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Take a look at some scenes from our maternity
unit and view the questions you should ask when shopping for a hospital.
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At St. Joseph Medical Center, we believe the birth of a baby means the growth of a family, which is the focus of the care we provide. Family members are encouraged to take an active role in caring for the new baby, and nurses encourage all family members to participate in the teaching about newborn care.
Our philosophy is that mothers should be cared for in conjunction with their babies, not apart from them. By doing this, the nurse becomes familiar with the needs of the entire family and can coordinate a teaching program with goals unique to that patient. Our goal is to help nurture the changing family so that the mother and baby's transition to home life is as smooth as possible.
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Our obstetrical services include:
- Ten spacious birthing suites where mothers can labor, deliver and recover all in the same room (After a two-hour recovery, patients are escorted to a private mother-baby suite).
- Private mother-baby suites that offer mothers and babies a chance to bond with minimal interruptions in a relaxed environment
- Two surgical suites to accommodate surgical deliveries
- A Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), staffed with highly specialized nurses for infants with special needs
- Secured unit video camera entry system
- Infant Security System
- Board certified perinatologists and neonatologists who work with the most complicated of pregnancies available 24 hours a day.
- A boarder program for families of NICU babies that allows you to stay with your baby until discharge
- Lactation and breast-feeding education specialists
- Nationally certified nurses who have a passion for caring for the family unit
- 24-hour in-house OB anesthesia care.
- Maternal diagnostic services that offer in depth testing of your pregnancy through ultrasound, amniocentesis and genetic counseling when these services are indicated.
Childbirth Education Opportunities
St. Joseph Medical Center offers a variety of classes to give parents-to-be a head start on preparing for their new experiences with baby. These programs are staffed by our maternity nurses who will interact directly with you to understand and meet your educational needs before, during and after delivery.
We understand this exciting time is full of questions and concerns and we want to be your resource for education and guidance. We will keep in contact with you through personal phone calls and various educational offerings. Topics include childbirth preparation, infant care, breast-feeding, sibling preparation and CPR for infants and children. To inquire about any of these offerings, call us at 816-9HEALTH or register online.
Pre-delivery Visits
To help you prepare for your delivery experience, we offer you a free pre-delivery visit with a St. Joseph Medical Center Maternity Services nurse. We encourage you to schedule this visit during your seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. During your visit, you will become familiar with hospital routines, tour the unit privately and complete some of the necessary paperwork, which makes your admission so much easier for you. You will also have the opportunity to plan your hospital stay "your way" and ask the questions you need answered. To schedule a visit or ask questions about any of our maternity services, call 816-943-4645. We offer pre-delivery visits during the day, evening and weekend. Call now to schedule!
Special Care for Special Babies
Sick newborns need specialized care. St. Joseph Medical Center works with specialists at Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH) to provide expanded care for those babies and their families. We offer a NICU where short term ventilation is provided as needed and babies at 32 weeks gestation and older are comfortably care for.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (highly specialized nurses) from Children's Mercy Hospital, under specific direction of Children's Mercy Hospital physicians, are on-site 24 hours a day to initiate emergency assessment and support treatment for newborns at St. Joseph Medical Center that require specialized care.
Self-Pay Maternity Program
The Self-Pay Maternity Program is designed as as community service for mothers without maternity coverage and offers predictable charges and significant cost savings. Patients interested in the 24, 48 hour or cesarean birth short-stay option should talk with their physicians about their plan to utilize this program. Call 816-943-4645.
Special Touches
During your stay with us, you will receive some little extras to help with your delivery and transition home including:
- Backpack style diaper bag
- Thermal drink mug
- scrub shirt and pants for dad with his baby's footprints on the shirt (a nominal charge will appear on your bill)
- photos of your new baby (although there is no obligation to buy the photos, they are available for parents who wish to purchase them)
- web nursery where you can securely post photos of your baby for friends and family to view privately.
- meals provided by "room service". Order what you want, when you want!
- Patient kitchen area for light snack needs
Healthy Beginnings Program
The Saint Joseph Foundation with the support of local community agencies have made it possible to offer this unique program free of charge. This program is for patients who are on medicaid, teens or have other social situations that could benefit from additional support. Members of this group receive 3 to 5 individual visits with a RN for one-on-one education. Participants also receive a free car seat, childbirth classes, breast pump, breast feeding class and much more. To receive the maximum benefits, it is important to enroll early. Call 816-943-4645 to see if you qualify.
Helpful Web Sites:
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