Pregnancy & Childbirth
When you’re ready to start or add to your family, you want the most
helpful information from compassionate experts who stay by your side every
step of the way and deliver the best possible care for your particular
situation. That’s exactly what you’ll find at the Mother &
Baby Center in The Children’s Hospital at OU Health in Oklahoma
City and through our women’s health and childbirth partners at OU
Health in Tulsa.
Comprehensive Pregnancy & Childbirth Services for You
No matter where you live in Oklahoma or across the region, you can take
advantage of the wide range of OU Health pregnancy and childbirth-related
services. You benefit from advanced family-centered care designed to support
you and your loved ones so you can enjoy the amazing journey of welcoming
your new little one into a world of enthusiastic grandparents, siblings,
extended family and friends.
Advanced Care in a Safe & Welcoming Environment
Through the Mother & Baby Center, part of Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital OU Health, you gain access to the most advanced care in the region
for both uneventful experiences and special circumstances surrounding
pregnancy and childbirth, including:
-
Gestational diabetes – Elevated sugar in the bloodstream from a type of diabetes that
happens only during pregnancy, where a specific hormone stops your body
from using insulin properly
-
High-risk pregnancy – Carrying triplets or multiples, having a history of miscarriage
or other factors that may put you or your baby at risk while you’re
pregnant or during delivery; access to the STAR Prenatal Clinic for pregnant
women with a history of substance use
-
Lactation services and breastfeeding – Oklahoma’s only full-service lactation center for education
that prepares and supports you in breastfeeding your baby
-
Neonatal and perinatal services – Specialized care for you and your baby both before and after birth,
including Oklahoma’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit
(NICU), providing the highest level of care as determined by national
healthcare accrediting agencies
-
Services for mothers wanting
vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC)
Family-Centered Care
Inside Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health in Oklahoma City, one
of the first hospitals in the nation to provide complete care for moms
and newborns in the same building, you’ll appreciate the spacious,
comfortable birthing suite where your baby stays with you and your family
except if undergoing special care. Should your new little one need intensive
care, your childbirth team has immediate access to the advanced facilities
and highly trained specialists you and your baby need.
As part of the family-centered care process, you and your family work with
your healthcare providers as a team to make decisions about your care
and the care of your baby. You also receive the information and education
you need to make the best choices about your care and your baby’s
care, including encouragement for breastfeeding and support for your specific
needs, as well as those of your baby and your family.
National Accreditation for Baby-Friendly Hospitals
When you choose OU Health for pregnancy and childbirth care, you benefit
from our collaboration with the University of Oklahoma Medical Center
in Oklahoma City and Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, both of which hold the
respected designation of Baby-Friendly Hospital, accredited in the United
States by Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA).
This global program, started in 1991 by the World Health Organization and
the United Nations Children’s Fund, assists hospitals around the
world in giving mothers the information, confidence and skills needed
to start and continue breastfeeding or to safely feed with formula –
the gold standard of maternity practices that support optimal infant nutrition
and the health of both mother and baby.
Expert Guidance for Your Pregnancy & Beyond
As you begin your childbirth journey, choose one of OU Health’s board-certified
obstetricians to help you and your baby prepare for a smooth pregnancy
and a safe delivery. Through the expert guidance, individual attention
and compassionate care you receive at the Mother & Baby Center, you’ll
feel confident in your ability to take care of yourself and your new little
one both before and after birth.
In Tulsa, you’ll work with
OU Health Physician’s women’s health care providers who offer a wide range of obstetrics and gynecology services and access
to healthcare professionals, including maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physicians
who specialize in helping you manage a high-risk pregnancy and birth.
As an expectant mother, learn more about what to expect during your prenatal visits.
Prenatal Educational Information
Outside of your regular obstetrics appointments, you benefit from a variety
of advanced
prenatal and family education classes through OU Health that help you and your family prepare for all stages
of family growth. In addition, you can:
Maternity Services & Childbirth
Delivering your baby at the Mother & Baby Center in Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital OU Health means you can expect a warm, welcoming, luxurious and
safe environment with all the support you and your baby need.
Your multidisciplinary team of highly experienced doctors and nurses understands
all types of maternal-fetal health situations, from routine care to complex
or high-risk procedures, because more mothers and babies in at-risk pregnancies
get their care at the Mother & Baby Center than anywhere else in Oklahoma.
Specialized Care for High-Risk Pregnancy & Follow-Up
As a high-risk mother living anywhere in Oklahoma or across the region,
you can get a referral to the Mother & Baby Center and know you’ll
receive individualized care for your specific situation. You benefit from
access to:
- Comprehensive neonatology medical coverage in-house and around the clock
- A dedicated obstetrical anesthesia program
- Eighteen pre-delivery beds for women with high-risk pregnancies
- Forty mother-baby unit beds
- Sixteen labor and delivery rooms (LDR)
- Six urgent care rooms for labor and delivery
- Three operating rooms
-
Oklahoma’s only Level IV
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), providing the highest level of care available in the United States, just
an elevator ride away, with NICVIEW cameras for families unable to remain with baby
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Services in Tulsa
In Tulsa, you can take advantage of OU Health’s maternal-fetal medicine
specialists to help manage your high-risk pregnancy for the best possible
outcome. You and your doctor gain access to advanced technology and services such as:
- High-risk prenatal diagnosis and ultrasound
- High-risk perinatal center
- Genetic counseling and amniocentesis
- Fetal testing before delivery
- Fetal surgery or treatment
- Twin vaginal delivery
Midwifery Services in Tulsa
When you choose OU Health physicians in Tulsa for your pregnancy and childbirth
care, you gain access to Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) who provide direct
care for you and your baby. They also teach medical students and train
resident physicians who take part in your regular medical care and help
provide treatment when you’re hospitalized. Your CNM:
- Promotes the health and well-being of women and infants
- Provides childbirth services supported by obstetricians in a hospital setting
- Offers prenatal and postpartum care
- Delivers low-risk pregnancies
- Provides family planning services
- Consults if needed with maternal-fetal medicine specialists or general
obstetricians
As advanced practice registered nurses, CNMs specialize in women’s
health care, achieve certification through the American College of Nurse-Midwives
and gain recognition by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
In Tulsa, your CNM helps deliver your baby at Hillcrest Hospital, not
at home or in a birth center, in partnership with board-certified OB/GYN
physicians, to ensure you receive exceptional care. CNMs at OU Health
in Tulsa can prescribe medications, order tests and provide you with obstetrical
and gynecologic services throughout your life.
Ongoing Support for You, Your Newborn & Your Family
Giving birth in the Mother & Baby Center at Oklahoma Children’s
Hospital marks only the beginning of the support you and your family receive
from OU Health as you learn healthy ways to take care of your child, your
family and yourself. In the Neonatal Village, a special nursery area just
for NICU babies where parents stay in private rooms, you can learn and
practice caring for your newborn.
Whether you choose pregnancy and childbirth care from OU Health in Oklahoma
City or in Tulsa, you’re well prepared to return home with your
new little one. You and your care team will review information about OU
Health services across the state that can help you and your baby make
a smooth transition from hospital to home. And you’re always welcome
in our family education classes that keep you and your loved ones growing strong.
Baby Photos – Safely & Naturally: Capture your baby’s arrival by arranging for a complementary
Bella Baby Photography session. From the comfort of your birthing suite, you and your entire
family can participate in creating natural, artistic images. View the
edited photos in a password-protected online slideshow and order prints
to share with family and friends.