Postpartum Care

From certified lactation consultants to pelvic floor therapy, we offer the support and resources you need to navigate the postpartum period more easily.

From the moment your baby enters the world to the day you leave the hospital, our postpartum care centers are committed to providing the support you need to begin recovering.

Your Postpartum Stay

The Golden Hour

At Palm Beach Health Network, we practice evidence-based care. When medically possible, we encourage mothers to spend the Golden Hour with their newborns.

The Golden Hour is the period in a baby's first hour of life in which important events take place. Mothers and babies who spend the Golden Hour together may experience better neonatal thermoregulation, decreased stress levels in both mother and child, and improved bonding. Additionally, increased rates and duration of breastfeeding have been linked to the implementation of this time in mothers and babies.

During the Golden Hour, you may participate in skin-to-skin contact and your nurse will be available to answer any questions you may have.

Rooming In

While some of our hospitals offer nursery services, all our postpartum units encourage families to practice "rooming in" with the baby from day one. This encourages additional bonding with your new arrival and allows you to more easily get to know your newborn's needs with 24/7 access to assistance from our expert nursing staff.

Newborn Security

Whether your newborn is rooming in with you or staying in the NICU, we practice a high level of security when it comes to your child. All newborns are given a patient identification band to match their parents' and IDs will be confirmed before every care session while in the hospital.

Additional security measures:

When your baby is born, a sensor is attached to his/her ankle or umbilical cord. This device sets off an alarm if your baby is moved near any of the exits, stairs or elevators in our area.

The Labor & Delivery and the Postpartum areas are always on “lockdown” mode. To enter these areas, visitors must identify themselves and the door must be unlocked by the staff inside.

Check for an official hospital ID badge. Release your infant only to staff members wearing the appropriate name tags. During your hospital tour, you will be told how to identify these badges. Otherwise, the baby should not leave your room.

Babies are transported in bassinets/cribs. No infants are to be carried in the hallways by staff, parents or visitors.

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What If My Baby... ?

Babies don’t come with apps. That means you, the new mom, are often trying to figure things out on your own. And [yes, it’s true] not everything goes the way you imagined. What to do?!

Answers to common questions about “What if my baby . . . . .”

  1. Won’t stop crying?
    When it seems like your baby will never stop crying, 20 minutes feels like 20 hours. The truth is, infants normally cry about one to three hours a day. They cry when they’re hungry, tired, thirsty, lonely or in pain. Or, they may just fuss. Call your doctor if prolonged crying off and on lasts for more than a day despite all your best efforts to comfort. Also call if your baby has other symptoms, such as fever.
  2. Won’t breastfeed?
    Breastfeeding isn’t always easy. Up to two-thirds of mothers nursing newborns are unable to manage breast feeding for as long as they intended. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend breastfeeding only for the first six months. Your hospital has or can recommend a lactation consultant who will help make the transition easier and save you a great deal of frustration.
  3. Wants to be carried all the time?
    You may feel like you need to take care of other things. However, a study reported in Pediatrics magazine cited that six-week-old infants (a peak time in life for crying) cry and fuss 43 percent less overall when mothers spend additional time carrying them. The decrease in crying is associated with an increase in contentment. No matter how frustrated you may become, please do not shake your baby. About 25 percent of shaken babies die, and about 80 percent suffer lifelong disabilities.
  4. Ate something he/she shouldn’t have?
    Babies and young children put a lot of things in their mouth. If you’re not sure what went in, or if you even just suspect that it may not be good, call poison control.
  5. Is having trouble breathing?
    Breathing issues are nothing to delay about. If your baby has difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
  6. Has a suspicious rash?
    Rashes are one of the most common reasons parents call a doctor. Most blotches and bumps on babies clear up by themselves. Call your doctor if your baby has fever or other unexplained symptoms, if the rash is red or oozes liquid, if the rash seems worse in the skin creases or if there is no improvement after three days of treating at home.