Labor and delivery at Lancaster General Health
Support for you and your baby at Women & Babies Hospital
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s Women & Babies Hospital welcomes over 4,000 babies yearly, more than any other hospital in Lancaster County. Our extensive labor and delivery experience makes us prepared to handle every type of birth. Whether you’re a first-time parent, welcoming multiples, or need specialized care for a high-risk pregnancy, we help you have a safe, healthy delivery.
Women & Babies Hospital was the first hospital in Pennsylvania to earn the Baby-Friendly® Hospital designation. The designation means our hospital meets high standards for infant feeding, giving you the support and information you need to successfully start and continue breastfeeding if you choose to do so. Our certified lactation consultants visit you after delivery, offer guidance, and answer your questions.
Our obstetrics and maternity care team takes a personalized approach to care, helping you feel confident and cared for before, during, and after delivery. You and your family will feel at home during your stay. We offer private suites, an outdoor playground and craft room for visiting siblings, and overnight amenities for your support partner.
What to expect during your stay at Women & Babies Hospital
We want you to have the delivery experience you hope for. During your pregnancy, we encourage you to make a birth plan detailing your labor and delivery wishes. Our attentive staff follow your plan as closely as possible, keeping the health and safety of you and your baby as our top priority.
If you’d like a natural childbirth, and it’s safe for you and your baby, our providers from obstetrics and maternity care and midwifery services can help you deliver without medication. Our labor and delivery nurses are also trained in relaxation techniques to help you manage your pain, and we offer whirlpool tubs and showers for pain relief.
Our anesthesiologists are on site 24/7 to provide pain relief medication like an epidural. Fully equipped surgical suites are available for scheduled and unplanned C-sections (cesarean delivery).
Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists monitor you in our special care unit if you’re experiencing pre-term labor or have a high-risk pregnancy. If your provider has concerns that your baby may need special care after birth, staff from our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) attend the delivery and care for your baby.
After delivering your baby, you recover in a private, post-birth room. The comfortably furnished room is spacious to accommodate you and your partner, your baby, and visitors. Rooming in with your baby supports family bonding and helps you get to know your newborn. Our certified lactation consultants may visit you to offer breastfeeding and breast-care guidance.
Your nurse checks on you throughout the day and night to ensure you’re recovering well. We also have daily quiet time when you can rest. Staff try to avoid coming into your room during that time.
Your baby’s pediatrician will examine your baby in your room within 24 hours of birth. They’ll do newborn screenings and make sure your baby is doing well after delivery.
Amenities and services in your private couplet-care room include:
- Complimentary chair massage
- Hair dryer
- Mini fridge
- Private bathroom with shower
- Restaurant-style meals
- Space for your partner to sleep
- TV
- Wi-Fi
To ensure your family’s safety, we have 24/7 on-site security equipped with the latest technology. Only registered visitors and staff have access to your room.
We offer new parents a complimentary professional photography session at your bedside. Before you leave the hospital, our photographers from WelcomeNewborn capture a few photos of your new family. There’s no pressure to purchase these photos, but we offer several packages to help you remember these precious early moments with your new baby.
Depending on your recovery and your baby’s health, you can expect to stay at Women & Babies Hospital for one to four nights. Checkout is at 11 a.m. each day. Our knowledgeable staff answers any questions you have about transitioning home and connects you to resources you’re interested in, such as support groups, newborn care classes, postpartum recovery care, and lactation services.
Before you leave, a maternity nurse guides you through our SAFE sleep program. We review safe newborn sleep practices, which includes placing your baby in their crib alone, on their back, on a firm surface, with nothing else in their crib. We also check your car seat before you leave, making sure you know how to install it and safely buckle in your newborn.
The highest-level care for your newborn
Our Level IIIB NICU is the first and most advanced NICU in Lancaster County. In partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), we provide advanced care to babies born prematurely or needing extra support. Our team of neonatologists (newborn specialists) and advanced practice providers have the experience, training, and special equipment to care for babies born as early as 23 weeks.
Premature infants sometimes have trouble feeding. We’re the first hospital in the area to offer the FDA-approved NTrainer device, which helps premature infants develop the sucking and swallowing skills they need to bottle or breastfeed. The NTrainer helps parents feed their baby sooner, reduces the time babies have a feeding tube, and often leads to shorter NICU stays.
We understand your baby’s NICU stay can be stressful. We try to make your time as comfortable as possible. We offer private breastfeeding and pumping areas, family sitting rooms, overnight accommodations, and visiting hours for friends and family.
Your child’s safety and health are important. Our staff enforces infection control protocols, visitor policies, and security regulations. The NICU team informs you of these expectations and answers any questions you may have.
Classes and tours for expecting families at Lancaster General Health
Whether you’re still deciding where to give birth or plan to deliver at Women & Babies Hospital, we encourage you to take an in-person tour. Our childbirth educator leads you around the hospital, shows you our rooms, and answers your questions. A support partner is welcome to come with you on the tour.
We also offer online and in-person childbirth and parenting classes to prepare you for birth and newborn care. We even offer classes specific to dads, siblings, and grandparents to help them transition into their new roles.
Explore childbirth and parenting classes at Lancaster General Health.
Perinatal palliative care
Learning your baby has a life-limiting condition is heart-wrenching. Our perinatal palliative care team helps you fill every second of your baby’s life with love, honoring your wishes and care preferences. We provide grief counseling, holistic care, and special resources to support families walking through this difficult journey.
At home support with Healthy Beginnings Plus
Healthy Beginnings Plus offers free in-home prenatal support. Eligible patients receive personalized care from a healthcare team from early pregnancy through 8 weeks postpartum, improving outcomes for mom and baby with convenient visits and support.