Labor and Delivery

Video Transcript

[GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING] You have your baby there. And you hold it, and you are a mom. And he — he's a son. And it was beautiful, to experience that skin to skin.

[BABY COOING]

We're here in our Family Birth Center with one of our expectant mothers, who is using some of our natural birthing methods during her labor course. So she broke her bag of water at home. She came in to us here. She's been walking around the unit to kind of stimulate contractions in her labor pattern.

You just relax a little bit. Your partner is there. You hug each other, stay with him and dance a little bit. It was very useful. It's a special moment.

OK.

Very good now.

Are you comfortable on the ball?

I'm comfortable. It will help more the baby.

So they are there with you when you are in labor. And then you say that OK, I need to do it, but if I don't have a team behind me, I cannot make it. But they were there. It was a fantastic team.

I think you've done a really good job of walking around, doing all of the things to kind of promote this. And I know the contractions are getting harder, so that's great.

We know that she's-- she's doing the best for us. We trust here. We say, OK, let's go with the next procedure.

I think it's best if we start a little bit of pitocin.

OK.

So the goal of the pitocin will be to get the contractions to be every two to three minutes. What questions do you have for me?

I am guessing that it will be harder and harder. Right?

It will. It will get more painful, more frequently more painful.

OK.

OK? So you do all of the things. You can continue to walk, whatever is comfortable for you.

So we're trying to mimic as much as we can of what your body would do. We don't just give you a big bunch of pitocin right away and make the contractions extremely painful, extremely close together. That's not how this works. That's not beneficial.

Dad? Do you want to cut the cord?

Right above that.

Right above the other thing? Or here?

Yes.

I cut the cord.

I was overwhelmed with emotion. I wish I could hold the baby, but they had to bring him to check. So I couldn't. But I'm happy that she had this moment. I'm taking pictures. And I stopped taking pictures. Just I don't know. I was taking pictures and looking at you. But you were beautiful with the baby. And it was — I don't know. It was — It was very emotional. [MUSIC PLAYING]

From the moment you arrive at the hospital to the moment your family is discharged, you will experience a nurturing environment for one of your most cherished milestones.

Our team of dedicated experts offers:

Birthing options to accommodate your needs and preferences, including natural birth techniques
Pain management options to help you cope during labor

Our focus remains on you and how you experience your child's birth.

Private, State-of-the-Art Labor and Delivery Suites

Our labor and delivery suites are designed to maximize privacy and support personalized birth experiences for our Chicagoland families.

Obstetrician Maryam Siddiqui, MD, cradles a newborn at the mother's bedside at the Family Birth Center in Hyde Park

Labor and Delivery Suites at the Family Birth Center – Hyde Park

Labor and Delivery Suites at the Family Birth Center – Harvey

Vaginal and Cesarean (C-Section) Birthing Options

At the Family Birth Center, vaginal delivery is the goal whenever possible. Even for some mothers who have had one or two cesarean deliveries (C-sections), we offer trial of labor after cesarean/vaginal birth after cesarean (TOLAC/VBAC).

Cesarean delivery is considered only under circumstances that elevate the risk of complications with vaginal birth, such as:

Certain health conditions
Certain fetal disorders
Fetal distress, such as a drop in the baby's heart rate
Problems with the umbilical cord or placenta
Prolonged or obstructed labor (when the baby is not delivering vaginally)
Multiple births (twins, triplets or more)
Sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV or genital herpes

Whether you deliver vaginally or by cesarean, our team will explore every option possible to engage you and your family in a cherished experience that feels like exactly what it is — your child's birth, not just a procedure.

'Gentle' C-Sections

A C-section does involve surgery, but we understand that your experience is far more than an operation. At the Family Birth Center, our experts perform "gentle" cesareans that support an inclusive delivery and bonding experience for you and your family.

In most cases, we allow one family member or guest to accompany you in the operating room. With a gentle C-section, sometimes called a "family-centered" or "natural" cesarean, you have choices that traditionally have only been offered with vaginal births.

During a gentle C-section experience, we encourage you to see, hold, feed and start bonding with your newborn right away. Whenever possible:

Immediate skin-to-skin bonding is supported and encouraged with cesarean and vaginal deliveries.
Your blood pressure cuff and any other monitoring devices are placed on one arm, leaving your other arm free to hold your baby.
You can breastfeed after cesarean delivery.

Natural Labor Pain Management Techniques

Our team offers several natural and low intervention pain management options. If it's safe for you and your baby, you may even choose not to take pain medication at all. Talk with your care team during your prenatal visits about what labor aids and equipment will be available to you.

Warm Water Immersion Therapy (Hydrotherapy)

Our natural birthing suites at Hyde Park are equipped with built-in warm water immersion therapy (hydrotherapy) tubs. For women who are in active labor, hydrotherapy can offer pain relief and other benefits prior to delivery. The water is kept at a controlled temperature to avoid dehydration.

Particularly recommended for prolonged, obstructed labors with low risk, the advantages of warm water immersion may include:

Soothing labor pain
Softening the perineum, which may reduce the chance of episiotomy
Lowering blood pressure • Increasing blood circulation, allowing more oxygen in the womb
Enhancing comfort and flexibility in positioning
Mental and physical relaxation

Free Movement and Hands-On Support

We encourage free movement during labor to help you manage pain naturally, position your baby for birth and potentially shorten labor time. Our specialists can coach you through movement and positioning exercises to help your labor progress. Learn more about the labor and birth aids available at our Hyde Park and Harvey locations.

Whether you need to rock, squat, bounce or walk, we offer a selection of labor and birth aids to help you move through pain and discomfort. Our care teams can coach you through movement and positioning exercises and apply physical touch to help you cope with contractions and other types of labor pain.

We encourage you to choose freely from our services and amenities for comfort and support during labor.

Focus and Distraction Techniques

Anesthesia for Labor Pain Management

Our anesthesiology experts are available to administer pain medication as needed or requested 24 hours a day, with advanced expertise in epidural labor pain relief.

Epidural Labor Pain Relief

Our obstetric anesthesiology specialists aim to put you at ease if you choose or need epidural pain relief.

At the Family Birth Center, having an epidural does not mean you lose part of your childbirth experience. With your feedback, our team of specialists can adjust your dosing to ensure that you have adequate pain relief while trying to minimize loss of sensation and still allowing some mobility.

Pain Relief for Cesarean Deliveries (C-Sections)

Should you need a cesarean delivery, our anesthesiology team provides compassionate care to maximize family participation in the birth experience. Most patients remain awake through delivery with regional (epidural or spinal) anesthesia for pain relief. Our experts only administer general anesthesia in circumstances when it's the safest option for you or baby.

In most cases, a family member attends cesarean deliveries. When possible, we even encourage immediate baby bonding after C-section, such as skin-to-skin in the operating room and early breastfeeding.

Two State-of-the-Art Birth Centers: Hyde Park and Harvey

With labor and delivery units in Hyde Park and Harvey, the Family Birth Center also offers personalized prenatal care in several convenient locations for Chicagoland families, from South Loop to the Southland.

Birthing suite at the Family Birth Center in Harvey