Antepartum
The Woman's Hospital of Texas, among many things, specializes in high-risk prenatal care. Accordingly, our 48-bed Antepartum Unit is the most comprehensive in the region. We provide mothers on bed rest with a second home and offer vulnerable babies the care they require.
Most Woman’s patients, if close to delivery and having contractions, will go straight to our Labor and Delivery Unit. A number of conditions might require a stay in our Antepartum Unit (APU)beginning as early as 25 weeks. They include:
- Pre-term labor
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Diabetes
- Premature rupture of membranes
- Bleeding disorders – placenta previa, placenta abruption, etc.
- Asthma
- Post-surgery complications
Most antepartum patients arrive between 30-32 weeks, and a 3-4 week-stay is typical. Some are in just for a day or two, while others stay for up to 12 weeks. Whatever your physician recommends, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is here to accommodate your needs.
In February 2009, our Antepartum Unit was the first to move into the hospital’s brand new West Tower. For patients, that means modern amenities in the comfort of a private room. You can expect a bed that’s actually comfortable, couch, TV, DVD player, both patient and fetal monitoring equipment, and a computer to update medical records. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hospital, and patients can check out a laptop upon request.
The Woman’s Suites feature hotel-like accommodations and gourmet cuisine with overnight accommodations for a guest or family member. Your stay in the Woman’s Suites will include: room service including an exclusive gourmet menu, complementary meals, a plush robe and slippers, complimentary valet and so much more.
Our Standard of Care
The patient to nurse ratio in Woman’s Antepartum Unit is 3:1, sometimes 2:1 depending on how involved your needs are. Rounds are made a 24 hours a day at a minimum of every two hours, but we’ll of course respect your sleep. All nurses carry their own phone for patients to call directly. We also have a bed-side call system in place.
Almost all antepartum patients require monitoring for both contractions and fetal heart rate. This is done in the comfort of your room. The maternal-fetal experts at Houston Perinatal Associates also have access to a private ultrasound room on the floor, and of course the hospital’s Radiology Department often provides consultation.
Because so many of our patients spend considerable time in the Antepartum Unit, depending on availability, we often invite those mothers to return to our unit after birth. This lets you return to a room and nurses familiar to you, offering an environment of continuity to spend those first days with your baby.
Direct medical care is only part of our story. High-risk patients often require the services of social workers, dieticians, diabetes educators, and other health professionals. Woman’s can provide all of these, plus a range of other consulting specialists.
Tea Timers
For patients staying in our Antepartum Unit long term, the Tea Timers support group can be a wonderful reprieve from the stress of pregnancy. Meeting once a week, the Tea Timers participate in mother-infant education classes—breastfeeding, infant CPR, etc.—scrapbooking sessions, special holiday-related festivities, and much more. Just ask your nurse about it!
For more information, please call The Woman's Hospital of Texas at 713-790-1234.
For physician referral, call 281-GET-HELP.
