WomenCare WNY » Services » Pregnancy » Delivering at Sisters Hospital
Having a baby is both exciting and stressful for expecting parents. That’s why Sisters Hospital is creating a home-like environment in our maternity unit.
Our personal approach and genuine love for what we do makes Sisters Hospital’s Special BirthPlace the setting in which more families are choosing to deliver their babies.
Sisters Hospital is the only hospital in Western New York that can provide critical care in the same building for high-risk moms and babies. Our Intensive Care Unit, High Risk Antepartum Unit and level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) offer the expertise and advanced technology to treat both mom and baby should an emergency arise.
I gave birth to my first child here 9 years ago, and I absolutely loved it.
The staff was very nice and knowledgeable. They answered all of my questions and made sure that we were both well cared for. I'll be back in the next few weeks with my second, and I know that we're in very good hands at Sisters of Charity Hospital!
– Rachel Bars
Our Labor, Delivery and Recovery (LDR) unit consists of 10 private birthing rooms and two rooms for surgical deliveries.
After delivery, most moms rest comfortably in one of our private rooms equipped with private showers and other amenities. Semi-private rooms are offered when all private rooms are occupied.
Our expert medical and nursing staff supports parents throughout the birthing process. An in-house attending physician is always available, and our nurses provide personal attention with a staffing ratio of one nurse for every two to three patients.
Midwives are generally available Monday through Friday and during the day on Saturday.
Certified Nurse Midwives are educated in both nursing and midwifery. In their role in Labor and Delivery, they assess the pregnant woman presenting to the hospital with various obstetric complaints and monitor the progress of labor for women admitted to the Special Birth Place. They promote normal labor, provide safe care for the laboring woman and her baby and communicate closely with the woman's physician about her progress.
Anesthesiologists are available around the clock for pain management.
During labor and delivery, the baby's heart beat is monitored to detect any abnormal changes that may signal a problem.
For patients on the Labor and Delivery floor at Sisters Hospital, the baby's heart beat is monitored at the patient's bedside.
For patients that require a more specialized level of care away from the labor and delivery unit, such as in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Sisters Hospital offers both bedside and continuous remote monitoring of the baby's heart rate. Our team of nurses and physicians can record your baby's heart rate and view the results in your room and on the Labor and Delivery floor. This level of care and quality is what makes Sisters Hospital so special.
Remote monitoring enables Sisters Hospital to observe mom and baby as closely as possible.
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Moms may deliver in a variety of positions (side-lying, traditional, and more), depending on if an epidural is used, which decreases sensation in the lower half of the body and prevents certain positions from being achieved.
Our staff makes every effort possible to accomodate patient requests. We welcome birth plans, which the patient develops in conjunction with her physician, and will work with our patients to meet their goals.
To reduce pain during labor, moms may choose to have an epidural, which reduces sensation in the abdominal and genital and pelvic areas.
Moms who do not have an epidural may use our exercise/birthing ball to assist with comfort. The act of sitting and bouncing on the ball opens the birth canal and allows gravity to assist in the birth. The ball also enables moms to change positions more easily and the natural back and forth swaying movement encourages the relaxation of muscles to relieve pain and stress.
Sisters Hospital allows two visitors in the delivery room, in addition to a birthing coach. However, the number of visitors allowed may depend on the preference of the patient's physician.
If the father of your baby will be overseas during your delivery, you may bring a laptop equipped with a webcam so that he may share in the birthing experience. For patients without access to a computer, arrangements can be made to borrow a laptop. Please make arrangements two weeks before your due date by contacting Mary D'Angelo at (716) 862-2026 or Lisa Smith at (716) 862-1896.
Sisters Hospital offers comfortable, private rooms and bathrooms for most new moms after delivery.
17 standard rooms are available and each are equipped with private showers.
Two “Special Beginnings” Suites, available for an additional $100 per night, include:
Suites are available on a first come, first serve basis.
Special Beginnings Suites
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In the Special BirthPlace, nurses work one-on-one with moms to provide advice on breastfeeding, care of a newborn, and what to expect after discharge. One nurse may care for up to five or seven patients in the Special BirthPlace; by maintaining this ratio, we're able to spend as much time as needed with each patient.
