Women now have the opportunity to deliver their baby in a beautiful state-of-the-art Labor and Delivery Unit with all the comforts of home. When the big day arrives, the mother will be escorted to one of our comfortable, home-like birthing suites. Our team of maternity specialists will be ready with the latest technology, the touch of a hand and a reassuring voice. If special care is needed for high-risk mothers and their babies, specialists are just a phone call away.

In response to a push for more "natural" birth events, Arnot Ogden Medical Center offers more modern options for low-risk births, often known as family-centered care. In our new facility, we will include 8 private suites with showers or baths (known as birthing suites) where women can labor, deliver and recover in one suite. Although a doctor or midwife and nursing staff is still present, the rooms are set up to create a nurturing environment, with warm, soothing colors and amenities that try to simulate a home-like atmosphere that may be very comforting for some new mothers.

As many as three support people are permitted to be with the mother during a vaginal birth. During a routine or non-emergency cesarean section, the number of support people is usually limited to one in the surgical rooms. There will always be a need for some babies to be delivered by c-section. Sometimes, c-sections are planned in advance; other times doctors or midwives decide during a delivery that a c-section is necessary.

During a c-section, a woman usually receives regional anesthetic that numbs her from the waist down. Because they are awake, women who have c-sections can still breastfeed their baby soon after delivery. Because a c-section is surgery, the time spent in the hospital and recovery afterward are longer than a vaginal delivery.

Arnot Health's team of professionals is here to guide you through the birthing process and make sure your delivery and recovery is comfortable and safe.