Labor & Delivery
The labor and delivery suite at Johns Hopkins Bayview.The expert team at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center provide compassionate care through labor, delivery and beyond.
Becoming a Mother
Once you arrive at Johns Hopkins Bayview, our labor and delivery nurses are with you and your labor coach every step of the way.
You will deliver in a private labor and delivery room (LDR). Here, mothers and their care partners stay in one room to labor, deliver and bond with their newborns during the initial period after delivery. Each LDR room has a television and seating area, and is connected to a bathroom and shower.
Once your baby is born, you will stay in a postpartum room, designed for the special needs of new mothers and their babies. Our family-centered approach encourages baby "rooming in" so you and your newborn can get to know each other. For your little one's safety, the Medical Center has a security system which you will learn about upon admission.
As you recover and bond, our nurses teach you how to care for your newborn. You'll learn about:
- Feeding
- Bathing
- Changing diapers
- Umbilical cord care
- How to take a temperature
- How to use a bulb syringe when baby's nose is congested
- Circumcision care, if you chose this for your baby
You'll have an opportunity to ask questions about your baby so that you are better prepared once you return home. If you choose to breastfeed, our lactation consultant (breastfeeding expert) can answer your questions and provide support. Just as important, you can use this time to discuss the extraordinary change in your life.
Newborn Care after Delivery
Nurse cares for premature baby in the neonatal intensive care unit.During the first few hours after your baby's birth, specially trained caregivers perform a thorough examination, called a Newborn Assessment. Your baby is examined from head to toe. Your baby's temperature is monitored and your care team checks vital signs such as heart and respiratory rates. Your baby will also receive his or her first sponge bath. In addition, you can take comfort in knowing that pediatricians and neonatologists are available around the clock.
Babies who need specialized attention because of premature birth or medical conditions are lovingly cared for in our state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). A regional leader, Johns Hopkins Bayview's NICU has sophisticated equipment and the most modern technological advances to treat infants. Parents can visit anytime and are encouraged to gently touch and caress their baby. This support helps infants grow and thrive.
Continuing Support for New Moms and Babies
Having a new baby is a monumental adjustment, but one that brings its own set of special rewards.
Questions don't stop once you leave the hospital. For many moms, that's precisely when questions begin. That's why Johns Hopkins Bayview continues caring for new mothers, even when they return home.
- Six week follow-up: For your health, be sure to schedule a six week follow-up visit with your obstetrician to ensure that your recovery is progressing well.
- Lactation support: Our lactation expert will contact you to assist with breastfeeding or baby care issues.
- Pediatrician: If you need a pediatrician, we can help you find one at the Children's Medical Practice at Johns Hopkins Bayview.
Having a Baby at Johns Hopkins Bayview
Take a virtual tour with our doctors and nurse practitioners as they walk you through obstetrical services, the neonatal intensive care unit, mother/baby postpartum unit and what to expect when having a baby at Johns Hopkins Bayview. With more available to watch on our mother-baby unit page.
More on our Mother-Baby Unit
Our Multidisciplinary Care Approach
Bringing new life into the world is an honor. Doctors, certified nurse midwives and nurses agree that with this honor comes a responsibility to provide the highest standards of care, using sophisticated technology and expertise. This is the reason each member of our medical team constantly takes the initiative to learn more through earning board certifications, achieving advanced professional training and mastering state-of-the-art equipment.
Nurses
The obstetrical nursing team at Johns Hopkins Bayview has achieved the highest standards of professional accreditation. Our nurses are nationally certified in obstetrical nursing, fetal assessment for high-risk mothers, neonatology, lactation consulting and childbirth education.
Nurse Midwives
Mothers-to-be may prefer a certified nurse midwife. Trained in all aspects of a woman's life cycle, nurse midwives provide preconception care, family planning, well-woman gynecology and support through pregnancy and delivery. Our nurse midwifery service offers the best of both worlds: a highly professional and personal approach backed by the modern obstetrical resources of a teaching hospital.
Doctors
On staff are obstetricians, a perinatologist (a specialist who cares for high-risk pregnancies and deliveries) and neonatologists. Our team of anesthesiologists is on staff, around-the-clock, to help you make decisions about pain control during labor.
Combined Expertise
This expertise, which spans many medical disciplines, means comprehensive care for all expectant moms. It also means exacting attention, including extensive monitoring, frequent scheduled appointments and a personalized care plan, for the healthiest outcomes possible. If the need arises, our doctors and nurses have the knowledge to help tiny babies in the NICU breathe independently earlier, learn to eat sooner, and grow faster. Complementing this care, the obstetrical staff knows the importance of touch, whether through a reassuring hug for an anxious mother or by encouraging parents to caress their newborn.