Birth and Newborn Services

You can securely pre-register online for your hospital stay by filling out our Hospital Pre-registration Form.

Complete the Birth Preferences form. Writing your birth preferences will help you to consider the many decisions you will make during your labor and postpartum time in the hospital. It will also enable you to communicate your ideas and philosophy to your OB provider, nurse midwife, the nursing staff and your support people.

Family Health Education offers a variety of live virtual classes and support for new and expecting parents all led by birthing and parenting experts. Classes cover late pregnancy, childbirth, baby care and infant feeding. We even offer a class for grandparents-to-be!

• CHES: Center for Healthcare Education and Simulation - Infant and Child CPR classes

Get Ready to Bring Your Baby Home

Install your baby's car seat a few weeks before your due date and be sure you have the right car seat. UnityPoint Health maternity teams cannot install car seats for patients. However, you may be able to schedule an appointment with a certified car seat technician to help install your car seat, depending on your location.

Meriter provides many resources to help you have a successful breastfeeding experience, including a Basics of Breastfeeding class, lactation consultants and a Breastfeeding Helpline with specially trained lactation consultants.

Well Water - If you have well water, it is very important to have it tested to be sure it is safe for your baby. A high nitrate content will decrease the ability of a baby's blood to carry oxygen. Bacteria in the water can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Boiling well water may kill the bacteria, but it also increases the nitrate level.

City Water - If your home was built before 1985 have your water tested for lead. If your home is new, have your water tested for copper.

How to Test - The local agencies that test water are:

• State Lab Hygiene - (800) 442-4618. Water testing kits for well and city water are available for a small fee.
• Public Health for Madison and Dane County - (608) 266-4821. Water testing kits for well and city water are available for a small fee. Fees are waived for Dane County residents who meet income eligibility standards.

Valet Services are conveniently offered at the front entrance of the hospital weekdays, 6:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

• 6:00 AM - 8:00 PM - Park in any visitor area in the ramp. (If you do not feel comfortable walking from the ramp, you can park temporarily in the drive-in front of the main lobby doors. Your spouse or support person can move the car after you are admitted.) Go to the 4 North triage area where you will be admitted.
• 8:00 PM - 6:00 AM- The main lobby doors are locked during these hours. Park and take the elevators to the 2nd floor to enter the hospital lobby. From there, you will be directed to the Birthing Center.

One of the advantages of family-centered care is that your baby stays with you from the moment of birth. You will discover your baby's preferences and begin a feeding relationship. By spending time together, you will discover the uniqueness of your new baby. Your nurse will be there to support you and assist you in caring for your baby.

Benefits of Rooming-In

1. Better Breastfeeding.
   Being with your baby allows for a better breastfeeding experience. You can breastfeed more often, learn your baby’s hunger cues, increase milk production and get more practice with different techniques. This helps foster more questions and conversation with your nurse and lactation consultant.
2. Understand Your Baby.
   Your baby has unique cues and ways of communicating his or her needs, whether baby is tired, stressed or hungry. The more quickly you learn to understand your baby, including in the overnight hours, the sooner your family will adjust to a new life together.
3. Bonding.
   Your first few days with your baby are precious. We encourage you to spend as much time as possible holding baby skin-to-skin. This not only allows for bonding with baby, it helps baby regulate body temperature and stress, may improve brain development and healthy weight, may reduce postpartum depression and encourages breastfeeding and milk production.
4. Sleep.
   It may seem like you’ll get more rest if baby is in a nursery. However, studies have shown you get the same amount of rest if baby shares your room, especially in the early days when baby wakes often to eat. Sharing a room will help your baby develop a more regular sleeping routine, which may lead to a better routine for the whole family.

We want to make sure you are prepared to take care of your infant when you go home. Keeping your baby with you gives you more time to practice news skills like swaddling, bathing and diaper changes in an environment where you can freely ask advice from your care team. You’ll be more confident in your abilities when you leave.

You and your OB provider will decide together when you are ready to go home. Patients who have a vaginal birth generally go home the second day after giving birth. Patients who have a cesarean birth usually go home about three days after giving birth. Factors that could extend or shorten your stay include complications, personal preference and insurance coverage.

You will receive one parking pass that can be delegated to a family member or friend. To get the pass, go to the Guest Services office in the lobby.

They are open Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM and Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. Other visitors can also park in the ramp, for a small fee. Parking is free on holidays.

Due to COVID-19 UnityPoint Health - Meriter has made changes to our visitor policy. For the most updated information regarding visitors, please visit our Patients & Visitors Page.

Our Food & Nutrition team strives to provide high-quality food to promote health and healing. Meal service consists of a house select meal delivered to your room three times a day. A diet clerk will visit you before your second meal to "personalize" your meals and accommodate your preferences, desired portion sizes or any allergies you may have. If your provider has ordered a special diet, the menu may be modified to adjust for changes in calorie, texture, fluids or other nutrients.

• Baby taking water into lungs during delivery
• Possible infection for you or your baby
• Newborn bleeding from broken umbilical cord

Your participation in a water birth class will help you prepare for possible emergencies. To prevent your baby from taking water into their lungs or breaking the umbilical cord, your OB provider will gently and quickly guide your baby above the water surface as it is born. You and your baby will be monitored for signs of infection. As with any birth, the obstetrical team will inform you when the risks of delivering in the birthing tub will outweigh the benefits of delivery under water. At that time, you will be informed and moved to the labor bed or an operating room.

Discuss the water birth option with your OB provider. You and your provider will meet to review the eligibility requirements. A water birth class is available for you, once it is determined you meet the eligibility requirements. Attendance at a water birth class is encouraged but optional. A separate consent is required for a water birth delivery.

• Healthy pregnant patients at least 18 years old
• Uncomplicated pregnancy
• Single baby in head down position
• No previous cesarean births

You will not be eligible for a water birth if any of the following conditions are present:

• Any condition requiring continuous electronic monitoring of your baby
• Abnormal bleeding
• Need for a vacuum or forceps delivery
• Need for medicine to strengthen contractions
• Meconium stained fluid
• Fever or other evidence of infection
• Request for epidural anesthesia
• Any obstetric emergency
• Problems with the water birth tub
• Decision of the admitting provider
• Trained water birth provider unavailable
• Pregnancy BMI of 40 or greater

Please contact your OB provider to determine if you are a candidate for a water birth and if your provider is willing to offer a water birth delivery.

If you would like more information about a water birth, please contact Family Health Education at (608) 417-8446.

Following the birth of your baby, our nurses are there to answer questions you may have and can help educate you on how best to meet your breastfeeding goals. If you are struggling with breastfeeding, our lactation consultants are there to support you and your nurse. Our consultants are available for inpatient visits seven days a week on our post-partum floors and in our NICU.

Our helpline answering machine is on 24 hours a day, and we return calls between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm for any questions or concerns which may arise after you return home. Please feel free to call at (608) 417-6547.

If breastfeeding questions or concerns arise after you return home, our consultants can help with any breastfeeding challenges you may face, including positioning, latch-on, engorgement and low milk supply. Our goal is to provide you with the help you need to reach your breastfeeding goals. Call (608) 417-6547 to schedule a one-on-one outpatient visit. This visit involves a fee so check with insurance first.

• Common Family Planning Questions after Pregnancy
• Spanish - Common Family Planning Questions after Pregnancy

• Family Planning Worksheet
• Spanish - Family Planning Worksheet