Delivery and your Hospital Stay
We want your childbirth stay with us to be a part of your good and special memories of having a baby. We recommend that you take a tour of the BirthPlace Center where you will be delivering two to eight weeks before your due date.
- Unit tours are included in our Childbirth Preparation Courses. We recommend all first-time pregnant women take the Prenatal Series class.
- Those not taking our Prenatal Series class can arrange a unit tour.
Labor, Delivery and Recovery Rooms
- All maternity rooms are private.
- Each has a bathroom, shower, television, telephone, rocker, table and chairs, a bed for mom plus full size sleeper so the support person can spend the night.
- A nurse-call system for help is in every maternity room and in every bathroom.
Infant Security
UnityPoint Health - Trinity ensures the security of every newborn through the use of:
- An infant electronic tracking system (baby tags and unit sensors)
- Special identification bands
- Cameras, security locks and controlled, observed traffic on and off of the unit
- Special hospital ID badges for all staff
To protect privacy and add additional safety for new families:
- Birth information is not given out over the phone
- Family and friends should be told to call members of the new family for labor and birth information
- We discourage the publication of birth announcements in local newspapers and church bulletins
- We actively advise against announcing baby's arrival with:
- Storks or other signs in the yard
- Banners on the front or garage door
- Balloons on home mailboxes
Smoking
UnityPoint Health – Trinity provides a smoke-free environment for its patients, visitors and employees. Smoking is a health hazard for everyone but especially for babies and children. It is not allowed anywhere inside our hospitals.
Babies and children who are around cigarette smoke have increased health risks:
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Upper respiratory infections
- Allergies and lung problems
- If there are smokers in your family, we recommend that smoking only take place in a part of the house that is closed to babies and children. If this place is outside of the home, make sure it is not at a main entrance or somewhere children play.
Following labor and birth, new mothers and babies are in the hospital for only a short while:
- Vaginal delivery moms, without complications, go home 24 to 48 hours after birth
- Cesarean birth moms usually go home 48 to 72 hours after birth, but sometimes may need to stay as long 96 hours
- UnityPoint Health – Trinity offers family-centered cesarean delivery to enhance the delivery experience of all women having a cesarean birth. Each BirthPlace campus features a highly skilled surgical team and two state-of-the-art operating suites to ensure a safe environment for both mother and baby.
- This time is figured from the baby's delivery time
Before discharge home, mom and baby must each reach the criteria for discharge:
- Be in healthy, stable condition - as determined by their doctor
- Be taught about mom's recovery needs and care
- Be taught about baby's needs and care
- Mom states she understands discharge instructions for herself and her baby
- Mom shows the ability to correctly care for herself
- Mom shows she can safely care for and correctly feed her baby
- Have information about needed follow-up appointments
- Have orders written for discharge by the OB doctor and pediatrician
Visiting
- Additional information is available on our BirthPlace visiting guidelines page. Please note, guidelines are subject to change as necessary to help protect the health of our patients and staff.
Parking
- Parking is located in the lots near the main entrance to maternity services and the main entrance of both campuses.
- Please use this entrance when coming in for labor and delivery.
- Wheelchairs are available if needed.
Cafeteria
- Cafeteria locations: Moline's cafeteria is located near the main entrance of the hospital. Bettendorf's cafeteria is located on the lower level of the hospital.
- Cafeterias serve a variety of hot and cold foods. Hours of operation are posted by the entrance doors.
- Vending machines are also available.
Financial Information and Pre-registration
There are several things you can do ahead of time to help avoid insurance slow-downs and surprises:
- Check now with your insurance company about coverage for mom and a new baby.
- Find out what co-payments or deductibles are required.
- Notify your insurance company soon after the birth of the new baby (to enroll baby as a new dependent).
- Complete hospital preregistration forms and return them to the hospital. We recommend you complete pre-registration forms when you're 18-20 weeks along in your pregnancy. For your convenience, you may also submit your information online through our secure pre-registration form.
Birth Practices, Preferences and Options
- Make sure you are talking with your OB doctor at every prenatal visit about this pregnancy and your childbirth concerns, expectations and preferences. Your doctor has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with you, plus knows you and your health conditions.
- Here are some topics to discuss:
- Discomforts of pregnancy you are experiencing and how to handle them
- Signs of labor and when to come to the hospital
- Do you call the doctor first or head directly to the hospital?
- Support persons you want in labor and with delivery
- Use of electronic fetal monitoring
- Activities suggested for labor (walking? chair-sitting? birth-ball? squat bar?)
- Position options in labor; positions for pushing and birthing
- Need for an IV
- Ice chips, popsicles & hard candy in labor
- Medications in labor for pain control: how do the medications limit activity? how do the medications affect labor and baby?
- Other types of medicines that might be given during labor and birth
- Any special concerns about being able to deliver vaginally?
- Use of cameras and video recorders
- Need for an episiotomy
- Viewing birth with a mirror
- Can the father cut the cord?
- Holding and touching baby after birth
- Circumcision decision, if having a boy: who does the circumcision?
- Breastfeeding after delivery
- Any special concerns or preferences of parents for labor or birth