Helping You Prepare for Your New Arrival
We are so very excited to help you bring your newborn into the world. We know that questions abound, and we've pulled together some details on how to be prepared for your stay with us–before, during, and after your labor and delivery.
Preparing for Birth
If you have any questions about pre-registration or did not receive a packet from your OB or midwife, please call (585) 922-LINK (4000).
What to Bring
Our goal is to provide exceptional care in a comfortable environment for you and your baby. Each of our 16 private suites include a bed and pillows/blankets, a bassinet for rooming-in with your baby, a private bathroom and shower, a hair dryer, and a fully-reclining chair for your support person. In addition to the amenities provided, there are a couple required items to bring with you along with any personal items to help make your stay more comfortable.
Required items:
- Insurance Card & Photo ID
- Infant Car Seat (in order to bring baby home!)
Other recommended items:
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, etc.)
- Robe
- Slippers
- Comfortable clothes for after your delivery
- Phone charger
The United Memorial Maternity Unit is located within United Memorial Medical Center at 127 North Street, Batavia, NY 14020.
Parking is free for all patients and visitors. We also offer a gift shop, a cafe, and free wifi for your convenience. Our Campus Map is a great way to get the lay of the land.
Delivery
If you require, or requested, a cesarean delivery, you will be attended to in one of our operating rooms, and then brought in to a traditional recovery room to recover with your newborn and family after your procedure.
We empower our patients to do what they need to in order to make their labor and delivery experience their own. Patients are encouraged 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 whirlpool tub and many anesthesia options to choose from, including nitrous oxide and epidural anesthesia, should you want them.
Labor and delivery support looks different for each person. Please know that we take your goals seriously, and will work tirelessly to ensure you feel heard throughout your stay.
Significant others, family friends, parents, doulas–they are all accepted and welcomed at the United Memorial Maternity Unity. Please check the current Visitor Restrictions to ensure you invite the right number of visitors into the hospital. We apologize for any and all inconvenience this may cause.
We take every aspect of your pregnancy and labor and delivery seriously. Throughout your labor, your care team will be watching for any signs that things are heading sideways, and keeping a close-eye on your and your baby's vitals. You'll be delivering at United Memorial Medical Center, and we're uniquely prepared to take care of your emergency needs.
Recovery & Newborn Care
Congratulations–your newborn is here! At the United Memorial Maternity Unity, we encourage skin-to-skin contact after your baby is born, and support the practice of delayed cord-clamping when possible.
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.
Going Home
On the morning of your discharge, a member of our staff will check in with you and ensure that your newborn has had all of his or her screenings, and will go over some final paperwork with you, including insurance documents, birth certificate paperwork, and your child's application for Social Security. They will also make sure you've made your first appointment with your child's pediatrician, and can assist you with any question you may have about securing your child in his or her care seat safely.
Upon discharge, you'll also receive a Safe Sleep gift bag with instructions on safe sleep practices and a HALO SleepSack swaddle for your newborn.
New York State law requires that all babies leaving the hospital go home in an infant car seat. Please make sure you have the appropriate care seat prior to coming to the hospital so when the time comes, you are ready to leave with your newborn safely.
It is recommended that all newborns see their pediatrician sometime within the first 3 to 5 days after birth. Before you leave the hospital, you will need to call your child's pediatrician to make his or her first appointment. If you have not yet selected a pediatrician for you child, we recommend doing so as soon as possible. Find a pediatrician close to home!
Staff from our social work department are also available to help coordinate home care, if necessary, and can put you in touch with community agencies which provide support services to patients.