Labor & Delivery Support

Your hospital stay begins in Labor and Delivery, where you will prepare for birth and deliver your baby in a warm, private, homelike room in our state-of-the-art birthing suites. A team of highly-skilled physicians and magnet-awarded nurses will care for you during your delivery and recovery. Our special care nursery is connected to the unit and staffed 24/7 if your baby needs special attention following birth.

Being well-informed about your birth options can help provide the experience you and your family desire. We encourage you to think about how you want to bring your baby into the world, to discuss your wishes with your practitioner, and to create a birth plan. A birth plan details an ideal order of events, but keep in mind that sometimes circumstances change—so it’s important to be flexible and trust that your care team will accommodate your wishes as much as possible. We have a variety of support techniques available to you during labor, including:

• Peanut Balls – Peanut balls are inflatable birthing balls shaped like a peanut and help you to properly position during labor. The positions can vary depending on your stage of labor and will open the birth canal to give your baby room to rotate and descend. This can speed up the overall process of labor and strongly supports a vaginal delivery.
• Birthing Ball – A birthing ball is a round exercise ball that you sit on to apply pressure to your perineum, which decreases the sensation of pain. You can kneel and lean over the ball for support and to relax your pelvic floor.
• Aromatherapy – If you use candles or essential oils to destress at home, consider using aromatherapy during labor to reap the same benefits—helping your mind and body relax.
• Family-Centered C-section – If a c-section is needed, CentraState offers a “gentle c-section.” Our team will make the c-section experience in the operating room as similar as possible to the labor and delivery room. A clear, sterile drape is lowered so you and your support person can see your baby being born.
• Support Persons – Having a helpful, caring support person in the room with you can be just as important as other support options. An attentive spouse, partner, friend, doula, or family member will help you feel more at ease and provide reassurance. Two support persons can be in the delivery room at CentraState.

Our laborist program empowers laboring mothers for a vaginal delivery by having a CentraState physician available during the entire labor journey. This means you’ll have the support of a board-certified OB/GYN, in addition to your labor and delivery nurses, prior to being ready to push with your doctor. This evidence-based practice allows mothers to labor longer for a vaginal birth, provides more opportunities for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), and reduces the need for an emergency c-section.

There are a variety of pain-relieving medicines available under the supervision of your doctor. It’s a good idea to discuss pain relief with your doctor at an appointment before labor begins, keeping in mind that circumstances and preferences may change once labor is underway. CentraState offers a range of anesthesia options during labor, including:

We provide breastfeeding support in the hospital, after the birth of your baby since we understand that some moms and babies need help during the learning process of breastfeeding.