Expect More When You're Expecting
There is no moment in life, or in medicine, more important than the birth of a child. It is a time for celebration … and a time for certainty.

From the most routine births to the most complex, no other hospital in southwest Florida is as equipped to help you deliver a healthy baby (or more than one) and manage the unexpected complications that challenge some pregnancies.

Our maternity unit combines all the technology and specialized services you may need to keep you safe and comfortable, with serene surroundings and special touches to make your childbirth experience a special one:

• Deluxe, private “birthing suites” to ensure moms are not shuffled between separate labor & delivery and recovery rooms. The suites are spacious and supportive, with soft lighting, special beds that adjust positions according to each mom's changing needs and comfortable seating for dads and visitors.

• Custom childbirth plans to ensure a special delivery that meets your personal desires and needs. The hospital offers a number of childbirth aids, including birthing balls and bedside nurses to help coach them through the childbirth experience. (Doulas and personal support/labor coaches are welcome.)

• OB Hospitalists – Board-certified OB specialists in the hospital around the clock. They are available immediately throughout the day and night to examine patients, evaluate the progress of labor, check lab results, handle emergencies and provide a safe delivery for women who do not have their own physician or whose physician requests assistance.

• Board-certified neonatalogists who care care for babies around-the-clock in the neonatal intensive care nursery. We also have 24/7 coverage by pediatric physician hospitalists for babies admitted to the pediatric unit.

• The region's most advanced care for complicated pregnancies, critically ill newborns and premature babies.

• Epidural pain management 24 hours-a-day, 7-days a-week, including image-guided epidurals.

• Obstetric anesthesia services 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week

• Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) –  Currently, we have three CNMs who have clinical privileges at Sarasota Memorial to provide care for expectant mothers who want a natural childbirth.  Employed by a local obstetrics practice, the CNMs provide low-intervention care on a 24/7 basis to healthy, low-risk women in a supportive, safe setting. Back-up obstetricians are available around the clock to provide consultation or medical intervention. The CNMs have completed specialized training and graduated from an educational program accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives. Last year (2012), they welcomed 376 babies to our community!

• Free Infant health & Hearing Screenings – we are the only hospital in the region performing congenital cardiac screenings, an optional, non-invasive screening that rules out 7 different  congenital heart defects.

• The latest security technology to ensure safety for mom and baby – including bar-coding, secure identification bands, secured patient care units and electronic charting with built in patient safety features.

• Family-focused Mother-Baby Unit – After delivery, moms and their babies are moved to the hospital's Mother-Baby Unit, where they remain together throughout the hospital stay. These artfully furnished rooms have all the comforts of home and a special chair that unfolds into a bed for dad or a supportive partner. We also have free wi-fi so that you can stay connected with friends and family and send out your baby's first photos. On the day you are going home, you and your new family will attend our Celebration Brunch where you will learn about taking good care of yourself and your new baby and enjoy a delicious complimentary brunch.

• Breastfeeding Expertise – We are committed to supporting every mom's breastfeeding goals. Our Mother-Baby nurses are certified in breastfeeding and experienced in helping moms reach their goals. Nurses are available 24/7 to help you during your hospital stay, and also can answer breastfeeding questions that may come up after you leave the hospital.  Please call (941) 917-7413; calls are returned within 24 hours.

• Quality leader in women's health & maternity care -- Sarasota Memorial is proud to rank consistently among the nation's top 5% of hospitals for excellence in women’s health and maternity care. According to HealthGrades, Sarasota Memorial is the only hospital in the region to receive both the Maternity Care and Women’s Health Excellence Awards since their inception – and the only one to rank in the top 5% in the country in both areas 10 years in a row.

• Bedside pharmacy delivery services – through a special collaboration with Sarasota Memorial, Walgreens Pharmacy will deliver your prescription medication to your room within one hour of ordering, or arrange for pick up at the Walgreens Pharmacy of your choice. Your nurse can help make the arrangements, or call (941) 953-9804 for information. Bedside delivery services are exclusively for Sarasota Memorial patients. Normal delivery hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Free weekly Mother-Baby drop-in group, with child development coaches and guest speakers to help mom through the developmental stages of their baby's first years, while providing a relaxing get-together and friendly networking opportunities.

• Child Identification Program (ChIP) – The ChIP program gives parents or guardians the option of having their baby's or child's blood drawn before they leave the hospital, so they always have a sample of his or her DNA should they ever need it for identification purposes. The program is free and voluntary. All that is required is a small needle prick of your newborn baby's heel or your child's finger to obtain a drop of blood. There is no need for blood analysis at that time. Parents keep the sealed sample at home in case it is ever needed.

MATERNITY PACKAGE FOR SELF-PAY PATIENTS

For families without maternity insurance coverage, Sarasota Memorial offers several economical packages to meet most medical needs, including normal vaginal delivery and scheduled Cesarean births. The package covers all indicated hospital charges for uncomplicated deliveries – plus a free home visit by an RN to check on mom and baby after you return home! Click here to view the Post Maternity Package Plan Agreement.