What to Expect When You're Expecting at Ochsner

What to Expect When You’re Expecting at Ochsner

Getting prepared for your delivery is one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy. At Ochsner, our team is here to help you have the best experience possible. Whether you’re delivering in New Orleans, Baton Rouge or on the Bayou, you can expect the same expert care for you and your baby. Check out all the must-know delivery info below to learn what you can expect when you deliver at Ochsner.

Rooming-In with Your Support Person
Ochsner encourages and supports 24-hour rooming-in for newborns. With rooming-in, you will enjoy the opportunity to keep your baby with you throughout your entire hospital stay. This will allow you to bond with and get to know your baby better.

To facilitate rooming-in, new moms need a support person to stay with them throughout their hospital stay. Preferably, this is the same support person you will rely on once you are discharged so that we can educate you both on the care of you and baby after discharge. This person should be able and willing to assist you with the following:

Care of the baby, including: assistance with feedings, recording feeding times, diaper changes, watching baby when you are not in the room or handing you the baby if you are unable to get to the crib after surgery (such as C-sections)
Walking (whether to the bathroom or in the hall)
Lending emotional support when needed

Our experts will assist you throughout your stay to ensure you and your baby’s safety. If you have any concerns about having a support person available during your stay, please talk with your care team.

What to Pack for Your Stay
There’s no telling when your baby by may arrive, so it’s a good idea to have a hospital bag packed by week 35. Keep it in the car you’ll be travelling to the hospital in, or in the hallway ready to grab on your way out. Please expect to stay at the hospital for 1-2 nights for a vaginal birth and 2-4 nights for a C-section birth. Check out our detailed packing guide here.

Safety and Security During Your Stay
Your designated support person is the ONLY person allowed to stay with you overnight. Children other than the newborn baby are not allowed to stay overnight in the hospital.

During your stay, you, your baby and your support person will be provided with caregiver bracelets. All of these bracelets will share a unique ID number and will be checked every time the baby comes back to the room to ensure the safety of your newborn.

Additionally, your baby will wear an infant security band on one of his or her ankles*.This band sends location information to our security monitoring system and will sound an alarm if it is removed or is brought too close to an exit.

During your stay, all visitors will need to check in upon arrival. At Ochsner Baptist, visitors will be provided with a personalized visitor’s pass that is valid for 24 hours from the visitor check in kiosk.

*Caregiver/baby ID bands are used in place of infant ankle monitoring bands at Ochsner St. Anne Hospital

Food and Dining
Your care team will provide details on what you should be eating and when, but dining options are available at every Ochsner campus. Find information about your campus’s dining options at the following links: Ochsner Baptist, Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge, Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner, Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank, Ochsner Medical Center – St. Anne, Ochsner Medical Center – North Shore.

Complimentary meal trays are not provided for visitors, including your support person. However, visitors may order trays to be delivered to your room for a fee of $7 cash. Our dietary staff does not carry cash and must retrieve change later in the day, so please bring exact change or plan accordingly. Please order additional trays at the same time the patient’s order is placed.

Newborn Care
The nursing team will educate you and your support person on newborn care essentials, such as cord care, circumcision care, bathing, crying, swaddling, spitting up/burping, weight gain, vaccines and more. Please review our newborn care guide prior to your delivery.

Departing from the Hospital with Your Car Seat
Time of discharge is typically between 9 AM and 12 PM, but can vary by location. Check with your nurse that day for an estimated discharge time. Please ensure you have a ride arranged to be at the hospital between 9 AM and 12 PM on your day of discharge with a car seat already properly installed

Only Louisiana Highway Safety Commission certified Child Safety Seat Fitting Locations are able to check your seat for proper installation. Please plan to have this done prior to your delivery. Louisiana Seat check locations can be found here. Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank is a certified checkpoint with checks available by appointment only. Call 504.391.5529 for details.

To learn more about giving birth at Ochsner, visit ochsner.org/newmom.