YOU DO JOYFUL YOU...

At Southwest General, our Birthing Journey Team will help you make informed choices for a unique and personal birth experience. They will work with you to:

• Develop a customized Birth Plan to share with your medical team to define your wishes for labor and delivery and the recovery period
• Explain Southwest General's Maternity Services and answer any questions you have
• Share what to expect before, during and after your baby's birth; what to bring to the hospital when labor starts; how to select a pediatrician and more!
• Discuss classes available to you and your family to better prepare for your baby's arrival
• Provide a tour of Southwest General's Cosgrove Maternity Center — Take the Tour

Catch a glimpse of your growing baby through a voluntary non-diagnostic imaging experience, called Baby Imprints. This program provides a peek at your unborn baby in 2D, 3D and 4D (video) ultrasound. Additionally, you'll go home with access to MobileBaby, a service allowing images and video to be shared electronically via text messaging, e-mail or social media outlets. Images and videos also can be printed or downloaded for sharing.

Southwest General has a team of experienced lactation consultants that will meet with you during your hospital stay. All Maternity nurses are trained to offer help with and support 24 hour breastfeeding. Lactation consultants are available for individual consultation before and after delivery. Additionally, a mothers' support group is available for breastfeeding mothers, both expectant and postpartum.

In addition to focusing on mom and baby, Southwest General provides a truly, family-friendly environment for support person and other family members, so you all can welcome your new baby into the world. This includes overnight stays for a support person who wants to be with mom and baby, family-oriented visiting hours, access to snacks and beverages and more.

Kangaroo care—holding your baby skin-to-skin on your bare chest mimics the way a mother kangaroo holds her babies. Studies have shown that it has many benefits, including enhanced bonding with baby, improved breastfeeding success, and babies who gain weight faster, regulate temperature, blood sugar, cry less and sleep better. Your nurses will help you begin Kangaroo Care soon after delivery.

For women with high-risk pregnancies, maternal-fetal medicine specialists (also known as perinatologists) on our Medical Staff provide exceptional pregnancy and childbirth care at Southwest General's Main Campus in Middleburg Heights. These highly skilled physicians have special training to treat pregnant women with a variety of specific medical conditions, such as those with:

• Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc.
• Risk for pregnancy-related complications such as preterm labor, preeclampsia or multiple births
• A fetus at risk for infections, genetic diseases, growth restriction and more

Women may choose to see a midwife if they are seeking a more holistic approach to their delivery—focusing on fewer technological and invasive interventions. At Southwest General, midwives work closely with board-certified obstetrician/gynecologists who are available to help if complications occur during routine care or during pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Level II Special Care Nursery
Southwest General provides a Level II Special Care Nursery for babies who:

• Are born up to eight weeks premature (at or after 32 weeks gestation)
• Weigh at least 3.3 pounds (1500 grams)
• Need special care for temporary breathing problems, feeding issues, jaundice, low blood sugar or other complications.

The Special Care Nursery is supported 24/7 by an experienced team of specialists, equipped with advanced technology to care for your newborn.

Well Baby Nursery
For healthy babies who do not require any special monitoring. These babies often stay together with mom in her room, but the nursery provides a safe place for them to receive care if away from mom.

We offer a range of childbirth and family life classes to help you prepare for the new addition to your family. Classes have convenient online options if needed to accommodate busy lifestyles and/or safety restrictions:

• e-Classes: View "Prepared Childbirth" e-classes at any time in any location you have internet access.
• Live Webex Classes: Breastfeeding Webex classes are live, online classes featuring a Lactation Consultant who will provide education and answer your questions or concerns.
• In-person Prepared Childbirth: Features an instructor who will provide education and answer your questions or concerns.
• Bootcamp for New Dads: This single-session class is led by an experienced dad, who will prepare first-time expectant dads of all ages—moms-to-be will not be in attendance.

For more informationon our Prenatal and Family Life Programs, please call 440-816-8035.

Neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioners from University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital are an important part of the Maternity Services team at Southwest General. They provide specialized care for babies who need more individualized medical attention at birth.