Expecting Moms: What You Need to Know
Delivering joy.
Having a baby is one of the most significant events in life, and we’re delighted to be a part of this exciting time with you and your family.
We offer a variety of prenatal education classes, programs, and services that aim to help you feel prepared and informed about becoming a parent. From education to our exclusive amenities, it’s all designed to support you on your journey to motherhood.
Please read the following information about the classes and services we offer. Once you’ve decided which ones are right for you, you can register or find out more by calling 844-367-0045 or visiting our events page.
Virtual Tour
Amenities
- Private suites provide ample sleeping space for a support person
- Dedicated water-labor suite and other amenities designed to facilitate natural child-birthing plans
- Perinatal Unit with private suites providing specialized care for high-risk pregnancies
- Private NICU rooms with 24/7 visitation and mounted NICView™ cameras to view baby remotely
- Rooming-in allows mother and baby to bond and establish consistent feeding patterns. Our well-baby nursery is available when there is a need.
- Lounge for NICU families
- Flat-screen TVs
- Cord blood donation allows mothers to provide stem cell transplants to a patient whose life depends on it.
- Free Wi-fi
- Complimentary partner meals when mom dines
- Bidets in every suite minimize postpartum discomfort.
Women’s Medical Center at Brookwood Baptist
2010 Brookwood Medical Center Drive
Birmingham, Alabama 35209
844-367-0045
www.brookwoodwomensmedicalcenter.com
Support Person Meals
After you’ve had your baby, your new family will share many special moments together. But it can be tough to enjoy those moments if every time dinner rolls around, your husband, partner, or support person has to go find something to eat. That’s why we’re now offering three meals a day for your support person too. Spend less time running out for food, and more time with family.
Gifts for Mom & Baby
Searching for the perfect gift for the new mom in your life? Let us help you customize a gift bag just for her. Browse our curated selection of gifts for the perfect push present, and arrange to have it delivered directly to her room. Call 205.877.1943 or come by to work with our gift stylist.
Introducing our Birth Navigator service.
Meet your personal guide for your journey to motherhood.
When you’re pregnant, you know you have a lot of really special moments ahead of you. But you also know there’s a lot to do between now and the big day. That’s why we’re proud to introduce our free Birth Navigator service, designed to help you plan for the next few months. When you meet with your Birth Navigator, she will:
- Assess your personal pregnancy needs
- Help acquaint you with all our prenatal services
- Provide information about breastfeeding and other healthy behaviors
- Discuss labor options and birth preferences
- Assist in selecting classes/groups based on your needs
Sign up for your one-on-one Birth Navigator Session at www.brookwoodwomensmedicalcenter.com/events or by calling 844-367-0045.
Birth Navigator Suite
The Women’s Medical Center at Brookwood Baptist
6th floor of Women’s Medical Center/Building A
Suite 602
Please note:
Your visit with the Birth Navigator should be planned between the 22nd and 27th gestational weeks.
Having Multiples at the Women’s Medical Center at Brookwood Baptist.
Let's Talk About Multiples (Twins or More) : Birth Navigator Service
Meet your personal guide for your journey to motherhood... FOR MULTIPLES! At Brookwood Baptist, we are proud to now offer a free service for families expecting twins, triplets, and more! When you’re pregnant with more than one baby, you know you have a lot of really special moments ahead of you. But you also know there’s a lot to learn between now and the big day. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our free Multiples Birth Navigator service, designed to help you plan for the next few months. In your Let’s Talk about Multiples Birth Navigator session, an experienced multiple birth educator will:
- Offer an individualized session according to your schedule to assess your personal pregnancy needs
- Discuss ways to have a healthy multiple pregnancy, including nutrition and activity
- Answer questions about common concerns and complications with multiples
- Discuss your labor and birth options and preferences
- Help you plan for life at home with more than one baby, including safe sleep and essential equipment
- Provide information about breastfeeding multiple babies
- Assist in selecting classes/groups based on your needs
- Provide a guided tour of our facility, including the NICU
Education + Tours
This course introduces the physical changes you can expect during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and after the birth of your child. You will learn about hospital procedures, anesthesia, and medications, as well as information about rooming-in with your baby. Comfort measures and basic coping strategies for laboring, pushing, and birth are also introduced. You will also have the chance to tour our facility. This 3-hour class is recommended for first-time parents and is offered during the week and on weekends.
If you cannot attend this course onsite, you can take it online. The digital version uses videos, personal birth stories, animations, and activities to provide valuable information that supports the journey to motherhood.
