Childbirth Center at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center

You will need to pre-register prior to delivery. Please review what to bring and what not to bring:

While our rooms come furnished with most of the items you’ll need during your stay, there are some additional items you may want to bring to make your stay feel more like home. We’ve compiled a short checklist for moms, baby and your partner/coach below. Be sure to take a tour beforehand (in resources below), as it will help you better determine what will be provided.

Mom

• Birth plan
• Nursing bra
• Breast pump
• Slippers and extra socks
• Robe
• Loose fitting pants to wear home
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Hairbrush, hair ties or clips
• Deodorant
• Contact lens case and glasses, if you wear them
• Optional:
• Pillow
• iPod or CD player
• Chapstick
• Make-up
• Book

Baby

• Approved car seat (install this before your baby’s birth)
• Outfit for going home, including a onesie
• Blanket
• Hat

Partner/Coach

• Coins for the vending machine
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Camera, extra batteries
• Change of clothes
• Food and beverages to store in your mini-fridge
• Deodorant
• Contact lens case and glasses, if you wear them
• Book
• Personal pillow and blanket for your comfort
• Toothbrush and toothpaste

Items to Leave Home

• Valuables

If you are scheduled for a procedure (i.e. non-stress test, induction, scheduled C-section,) please call ahead to make sure that we have a room available. There are times when we are full and have to delay non-emergent procedures such as these. We will reschedule your procedure as soon as possible.

If you can, please call the Childbirth Center (360-738-6361) before you leave your house. This allows our staff time to prepare your room for your arrival. Your nurse will help you get settled in your room, take your vital signs, monitor your baby’s heartbeat, obtain a urine sample and perform a vaginal exam to determine your labor progress. We want you to feel comfortable asking questions; we are partners in this birth experience and we want you to be prepared and informed. If you have a birth plan, please share it with your nurse.

We highly recommend that you pre-register. Pre-registering speeds up your admission process, allowing you to focus on having your baby.

Register within Two Months of Your Due Date

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Registration will register you for the Childbirth Center over the phone. Please call and pre-register within two months (60 days) of your due date.
Let them know you are pre-registering for the Childbirth Center. If you need to leave voicemail, Registration will return your call.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Registration for Childbirth Center 360-788-7724

You’ll get lots of breastfeeding help and support in Bellingham and Whatcom County from our nurses and lactation consultants. These are nurses specially trained to help mothers successfully breastfeed.

The Obstetrical Emergency Department/Triage Unit and Hospitalist Service, located within the Childbirth Center, is a satellite of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center's Haggen Family Emergency and Trauma Center. It functions like an emergency department in that all patients are seen by a physician, triaged and a decision is made to either admit the patient to the Childbirth Center, or to treat and release them to home. An obstetrical hospitalist and anesthesiologist are also immediately available to manage all obstetrical emergencies.

Touring our Childbirth Center will give you a better idea of what to expect and where to arrive prior to delivery. For additional questions, please contact Kimberly Carriker, DNP, RNC-OB, NE-BC

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Detailed view into specific rooms at the Childbirth Center

• Waiting Area
• OBED triage Room
• Labor and Delivery Suite
• Postpartum Suite
• Operating Room
• PACU

We offer these resources from the Washington State Department of Health if you are concerned about having a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19:

• Pregnancy, Birth, and Caring for Your Baby with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19
• Embarazo, nacimiento y cuidado de su bebé con sospecha o confirmación de COVID-19

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) provide care to laboring women as part of our team at the childbirth center. Your midwife is an expert at recognizing and taking action in an emergency if necessary. However, most situations are not emergencies. There is time to work with your midwife to understand your choices and consider the options available to meet your personal needs. As your partner in care, your midwife will provide you with information and resources so you can make informed decisions.

Licensed community midwives who provide care for women seeking out-of-hospital deliveries do not have medical privileges to provide care at St. Joseph Medical Center Childbirth Center. However, the hospital-based obstetricians and certified nurse midwives enjoy collaborating with the licensed midwives and are happy to care for their clients here in the hospital when necessary.

In the event of a transfer of care, licensed midwives are welcomed to accompany their clients to the hospital and continue to provide support during labor.

While your provider may not be on-site around the clock, our board-certified OB Hospitalists are. OB Hospitalists specialize exclusively in the care of women during labor and delivery in the Childbirth Center. OB Hospitalists assist your regular provider in the event of an emergency and if your regular provider is unavailable when you go into labor. They also care for delivering mothers who do not have their own provider.