Dimmer lights in our patient rooms make it possible for babies to stay comfortably with mom and dad. If babies are returned to the nursery, they will receive care from RNs who are specially trained to understand the clinical and emotional needs of mother and baby. One nurse may care for up to seven babies.
The Newborn Nursery staff is available to support families in the care of their baby, increasing their confidence, competence and comfort. Parent education is a major focus for the newborn staff. In addition to bedside teaching and our complimentary “Newborn Channel,” education classes cover basic baby care and breastfeeding information prior to discharge.
At Sisters Hospital, meals are delivered much like room service at a hotel. Patients can call our "At Your Service" room service number (5777) any time between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and order food of their choosing.
Each meal is cooked-to-order, prepared with fresh ingredients, and every tray is delivered within 45 minutes or less of the time it is ordered.
Click here for more information about patient amenities at Sisters Hospital.
I just want to sincerely thank all of the nurses at Sisters Hospital for the wonderful care I received when I delivered my son in January.
What a great team of nurses and midwifes, especially my nurse Cathy Gardner. She held my hands the entire time and reassured me that everything was going to be ok! It was so nice to have a nurse who cared about her patient and was focused on making me as comfortable as possible.
Even though it was my second child, I was still scared, but with her help and guidance, I was at ease. She kept me as calm as possible and really made delivery as pain free as possible. My husband and I really feel blessed to have had such a wonderful nurse!
Even after my son was born, she continuously came in to check up on me and my husband to make sure we didn’t need anything. I had both of my children at Sisters, and both times my experiences were absolutely wonderful! The nurses are so knowledgeable and really are there to educate their patients. We are all so lucky to have such a wonderful hospital in Buffalo.
– Jamie
We are a Level III NICU specifically designed for acutely ill or premature babies.
Our NICU sets us apart from other hospitals who cannot provide this level of care and who must transport actutely ill or premature babies to a different facility, separating mom and baby. At Sisters Hospital, both mother and child receive care at the same place and in a matter of minutes, resulting in the best outcomes possible.
Our state-of-the-art NICU is designed to support our tiniest patients in a developmentally appropriate environment that minimizes light and sound. This supports optimum growth while providing space and privacy for babies and their families.
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Our infants are cared for by a team of:
In our NICU, one nurse is assigned to only two or three babies so that each child receives the care that he or she needs for optimum health.
The staff welcomes and encourages parent participation while offering education and emotional support. We welcome your questions and will explain any aspect of your baby’s care that you do not understand.
The NICU has a free-standing educational kiosk in the Family Room. Parents may access this information at any time to gain a better understanding of their baby’s medical condition and the procedures and care plans used in the NICU.
If you have questions even after your visit, you can obtain the most up-to-date information about your baby by calling (716) 862-1271. Feel free to call anytime but understand that information will only be released to the parents. You will be asked for your baby’s ID number each time you visit or call.
We have two suites available for parents to bond with their baby or babies. These rooms offer a respite for parents who are far from home. Prior to discharge, parents are encouraged to spend the night with their infants in the suites. This gives parents the opportunity to gain confidence in caring for their baby or babies. The suites are assigned as available.
Our Family Room, adjacent to the unit, is a welcoming spot for for friends and relatives to relax away from the baby's bedside. A private telephone area, television, beverage machine, refrigerator and microwave are available for our families to use while with us. A variety of toys are also available for our younger visitors.
We offer complimentary parking passes for families of infants who will be in our nursery for an extended stay. They are issued by the unit social worker.
At Sisters Hospital, each mom receives an amenity gift bag with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products for her comfort, as well as a Dining Inn gift certificate for a family member. A Halo Sleep Sack, a wearable baby blanket that replaces loose blankets in the crib, is also provided.
You will need to bring the following to the hospital:
Tours of the Special BirthPlace at Sisters Hospital should be arranged several weeks in advance of your due date. Please call Prenatal Education at (716) 862-1968 to schedule your tour of the Special BirthPlace.
If you are attending one of our Prepared Childbirth classes, you do not need to arrange a tour of the maternity department, as it is included as part of the program.
To find a doctor who delivers at Sisters of Charity Hospital, click here to search our physician directory or contact our HealthConnection representatives at (716) 706-2112 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday - Friday.
