When you're expecting.
A child is about to be born—your child—and a lifetime of memories begin. We know how important it is for you and your baby to get a healthy and happy start in your new life together. That's why we're right here to help make your child's birth everything you want it to be.

We've Built a Better Place to Have a Baby
Our Family Childbirth Center has private birthing suites where you will spend your entire hospital stay with your baby. Each room has a TV, a VCR, private bath with whirlpool tub, and window seat that converts into a bed for support persons—a great atmosphere for parents to become acquainted with their babies.

Our Focus Is On You
The Family Childbirth Center offers services and support from the time you conceive to the early days of your newborn's life. These services are comprehensive and include classes on prenatal care and early parenting, comfortable Birthing Suites where you can choose the type of birth experience you want, and follow-up phone calls from an experienced nurse to help ease the transition to parenthood.

Outpatient visits with an experienced breast feeding nurse are available as well.

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Highline Childbirth Center Philosophy
WE BELIEVE THAT THE BIRTH EXPERIENCE IS ONE TO BE CELEBRATED BY ALL.

The staff of the Childbirth Center are committed to:

• Incorporating the Planetree Philosophy of providing a pleasant, caring and nurturing environment for your families' birth experience, recognizing that our primary focus is on the safe delivery of the mother and her newborn infant.
• Helping each family to make the birth experience "their own" by providing for tailored, personalized care that meets their individual needs.
• Supporting the birth and parenting decisions of each family.
• Providing education and information to assist families in caring for themselves.
• Embracing the diversity of the families we care for.

Having a Baby at the Childbirth Center
Each birth is as unique as the child that is born. In cooperation with your physician or midwife, we encourage you to choose the type of birth experience that will work the best for you. Our staff will tailor their services as closely as possible to meet both your needs and those of your physician or midwife. During the first few visits to your physician or midwife, you will receive our "Getting to Baby" binder along with a copy of the book "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn." It's our way of making sure you have all the information you need from pregnancy to childbirth to baby safety. You are encouraged to discuss your needs and questions concerning pain management with your physician, midwife, or our anesthesia staff. An anesthesiologist is available 24 hours a day to provide and discuss your pain management needs.

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Birthing Suites
The Birthing Suites have been designed to provide the best in safety and comfort. Labor, delivery, recovery and post-delivery all take place in the same room, to keep you as comfortable as possible through each phase of birth. The rooms are thoughtfully decorated with soft colors and are furnished with comfortable birthing beds. For your convenience, each room has a personal telephone, stereo system, TV and VCR, dressing table with sink, couch sleeper and a rocking chair. Each suite also has a private powder room with a whirlpool and tub and shower. The rooms are fully equipped with appropriate medical equipment to assure a safe delivery. Immediately following the birth, you and your baby will continue to be cared for in the Birthing Suite. This is an excellent time to participate in your baby's care and to strengthen the bond between you, your baby and the rest of the family. Our goal is to keep your new family together as much as possible.

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Coaches and Support Persons
We believe in family-centered maternity care. As a special service for our Childbirth Center patients, we have pagers available for a refundable deposit of $30. The pager allows you to alert your support person the moment labor begins.

Once you have arrived at the Childbirth Center, we will make every effort to ensure that you share the birth of your child with those you choose to have present. In monitoring the condition of your labor, we may need to limit the number of support persons joining you during delivery. If you plan to include siblings during the birth, we require an adult for each child present. This needs to be someone other than your coach or support person. For the comfort of family and friends who wish to be near during delivery time, the Family Childbirth Center has a special health resource library and large family room with kids' play area, TV and kitchen.

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Breastfeeding Consultant for Newborns
Many mothers choose to breastfeed their new baby. As part of our service to make your transition into motherhood easier, a breastfeeding consultant will make a visit to your room. The consultant is a registered nurse who specializes in breastfeeding training and support, as well as other important feeding and nutritional information. Once you are home with your baby, the consultant is available to you for telephone support or, if needed, you may schedule a time to meet with her.

Postpartum Follow-up
A nurse trained in maternal and newborn care will call you several days after you go home. The nurses involved in this program have special training in breastfeeding and other important issues related to the care of you and your newborn. If you have concerns, they can assist you in receiving the follow up care that you and your baby need. New moms can join other moms and babies in "Baby Steps", a four week class focusing on the joys and challenges of new baby parenthood.

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Childbirth and Parenting Educational Programs
Highline Medical Center offers a variety of classes to help you physically, emotionally and intellectually prepare for the arrival of a new family member. Families can prepare for their important role in welcoming the new baby as well as attending 'They Don't Come With Instructions, A class for Families and Friends". For more information on classes offered by Highline Medical Center, call the Highline Resource Line at (206) 988-5793, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Childbirth Center Tours
Tours are offered several times each month. The tour provides an opportunity to become acquainted with the Childbirth Center before admission. Childbirth Center tours can be scheduled by calling the Highline Resource Line at (206) 988-5793, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

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