Childbirth Services
Bringing a child into the world is a wonderful personal experience. At Vista Health System, we believe you should have choices in how to deliver and care for your baby. Choices that help make sure your birthing experience is everything you want it to be.
We Provide A Family-Focused Childbirth Experience
We believe your baby's birth should be a unique and wonderful experience. And that's what you'll find at our New Family Center. The New Family Center brings together the latest technology, progressive birthing techniques and experienced professionals to create a positive childbirth experience. Plus, we offer the best of both worlds-the comfort of home and the support of family in a safe hospital setting.
All expectant mothers deliver their babies in a Birthing Suite or a traditional delivery room. The Birthing Suites offer you the option to labor, deliver and recover in a home-like environment. The rooms are fully equipped with the medical equipment to handle routine or emergency deliveries. After delivery, mother and child can become acquainted in the comfort of their room. Fathers, siblings and grandparents are welcome to visit between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Fathers are welcome to keep mom company while getting acquainted with their newborn by staying overnight. Whether an expectant mother chooses our Birthing Suites (depending on availability) or Traditional Rooms, all families experience the comforts of home.
The New Family Center
Our New Family Center is located at Vista Medical Center East. It features sophisticated equipment such as fetal monitoring devices and epidural analgesia for pain management during labor, as well as non-invasive labor support techniques. The New Family Center features:
- 5 Birthing Rooms
- 7 Traditional Labor Rooms
- 2 dedicated Operating Rooms for Cesarean Sections
- 3 Triage Rooms (for assessment purposes)
- 3 Antepartum Rooms
- 17 Postpartum Beds
- 30 Bassinets in the Well-Baby Nursery
- Special Care Nursery for high-risk infants
- State-of-the-art fetal monitoring surveillance equipment - remote access is available for your physician to monitor your baby's heart beat from home or office
Contact us in the New Family Center by calling 847-360-4121. We'd be happy to answer any questions. To schedule a tour of our center, please call 847-360-4297, ext. 5218. If you need to talk with someone in the Nursery, call 847-360-4149.
Labor and delivery services are located on the second floor with the Special Care Nursery. All of our Labor and Delivery nurses are certified in fetal monitoring. The Mother/Baby (Postpartum) unit is located primarily on the fifth floor with the Well-Baby Nursery. The Center is designated a Level II obstetrics unit, meaning it is well-equipped to handle low- to high-risk deliveries. If the need arises, the staff can transfer mothers to the Level III Perinatal Center at NorthShore University Health Systems in Evanston, Illinois.
Our Level II nursery designation also means our experienced staff meets the State of Illinois standards for stabilizing and caring for infants who require specialized care. We provide progressive care for premature babies and for infants with special medical needs. In fact, on a 24-hour basis, independent, board-certified neonatologists are available to stabilize high-risk infants, and if necessary, transfer them to a tertiary hospital for further care.
Preparing For The Happy Event
Expectant moms and dads can learn all about the "big day" (and the nine months before) at our childbirth classes offered year round at Vista Medical Center East (Waukegan) and at the Vista Surgery Center (Lindenhurst). You'll learn about changes in the expectant mother's body, how the baby grows, and what happens when your baby decides to make his or her debut. There are even classes for Cesarean section deliveries, breastfeeding, newborn care and other important topics. Big brothers and sisters are invited to attend a special Sibling Class to prepare for the new arrival. We believe it's our job to help get you ready for this happy event and we'll do what we can to make it an experience to treasure for a lifetime. To learn more about available classes, call 847-360-4297, extension 5218. Classes are offered in Spanish upon request.
Help! What Do We Do Now?
During the hospital stay, our nurses teach new moms the basics of infant care, from how to feed and diaper their newborn to when to call the doctor. To ensure a healthy start, our Certified Lactation Consultants and Educator are available to assist mothers and babies with breastfeeding. We make it our job to make you feel comfortable caring for your newborn and yourself. We take time to answer all of your questions and we have years of experience to help put you at ease. For information, call the Lactation Office at 847-360-4297.
Need A Doctor?
If you need some assistance locating an obstetrician, pediatrician, or neonatologist, please search our Physician Directory. We look forward to helping you!
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*We are required by law to inform readers of our referral practice. We offer a referral service for physicians who are active on our medical staff without charge to them. Selection is based on your needs and preferences with the physicians chosen on a rotational basis.