Visitation Policy

The Birthing Center

Birth is a powerful, intimate experience, and we (the health care team) on Labor & Delivery support you in your choices to make this experience special for you.  Everyone present at your birth should be there to support you and participate in welcoming your new baby into the world.

We hope the information below will help you plan for visitors during your stay in the Birthing Center and on our postpartum unit.  You will be in the Birthing Center until after the birth of your baby.  You will then be transferred to Shepardson 5 - the Mother Baby Unit. To ensure patient safety, any visitor may be asked to leave the birthing room by the nurse, physicians, or the midwife.

Visitor Guidelines - Fletcher Allen Birthing Center 

• The Labor Lounge is reserved for laboring patients and one support person.
• Visitors may wait in the family and visitor lounge at the entrance of the Birthing Center or in the Main Lobby visitor area.
• In consideration of maintaining privacy of all our patients, we would like you to ask your family and friends to wait in the family and visitors waiting room.  Waiting in the hallway or outside the patient room door is not allowed.
• Visitors should not bring food into patient’s room without the consent of the laboring woman.
• One support person is usually allowed in the operating room with the patient.  There may be circumstances in which no visitors are allowed. 
• One support person may remain with the patient during placement of an epidural catheter for analgesia.  There may be circumstances in which no visitors are allowed.
• Complications of pregnancy or labor requiring intensive care may occur.   In these circumstances, there is a limit of 2 visitors.  Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the attending and nursing staff for individuals directly involved in medical decision making.
• No children under the age of 13 may visit unless they are related to the laboring couple.  Each child must be accompanied by an adult.  It is highly recommended that they attend a sibling class if they are planning to be present at the birth.

 

The Mother Baby Unit

Welcome to the Mother Baby Unit at the Vermont Children’s Hospital. Congratulations on the birth of your new baby!  Our policy here at Fletcher Allen Health Care is to support family centered care. 

Mother Baby Unit Visiting Guidelines

1. We encourage moms to room in with their babies.  The main support person is welcome to stay unless a roommate is present.
2. Visiting hours for non-support people are from noon to 8 p.m.  Exceptions are made for family situations on an individual basis.
3. We ask that you limit the number of visitors to two people in a room at a time or utilize our solarium for larger groups to visit.
4. For patient safety and confidentiality, please do not stand in the hallways.
5. All children visiting the Mother Baby Unit must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.
6. Please be respectful of the need for a quiet environment and patient confidentiality.
7. No one but parents of the new baby is allowed in the nursery at any time without permission from the newborn nursery nurse.  Please feel free to use our viewing glass to view the newborn.
8. All visitors must wash their hands before handling any new babies.  We ask that individuals with cough or illness remain at home.  Masks will be provided for the main support person if needed.
9. If you have any questions regarding visitation, please don’t hesitate to ask your nurse or the charge nurse.

Printable Visitors Guidelines:
Adobe Acrobat PDFs Birthing Center Visiting Guidelines Mother Baby Unit Visiting Guidelines	HTML Web Pages Birthing Center Visiting Guidelines Mother Baby Unit Visiting Guidelines

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