Labor and Delivery
The Labor and Delivery team at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is the most experienced in the region, spending the last 35 years helping families grow one or more healthy baby at a time. On average, our hospital welcomes 750 babies a month – a number that represents the trusting relationships we’ve developed with generations of women and families.
To arrange a tour of our unit, in addition to the nursery and postpartum floors, call 713-791-7495. We’d be happy to show you around!
What to Expect
Most patients, either because of a scheduled induction or Cesarean section, or because of active labor, arrive through our West Tower. A receptionist will greet you, assess the immediacy of your condition, and then escort you to the necessary location to treat your needs. From that point forward, you will be under the constant care of a medical professional, all the way until you leave the hospital with your new bundle of joy.
Our hospital has 35 labor and delivery rooms and six operating rooms used for cesarean sections. We also have a 9-bed Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for mothers recovering from c-sections.
At Woman’s, we are very proud to say we’re one of the only hospitals in the country that can boast a 1:1 nurse-to-patient ratio in our Labor and Delivery Unit. That means throughout their entire shift, nurses can tend to the needs of mother and baby without the distraction of other patients or responsibilities. They are only there to ensure the well-being of you and your baby, offering compassion, support, and expertise.
After a healthy delivery, initial bonding time is always given to the baby and family. The hospital strives to limit separation between mothers and newborns, even for women undergoing a cesarean section. After an extended bonding period, the baby visits the nursery for a quick assessment by a pediatrician and photograph (part of the infant security program). Mom and baby are then reunited in the Postpartum Unit.
A Safe Delivery
In all labor and delivery rooms, patients can expect continuous electronic fetal monitoring using GE Centricity systems. Those same feeds are also monitored at a central station by the Charge Nurse.
Our entire nursing staff is certified in fetal monitoring and neonatal resuscitation. The majority are also certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). New nurses undergo an extensive orientation process, and all nurses undergo yearly competencies to review the latest recommendations in care and services. All in all, we’re confident that our nurses are some of the best trained in the country. Those who transfer in from other local hospitals frequently remark about the levels of professionalism and proficiency found only at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas.
Our physician staffing includes 24-hour anesthesia and neonatal coverage. Though most physician groups keep doctors on-site after hours, we also have 24-hour care offered by our OB hospitalists. These hospitalists are fully licensed physicians who can facilitate labor and delivery in the absence of a patient’s primary OB.
When routine labor turns into an emergency, there’s no safer place to deliver in the region. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists are able to care for the most serious complications, like preterm labor, preeclampsia, placenta accreta, and more.
Customized Birth Experience
Every day we strive to be a baby-friendly hospital. That means we promote breastfeeding and mother-baby bonding time. Beginning last year, we began offering mother-baby bonding in the PACU immediately following cesarean section. That’s not a practice you’ll often find at other hospitals, but countless mothers have expressed a desire to stay with their babies directly after surgery. Rather than keeping a baby in the nursery while a mother recovers, we let a mother recover with her baby in her arms.
We are open-minded when customizing care to the desires of the mother and needs of the baby. That is to say, there is no set labor and delivery process. If you prefer natural birth to an epidural, we support that decision. If you are interested in trying alternative labor techniques like birthing balls or massage strategies, we support that decision as well.
After delivery, your baby can stay with you as much as you choose. If after two days of labor you’re exhausted and just need four hours of sleep, we can keep your baby in the nursery during that time. If you can’t bear to even have your baby leave for that initial check-up, the pediatrician can come to your room. Our goal is to customize your care to meet your needs and desires.
This is your day. We’re just here to provide any support necessary.
