If your contractions are getting, "longer, stronger, and closer together," it's time to head to the hospital. Typically, that is when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, are lasting for 1 minute each, and have been that way for an hour or longer.

Please call your OB or midwife to discuss your symptoms before coming to the hospital.

The August Family Birth Place is located within Unity Hospital at 1555 Long Pond Road, Rochester, NY 14626.

Between the hours of 8:00AM and 8:00PM, please park in Parking Lot G and enter through the Unity Hospital Main Entrance.

Between the hours of 8:00PM and 8:00AM, please park in Parking Lot D and enter through door #3. You will be screened by the Aiphone to gain access to the building.

Parking is free for all patients and visitors. 

We empower our patients to make their labor and delivery experience their own, and encourage them to create and discuss their birth plan with their physician or midwife before admission. Some women choose to bring personal items from home, such as their own pillows or special music to help create a more relaxing environment. For your comfort, we also have an on-site tub and many anesthesia options to choose from, including intravenous pain medications and epidural anesthesia, should you want them.

If you require, or requested, a cesarean delivery, you will be attended to in one of our operating rooms, located within the August Family Birth Place. We are ready and willing to support your birth goals and offer skin-to-skin in the operating room.

Labor and delivery support looks different for each person. Significant others, family friends, parents, doulas–they are all accepted and welcomed at the August Family Birth Place. 

During times of enhanced infection prevention protocols (flu and COVID-19 seasons), the number of support persons allowed in during delivery may be limited. Please check the current Visitor Restrictions for more information.

Visitation policies are subject to change, especially during COVID-19 and flu season. Please call ahead or view our Visitor Restrictions for information on current visitation policies. All visitors will need to show their photo ID.

Parking is free for all patients and visitors. Visitors should park in Visitor Parking (Lot G) and use the main entrance.

Whenever possible, we encourage the golden hour of skin-to-skin contact after your baby is born, and support the practice of delayed cord-clamping.

As a Baby-Friendly hospital, we adhere to and promote the World Health Organization's initiative to support a mother's choice to breastfeed, and we practice "rooming-in," where the baby is kept in a hospital-supplied bassinet by the side of the mother's bed. Additionally, we have internationally certified nurse lactation consultants on staff ready to assist new moms in all aspects of breastfeeding.

Pediatrics on Site

All newborns will receive a general physical exam within 24 hours of birth to check their appearance and vital signs.

Should your baby require additional attention or special care, we have a Level II Special Care Nursery on site with neonatologists and pediatricians available 24 hours a day.

Testing & Evaluations

As required by New York State, all newborns receive a series of health screening tests, including a blood test (taken from a small prick on your baby's heel) that screens for over 30 different disorders, a hearing test, a screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease, a blood sugar screening, and a screening for jaundice. New York State also mandates the use of erythromycin eye ointment after birth to protect against potential serious eye infections and a vitamin K injection to reduce the risk of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that all newborns receive the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. If you have any questions or concerns about these screenings or medications, please discuss them with your family's pediatrician or family doctor.