Labor and delivery at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Every year, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) helps bring more than 4,000 babies into the world, combining decades of experience with individualized care for each family.

Our expert team is by your side during labor, delivery, and postpartum, listening to your requests and helping you safely bring your baby into the world. Whether you want a natural childbirth or you need advanced care for a high-risk pregnancy, HUP providers deliver personalized care that meets your medical and emotional needs.

You can trust us with your family’s care during this exciting time. We’ve received multiple awards and designations that acknowledge our commitment to providing outstanding care to every parent and baby. Our recognitions include:

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses bronze-level Beacon Award for Excellence (labor and delivery unit): acknowledges our positive work environment for nurses, patient-first care, and high collaboration among clinical staff
• Baby-Friendly® Hospital: highlights our high infant feeding standards and promotion of infant-parent bonding
• International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) Care Award: affirms our excellence in lactation services
• Magnet® hospital for excellence in nursing care: reflects our commitment to outstanding nursing care
• Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Center of Excellence Award: recognizes our exceptional care in obstetric anesthesia (medicine that prevents pain during surgery or delivery)

Childbirth at HUP

We’re honored to help you bring your child into the world. We offer childbirth and parenting education classes to help you prepare for what’s ahead. You and a support partner can participate in person or online. A certified childbirth educator or infant care expert leads these informative classes and support groups.

You’ll come to our Perinatal Evaluation Center (PEC) when you think you’re in labor. Our team of physicians, nurses, and nurse midwives assesses you and your baby to determine if your labor has progressed far enough for us to admit you to the labor and delivery unit. We may do an ultrasound, cervical check, and monitor your baby’s heart rate.

If we see that you’re in active labor, we take you to one of our 13 labor and delivery suites. Our private suites have modern technology and amenities to keep you and your family comfortable and safe during your stay, including:

• Spacious waiting areas
• Lounge chairs
• Private showers
• Scenic views of the Philadelphia skyline

You have several options to help manage any labor pain. If you prefer pain-relieving medication like an epidural, our board-certified anesthesiologists are available 24/7 to help keep you comfortable.

Natural birth experience

If it’s safe for you and your baby to deliver naturally, our providers from obstetrics and maternity care (OB/GYN) and midwifery services can help you give birth with minimal interventions or medications. At HUP, we welcome certified doulas if you choose to have one on your support team. We also offer:

• Aromatherapy and other drug-free pain management methods
• Birthing balls, squatting bars, and other birthing props to help labor progress
• Nurses trained in Lamaze International® natural childbirth methods
• Private rooms, some with jetted whirlpool tubs
• Wireless fetal monitoring so you can move freely during labor

Safe and comprehensive care

If you need a planned or unplanned cesarean section (C-section), our experienced providers are there to safely deliver your baby. You may bring one support partner into the surgical suite with you. Our nurses and anesthesiologists monitor you and your baby during surgery, making sure you both do well during the procedure.

At HUP, our team has the skill and expertise to care for birthing parents with high-risk pregnancies and conditions that may complicate childbirth. Maternal-fetal medicine providers (high-risk pregnancy specialists) are available to provide advanced care. Our compassionate team is committed to the health and safety of you and your baby during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.

Virtual tour for expecting families

If your baby needs time in our 30-bed Level III NICU, they are cared for by specially trained nurses and neonatologists (newborn specialists) from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). We focus on your baby’s recovery and provide advanced treatments.

We encourage you to spend as much time as possible with your baby in the NICU because it benefits their healing and development. For your convenience, we have a private room for breastfeeding parents and special consultation rooms for parents to meet with their baby’s care team.

We know that being at the hospital 24/7 can be challenging. We can communicate with you daily by phone or video conference to inform you of your baby’s care and progress if you can’t be there. We also provide AngelEye technology that allows you to see your baby and receive communications from their care team through any device.