What to Expect: Labor & Delivery

When you are admitted for labor, your doctor or midwife will be called to manage your delivery. Your doctor may come to the hospital to deliver your baby or have another provider cover for him or her.  

We always have an in-house physician available around-the-clock to care for you.  

You will also have a labor and delivery nurse to help you through the process of labor. In addition to helping with comfort measures, your nurse will:

  • monitor your progress, the baby’s heart rate, and contractions
  • identify complications
  • help administer medications

Labor and delivery nurses are assigned to just a few patients in order to provide individualized attention to each mom.

Midwives & Residents

At Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and Sisters of Charity Hospital, midwives and residents may collaborate with your doctor. However, most physicians attend to their laboring patients at the time of delivery.

Mercy Hospital: A midwife will deliver your baby if you are a patient of a midwifery group or the Mercy OB/GYN Center or Mercy Comprehensive Care Center. Midwives are available 24/7 at Mercy Hospital. If you are a patient of a private physician, he or she will deliver your baby.

Sisters Hospital: Physicians and residents most often perform the delivery. At Sisters Hospital, midwives are available Monday through Friday and during the day on Saturday.

Comfort Measures

During labor, please feel free to change positions and make use of the many comfort options available. We will work with you to accommodate any requests possible.

Your labor nurse can offer suggestions if you are having difficulty finding a position that works for you.

View available Comfort Measures options.

Visitors

Click here for our visitor policy in the labor and delivery room.

Taking Photos During Childbirth

As long as there is no interference with your care, we encourage you to use your camera to create memories of this special event.

Please speak to your physician or midwife for his or her approval and ask permission from any staff members before you photograph them.

Also, remember to live in the moment. Use every sense to remember what you see, smell, hear and touch to ensure that you experience your baby’s birth as fully as possible.

Donating the Placenta & Taking the Placenta Home

For information on on donating or taking the placenta here click here.

Going Home After Childbirth

A healthy mom may go home after one day, with the approval of her doctor. Moms who have had C-sections may be discharged after two or three days.

Newborns are discharged by their pediatricians. In most instances, the pediatrician will discharge the baby at the same time as mom. At least a 36-hour stay is preferred so that all screening tests may be completed.