Certified lactation (breastfeeding) consultants teach this class for expectant first-time parents and experienced parents who wish to review the basics of breastfeeding. We focus on practical skills and information throughout the course. Fathers or support persons are encouraged to attend with mothers.
Prepared Childbirth classes end with a women’s hospital tour. Mothers and families who have had childbirth education at a different facility are also welcome to schedule a tour.
The arrival of a new baby is an exciting time for a big brother or big sister. This tour aims to help your child feel more comfortable with the labor and delivery unit, postpartum floor, and nursery. This interactive tour encourages discussions about having a new baby in the family and is provided free of charge.
Other Services
At the Women’s Medical Center at Brookwood Baptist, we are certified as a Breastfeeding Center of Excellence. The lactation center offers a variety of services including support groups, education materials, and consultations with a certified lactation consultant during and after your stay. For more information, call the Breastfeeding Helpline at (205) 877-1978.
Pre-registration may save time and help you streamline the admission process when you arrive to have your baby. When you come for a doctor's visit or attend a class, you can stop by the women's admitting office in Labor & Delivery to fill out your pre-admission paperwork and meet with the admitting staff. You may also pre-register online at brookwoodbaptisthealth.com. Click 'For Patients', then 'I Am a Scheduled or Current Patient,' and finally 'Pre-Register for Your Visit'.
Classes
Call 844-367-0045 to register for all of the classes and tours you would like to take. Brookwood representatives will provide you with dates, times, locations, and fees of classes, as well as answer any questions you may have. You may register for some of the classes and tours through iChooseB.com.
- Parents should register in the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy for all classes. For the Let's Talk About Multiples class, plan your visit with the Multiples Birth Navigator as early as the beginning of the second trimester, around 18 to 22 weeks.
- Plan to attend classes around the seventh month of pregnancy if possible.
- Classes may be subject to cancellation based on registration levels.
Finding Your Way Around Brookwood
If you’re sending a patient to the campus of Brookwood Baptist Medical Center for a physician visit or other outpatient service, use this handy reference guide to give instructions for parking tips, directions and ease of access.
| MAIN HOSPITAL | |
|---|---|
2010 Brookwood Medical Center Drive
| PARKING TIPS – Navigate to the Visitor’s Parking Deck and park in the
ORANGE section. Use Skywalk B located on Level 3 of the deck to access the hospital. Pass the Emergency Department and follow the hallway to the Medical Office B. Follow the hospital signs to navigate to the main hospital. PAYMENT OPTIONS – A paystation is located at the skywalk elevator and at the exit gate. |
| WOMEN’S MEDICAL OFFICES (previously Women’s Medical Plaza) | |
2006 Brookwood Medical Center Drive
| PARKING TIPS – Navigate to the Visitor’s Parking Deck and park in the
YELLOW section. Use Skywalk A and follow the hallway to the elevator lobby. PAYMENT OPTIONS – A paystation is located at the skywalk’s elevator as well as the exit gate. |
| MEDICAL OFFICE B (previously Ambulatory Care Center) | |
2022 Brookwood Medical Center Drive
| PARKING TIPS – Navigate to the Visitor’s Parking Deck and park in the
ORANGE section. Use Skywalk B on Level 3 of the deck to access the hospital. Pass the Emergency Department and follow the hallway to Medical Office B. PAYMENT OPTIONS – A paystation is located at the skywalk elevator. Paystations are also available at the exit gate. |
| MEDICAL OFFICE C (previously Professional Office Building) | |
2018 Brookwood Medical Center Drive
| PARKING TIPS – Navigate to the Visitor’s Parking Deck and park in the
BLUE section. Use Skywalk C located on Level 2 of the deck to access Medical Office C. For ADHEC and Pre-Admission Testing patients, park in the Medical Office C parking lot. PAYMENT OPTIONS – A paystation is located at the skywalk elevator and at both exit gates. |
| MEDICAL OFFICE D (previously Brookwood Medical Plaza) | |
513 Brookwood Boulevard
| PARKING TIPS – Park in the Medical Office D parking deck on Brookwood Boulevard (across from Target). Use parking deck elevators to enter main lobby of building. PAYMENT OPTIONS – A paystation is located on the first floor of the lobby and at the exit gate. Cash is not accepted at exit gate. |
Valet parking is available at the drop off areas in front of the Women’s Medical Offices and the Medical Office B.
How an OB/GYN Hospitalist Program benefits you, the patient
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center is pleased to introduce the OB/GYN hospitalist program that allows hospital-based, OB/GYN physicians (hospitalists) to focus on providing consistent care to patients in the hospital, as well as emergent care to those arriving in Labor and Delivery.
