nurse will be available to help you get started, and breastfeeding assistance is available 24-hours a day by our board-certified lactation consultants at the Breastfeeding Center.

Baby Care Basics

This is also the time to begin your transition to parenthood and to start learning how to care for your newborn. You'll focus on caring for your baby, with education from your nurse about feeding, diapering and understanding your baby’s cues.

Our staff will minimize interruptions during this time so your support person(s) can take a more active role in caring for you and your newborn. We will help them learn what to do.

If you need a refresher once you're home, you can refer to our baby care videos featuring general information from  our physicians, midwives, nurses and anesthesiologists.  To answer questions regarding your specific medical needs, please contact your provider.

Videos

Baby care 

• Bathing your baby
• Soothing the crying baby

Breastfeeding 

• Breastfeeding: latch and positioning
• Is baby getting enough when breastfeeding?
• Engorgement after giving birth
• Nipple pain after giving birth

Our thanks to Stanford Medicine and the Newborn Nursery at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for these videos:

• Breastfeeding in the first hour
• Hand expressing milk
• Pumping and maximizing milk production

Controlling and reducing pain videos

• Introduction to controlling and reducing pain 
• Overview of all kinds of postnatal pain
• Gas pain
• Incisional pain
• Perineal pain
• Situational pain

Your Newborn's Safety

At the Family Maternity Center (FMC), your newborn's safety is our top priority. Here are some of things in place to address safety:

• Your baby will remain in your room, under your direct care and supervision.
• FMC staff members all wear easily recognizable photo ID badges.
• Any new caregivers will be introduced to you by your nurse.
• Your caregivers and your baby's physician are the only persons who should take your baby out of your room, and you are encouraged to accompany your baby at all times.
• Our state-of-the-art infant security system includes a small plastic transmitter that is attached to your baby's ankle at birth. If your baby is brought close to any of our exit doors, the door will automatically lock and staff will be alerted.
• Video cameras, monitored at the nurses' station, track all comings and goings on the maternity center unit.
• The Intensive Care Nursery is a secure unit; all family and visitors must be buzzed in by staff.