Cardiopulmonary Services

Our Birthing Center includes four private Birth Suites, which allow for you and your baby to stay in one place for labor, delivery, and initial recovery. All Birth Suites include: – A private bathroom with shower – Television – Rocking chair – Sleep chair for partner – A bed that can accommodate many birthing positions.

When you have your baby at Civista Medical Center you have the benefit of our dedicated and highly trained physicians and nurses; professionals skilled in all aspects of labor, delivery and newborn care. Most women do not have complications with labor and delivery. If the need for special attention arises, The Birthing Center is prepared to handle both low- and high- risk deliveries and has its own operating room to perform Cesarean sections. We have experience in multiple births, and in providing care to moms who have babies later in life as well as managing other “high-risk” factors. Pediatricians are present 24 hours a day.

Mother and baby are monitored following the delivery. Matching identification bands are provided to mom, baby and support person. For safety reasons, these bands are not transferable. You will wear your band until discharge. Following delivery, mom and baby are moved to the Mother/Baby Unit on One East. You will have a nurse assigned that will care for both mom and baby. Our nurses monitor your vital signs and provide you with medications and comfort items needed as you recover. General assistance and teaching are provided to help you care for your newborn. Breastfeeding assistance is available should you need extra help.

We offer flexible visiting hours in our Birthing Center and allow up to three people to visit at any time of the day or night. All visitors must obtain and wear a visitor’s badge where it can easily be seen in order to enter our secure units. Visitors need to ring the doorbell in both the Birthing Center and Mother/Baby Unit in order to gain admission. While our visiting policy is flexible, we do ask that visitors provide the family unit with time to rest and to get to know one another during this time. On our Mother/Baby Unit, the designated support person (wearing the matching identification band) may stay overnight with mom and baby. Other visitors are welcome as long as they are in good health and over the age of 13. The only children under the age of 13 that may be admitted to the unit are siblings of the baby.

Patients are offered a special rest time between 2:00-4:00 pm daily. During these hours, new mothers and patients are encouraged to rest. There is no visiting during naptime, 2-4 pm each day. Support persons wearing the matching arm band are allowed to stay with mom during nap time. The lights are turned down, noise is kept low, the nurses take the babies to the nurse’s station, and visiting is limited. If you are planning a visit to a new mom soon, please schedule your visit around these hours so that our new mothers and patients in the Mother/Baby Unit can receive a well-deserved “nap”.

Meals are served approximately 7:30 am, 11:30 am and 4:30 pm. Guest trays are available for purchase for fathers or other support persons. Prices are $2.10 for breakfast and $4.35 for lunch and dinner. Payments must be made in advance at the front desk. The cafeteria is located on the ground floor of the Medical Center. Hours of service are: Breakfast, 8-10 am, Lunch, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, and Dinner, 4:30-6:00 pm. Prior to discharge, mom and her significant other may enjoy a Candlelight Dinner. Menus are available upon request. Your special meal will be served in your room while the nurses and staff attend to baby.

You will receive a birth certificate worksheet to fill out. Please complete the worksheet prior to leaving the hospital. A formal copy will be made from this worksheet and filed by the state. If the parents of the baby are not married at the time of the birth, an affidavit of parentage is available for the father to also complete. You will receive both the Verification of Birth and your baby’s social security card at home in the mail.

Because your friends and family will want to see your baby, our auxiliary volunteers will be available to take your baby’s first photos. Pictures may be purchased and/or posted on Civista’s website. A brochure is available in your room that explains picture packages. Payment and consent are needed at the time of the photograph. We recommend that pictures be taken prior to discharge once baby is dressed in its going home outfit. Parents may make arrangements for the photo to be taken at another time if more convenient.

Because each birth experience is different, some patients stay longer in the hospital than other patients. Most vaginal deliveries go home in 24-48 hours. Cesarean deliveries typically require a 72-hour stay. Parents are allowed to stay with infants who may require longer care. Please remember to bring your infant car seat, installed correctly, so that your baby may travel home safely.