To support this initiative, Brookwood Baptist Medical Center is partnering with OB Hospitalist Group (OBHG), a network comprised of dedicated, board-certified OB/GYN hospitalists.
Our shared mission is to elevate the standard of women’s healthcare by ensuring every expectant mother is evaluated and treated by a physician regardless of time, location, complication or circumstance.
Program Advantages
OB/GYN Physician Availability
- Board Certified, OB/GYN hospitalists are immediately available on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- In the event your physician is not available, OB/GYN hospitalists can examine you, evaluate the progress of your labor, review test results and fetal heart rate tracings. They will address any evolving issues and provide you and your baby with a safe care.
- Due to their primary focus of hospital-based treatment, hospitalists are experts at providing emergent care and are on-site if an emergency occurs.
- Our hospitalists will be in communication with your physician and will have access to your prior medical records.
Highly Skilled
- If your physician is unavailable or delayed reaching the hospital, a Board Certified OB/GYN hospitalist can provide medical expertise and optimal patient care, as well as answer any questions you or your family may have.
- Our hospitalists are highly skilled in a variety of different delivery techniques.
- In addition to being board certified, our hospitalists are required to maintain high levels of clinical performance and professional standards.
Communication
- Hospitalists place a high value on maintaining communication with other professionals within the hospital including your physician, medical and surgical consultants, discharge planners, social workers, clergy and others.
- OB/GYN hospitalists can expedite care for you and can easily facilitate connections with providers of home health care, skilled nursing, specialized rehabilitation and others.
- Being hospital-based, the OB/GYN hospitalists will always be on-site to visit you, monitor progress or discuss your questions/concerns or those of your family.
The Best for You and Your Baby
You want the best care for you and your baby. And so do we. The OB/GYN hospitalist caring for you as a care partner when your doctor can’t be there will deliver a complete report to your doctor so your continued treatment is thorough and consistent. Brookwood Baptist Medical Center is committed to providing excellent patient care and delivering the best outcome possible with every patient encounter. The OBHG hospitalist program is a key component in elevating the standard of women’s healthcare and increasing patient safety and satisfaction of women, newborns and their families.
EXCLUSIVELY BREASTMILK FEEDING YOUR BABY
Your body is amazing! During the third or fourth month of pregnancy, your body will begin to produce colostrum to prepare to feed your baby. This colostrum is filled with large amounts of protective antibodies, nature’s own vaccine. After your baby arrives, mature breast milk, packed with nutrients, will begin to fill your breasts. Over time, as your baby changes and grows, this milk will also change in order to give your baby exactly what he or she needs to develop. Experts agree that breast milk, specifically your breast milk, is the very best for your baby. A lactation specialist will come to support you during your stay.
POSITION POINTS FOR A GOOD LATCH
- The baby’s head should be straight on the shoulders and slightly tipped back.
- Once latched, the baby’s chin should indent the breast.
- Both of the baby’s cheeks should touch the breast equally and be so close that you can’t see the corners of the baby’s mouth.
BREASTFEEDING DURING YOUR HOSPITAL STAY
- Begin breastfeeding as soon as possible after delivery.
- Hold your baby skin-to-skin as often as possible. This helps mom know when baby is ready to nurse. When doing skin-to-skin, cover your baby with blankets for warmth.
- Feed at early signs of hunger: hands to mouth, licking lips, or turning head with open mouth. Crying is a late sign of hunger.
- If no hunger cues are given within three to four hours, attempt to arouse your baby.
- Place your baby skin-to-skin under blankets and continue to watch for hunger cues.
- If after 15–20 minutes your baby is still too sleepy to nurse, remove the blankets for one to two minutes while you gently stroke baby’s skin from head to toe.
- Hold your baby under his or her arms to allow feet to dangle while you slowly tip baby side to side.
- Put your baby in a breastfeeding position, stroke your baby’s lips and attempt a feeding, even if your baby seems too sleepy.
- There are no set number of times baby should nurse in the first 24to 48 hours. It’s important to give baby at least eight opportunities to nurse in a 24-hour period.
- Ask your nurse for assistance if you are unsure if your baby is latching well or if your baby’s latch is causing pain.
