Delivering at Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace at WakeMed Raleigh Campus
The Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace, or WakeMed Raleigh, located off NewBern Ave in northeast Raleigh, is the flagship for the WakeMed hospital system, serving as the leading provider of advanced health care services. Their website details: “From routine to the unforeseen and everything in between”, which can truly be seen at the newly renovated Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace. With a five-star patient/family experience, you can rest assured you will receive fantastic care through the WakeMed Physicians – OB/GYN – High Risk, or Kamm Mckenzie OBGYN.
Arrival
When you first arrive to have your baby at the Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace, you can park at the lot P3, otherwise known as patient parking, between the hours of 5am and 9pm, and enter at Patient Registration. If it is after hours, you can park in P1, otherwise known as visitors parking, and go to the Emergency Department Registration area and they can assist you. Wheel chairs are available for the laboring person if they need one. Once you have arrived you will be escorted to Triage by taking the B elevators to the 4th floor. Please note: registration at WakeMed Raleigh can be done ahead of time to make the check-in process faster.
Triage
Once on the 4th floor, you will be taken to one of the triage rooms for approximately 30 minutes to up to 2 hours for an initial assessment. Triage is required for all patients unless your doctor says otherwise or if you are having a scheduled induction. During your time in triage, you will be instructed to change into a hospital gown or personal gown, receive a HepLock/IV port, provide a urine and blood test, as well as have fetal monitoring for 15 minutes at minimum. The laboring person can be sent home from Triage if they are not far along enough in labor or not progressing. Once you are admitted, you will be on a clear liquids diet.
Labor and Delivery Rooms
Once you are admitted you will be transferred to one of the Labor and Delivery rooms down the hall. The L&D floor is a secure floor, thus visitors must obtain a visitor pass and must know your first and last name. Once in your room, you will meet your Labor and Delivery (L&D) nurse who will support you throughout your labor and delivery. WakeMed Raleigh does not limit the number of people you have in your room as you labor and deliver unless there is a medical complication.
You can labor in whatever you choose, a gown will be provided or you can bring your own. It is recommended to bring comfortable shoes or slippers if you would like to stay mobile. All the L&D suites are private, and equipped with a variety of things for you to have the type of birth you desire. There are squat bars in every room, birth balls, peanut balls, and a standing mirror. Policy permits the laboring person to labor in water if your doctor approves it; however, delivery must take place on the bed. It is important to note, half of the L&D suites have tubs and the other half have showers. The Women’s Pavilion & Birthplace has various pain medication to support you: there is nitrous oxygen, IV medication, and epidurals available. Lastly, there is a policy of no videotaping or photography until after the baby is born.
Cesarean Births
If an unforeseen cesarean is necessary, the operating room and recovery room are on the maternity floor. Per policy, only one support person can accompany you into the OR. You can request a clear drape for your cesarean. During a cesarean, delayed cord clamping is not available, however skin-to-skin in the OR is possible if both the birthing person and baby are healthy.
Post-Delivery
Once your baby has been delivered they will be placed on the mother’s chest for skin-to-skin and bonding if there are no signs of complications. Many of the newborn screenings will take place as the baby is on your chest over the next hour. You and your baby will stay in the L&D room for up to two hours, this is an important time for you and your baby to bond and begin to breastfeed if that is your plan.
Mother Baby Room
After delivery, you will be moved to a postpartum room down the hall, where you will stay for two nights for a vaginal delivery and three nights for a cesarean. Each room has a couch to bed for the support person, bedding, and a bathroom. All necessary supplies for you and your baby, such as diapers, burp clothes, wipes, and blankets, will be in your postpartum room. In the first 24 hours, you will be assessed every 4 hours, in the second 24 hours, you will be assessed every 12 hours. Additionally, your obstetrician and a pediatrician will visit.
WakeMed Raleigh is working towards becoming baby friendly, this means there is no nursery for well babies, instead your baby will stay in your room for your stay. There will be no pacifiers available or bottles used unless permission is given. Your baby will receive his or her first bath in your room about 6 hours after they are born. There are certified lactation consultants on staff to assist you with breastfeeding. The hospital also provides a hospital grade pump for your use during your stay, you can take parts home at discharge. There is a milk bank available as well, for more information on that contact: mothersmilkbank@wakemed.org. It is important to note the variety of newborn treatments that are routine that will take place: Vitamin K & Erythromycin ointment, Metabolic screening, Hearing screening, Bilirubin check, Hepatitis B shot, and circumcision. These treatments should be discussed with you prior to their administration.
There is a professional photography service available that will visit your room during your second day. You will also receive the paperwork necessary for a birth certificate. There is a full-service cafeteria open from 6:30AM-8:00PM, and midnight through 4AM.
The Women’s Pavilion and Birthplace has a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, there are 48 patient beds, including 27 separate rooms, and eight rooms to accommodate multiples.
Discharge
A nurse will come to your room to begin the discharge process. It is their goal to discharge families by 11am each day. You will be required to have a properly installed car seat for your baby.
