Page 14 - Guide to Pregnancy

Preparing for labor and delivery
Pre-register with hospital
We are affiliated with Advent Health Tampa, 3100 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa, FL 33613. One of our providers is on-call at all times. You will be provided a registration packet. Please register before you are in labor as this will make admitting you to the hospital smoother. You may schedule a tour of the birthing suites at your convenience.
Birth plan
If you have a birth plan, please share it with your provider. If desired, there are several options to provide pain relief while you are in labor. We are supportive of whatever you choose.
Nubaine or Stadol - These are narcotics given through injection or IV and helps take the edge off strong contractions. It can make you sleepy if given early in labor. We avoid giving this near delivery time.
Nitrous Oxide (i.e. laughing gas) - a gas that you inhale at will to help relax and take the edge off the pain. Can be used during the entire labor process.
Epidural – This safe and popular option is administered by an anesthetist and requires a fine, thin catheter or tube to be placed in your back during active labor. Medicine slowly drips through the tubing to provide pain relief throughout labor. It is removed after delivery.
Local – Many patients deliver without pain medication. Sometimes we need to give a small injection of numbing medicine for stitches called lidocaine. It feels like a small pinprick.
Research cord blood banking
Your baby’s blood is a valuable source of cells that could be used by your baby or another family member to treat some life-threatening diseases. It can easily and safely be obtained immediately after delivery. Parents can choose to have their baby’s blood saved; however the decision must be made before birth. Insurance does not generally cover this. If interested, you can order a kit from the company you chose for cord blood banking and bring it with you to delivery. In some cases, cord blood can be donated. Ask your
provider for information.
Attend educational courses
AdventHealth offers educational courses on labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and baby care. Consider these classes especially if you are a first time parent!
Choose a doctor for your baby
You will need to decide on a pediatrician for your baby by the time you deliver. The hospital will send your baby’s information and test results to your chosen doctor. Your baby is commonly seen within 1 week after birth. You will need to contact the doctor’s office prior to delivery and make sure they are accepting your insurance and are taking new patients. We can provide you with a list of doctors if you have trouble locating one.
Obtain and install a car seat
You must have a car seat installed in your vehicle before taking baby home. By law, children must be in a federally approved, properly installed, crash-tested car seat for every trip in the car beginning with the trip home from the hospital.
Learn more about breastfeeding
Human milk is perfectly designed nutrition for babies. Babies who are breastfed get fewer infections and are hospitalized less. Mothers that breastfeed burn 500 calories a day which can help lose extra weight and reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. After delivery, the nurses and a lactation specialist are there to help you learn the art of breastfeeding.
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