BREASTFEEDING DIARY
Follow your baby’s progress. The numbers in parenthesis indicate the fewest recommended number.
| DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WET DIAPERS | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (6) | (6) | (6) |
| SOILED DIAPERS | (1) | (1) | (1) | (2) | (4) | (4) | (4) |
| FEEDINGS | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | ||
| DAY 8 | DAY 9 | DAY 10 | DAY 11 | DAY 12 | DAY 13 | DAY 14 | |
| WET DIAPERS | (6) | (6) | (6) | (6) | (6) | (6) | (6) |
| SOILED DIAPERS | (4) | (4) | (4) | (4) | (4) | (4) | (4) |
| FEEDINGS | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) | (8-12) |
Some mothers find the Baby Nursing-Breastfeeding Tracker smartphone app helpful.
PASTEURIZED BREAST MILK*
At some point during your hospitalization, your baby may require additional nutrition to supplement your breast milk. In these cases, we have pasteurized breast milk available for our patients. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree that exclusive breast milk feeding is best, especially to those born prematurely. To learn more about pasteurized breast milk, please visit the Human Milk Bank Association of North America’s website at www.hmbana.org.
Donated Breast Milk Is:
- Safe
- Donated by approved, volunteer mothers who are screened and tested
- Pasteurized and tested in a lab
- Supplied by milk banks that are certified by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America
- Second only to your own breast milk
MOTHER CARE WHILE BREASTFEEDING
- Wash your breasts once a day in the shower.
- Eat a well-balanced diet providing about 500 more calories than your pre-pregnancy diet. All mothers caring for children need to eat well, although not perfectly, every day. Most babies do well with all foods that mother eats. Limit caffeine to one serving each day. Avoid/limit alcohol to a small glass of wine or half a serving of most beverages. If you feel the effects of alcohol, wait three to four hours before breastfeeding again. If you pump during that time, discard the milk.
- Lanolin is helpful if you have sore nipples. Smooth on a small amount after feedings. It doesn’t have to be washed off before the next feed.
- Within 72–96 hours after delivery, your breasts may become heavier, fuller, and firmer as milk production increases. Engorgement is prevented by breastfeeding at least 8–12 times each 24 hours during the first week and not skipping feedings. Using a warm moist compress for up to five minutes before breastfeeding may help the milk start to flow. Pumping or hand expression right before nursing will soften the areolar tissue to allow infant to latch well. Cold compresses after breast feeding are helpful to reduce swelling, decrease pain, and increase milk flow. If your breasts remain uncomfortable after breastfeeding, you may hand express just enough milk to be comfortable.
- Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, may help reduce discomfort and inflammation. Follow your physician’s advice when using these medications following discharge.
- Sleep when the baby sleeps.
| DAY OF LIFE | INFANT AGE | AMOUNT OF MILK* |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Birth–24 hours | 5–10 ml (approx. 1 teaspoon) |
| Day 2 | 24–48 hours | 10–15 ml (approx. 2 teaspoons) |
| Day 3 | 48–72 hours | 20–30 ml (almost 1 ounce) |
| Day 4 | 72–96 hours | 30–40 ml (almost 1.5 ounces) |
| Day 5 | 96–120 hours | 45–90 ml (1.5–3 ounces) |
*These sizes are approximations and vary from infant to infant.
BREASTFEEDING AFTER THE FIRST DAY
- Frequent feeds during the first days following birth stimulate your body to develop a great milk supply. You can’t overfeed a breastfed newborn.
- Don’t be surprised if, the first several days, your baby feeds more frequently at night. This is called cluster feeding and is considered normal.
- Offer both breasts at each feeding and alternate the side you start on.
- Attempt to burp your baby after each breast, but remember that breastfed babies don’t always burp.
- Dress and re-swaddle your baby if you are placing him or her back in the crib after a feeding or feeding attempt.
- After discharge, continue to feed often, 8–12 times a day until your milk supply is well established.
- Count wet and dirty diapers for a few days. By day five expect:
- At least six wet diapers daily
- At least four yellow runny diapers daily
- If diaper counts are low, contact your pediatrician or lactation consultant. A weight check might be recommended.
- By day five, most babies have stopped losing weight and begin gaining about one ounce each day. When your baby is gaining well, it is not necessary to wake the baby for feedings unless recommended by your healthcare provider.
GUIDELINES FOR HAND EXPRESSION
- Sit up and lean forward.
- Gently massage both breasts using your hands or a soft baby brush.
- Place your finger and thumb on opposite sides of the areola and one inch away from the areola.
- Apply pressure inward; back toward the rib cage (do not stretch the areola tight). Then squeeze fingers gently together. Press, compress, relax.
- Alternate sides, going back and forth from right to left.
- Breastmilk can be collected in a spoon or small medicine cup. It may take two to five minutes to achieve a letdown and begin to see breastmilk. Continue for about seven to ten minutes.