You can get your new baby off to the best possible start by delivering him or her at your local Baptist Health hospital. Our experienced Labor & Delivery teams are available 24/7 to help you welcome your new little one into the world.

Why Choose Baptist Health for Labor & Delivery?

Our Labor & Delivery specialists focus only on what’s important: you and your baby. Our personalized care approach means we’ll work to customize your baby’s arrival as much as possible to meet your wants and needs. 

Do you want a midwife to deliver your baby? These birthing professionals handle even complicated pregnancies at many of our Baptist locations. Do you have strong feelings about use of pain medication? We’ll work with you to customize your birth plan and offer options.

In addition, Baptist Health offers:

• Seasoned professionals: Our Labor & Delivery teams are dedicated to caring for laboring moms and their babies. Many of your community’s most experienced obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives deliver babies at Baptist. In addition, many of our nurses have earned special certifications in obstetrics and newborn care.
• Comprehensive childbirth classes: Particularly if you’re a first-time parent, you want and need information on what to expect during labor and delivery.

• Dedication to “couplet care”: We focus on keeping moms and newborns together as a “couplet” (two-person team) as much as we can right after birth. In many cases, the same nurse or nursing team will care for you both throughout labor and again during your postpartum (after birth) hospital stay. We strongly believe that your health and that of your baby are closely connected.

• Advanced care for babies who need extra assistance: Our neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are always prepared to treat newborns who develop health problems at or after delivery. NICUs are only in Corbin, Lexington, Louisville, Deaconess Madisonville and Paducah hospitals.
• Up-to-date facilities and services: Baptist Labor & Delivery locations feature the latest innovations and features to make your birth experience as safe and comfortable as possible. For instance, many of our locations offer 4-D ultrasounds and dedicated labor & delivery operating rooms. All of our locations have 24/7 access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists, either on-site or via live videoconference. Learn more about maternal-fetal medicine.

Choosing a Midwife to Deliver Your Baby

At some of our Baptist Health locations, you can select a midwife to provide your prenatal care and deliver your baby. Midwife services provide an alternative form of care and support during the labor and delivery process, as well as provide services after delivery. Depending on what the parent(s) chooses, a midwife may deliver the baby at a birthing center, at a home, or at a hospital.

In addition to helping with labor and delivery, certified nurse midwives provide comprehensive women’s services. These services include gynecological exams, family planning, and management of menopausal symptoms. If you are looking for personalized care that requires limited medical intervention, finding a midwife may be a preferred option.

What to Pack

Thanks to nesting, you’re probably tempted to bring everything from home to the hospital. We offer suggestions to determine must-haves and items that could come in handy.

A Guide for Your Stay

What exactly happens while you’re in labor and delivering your baby at a Baptist Health hospital?

Documenting Baby’s Arrival

Photos and video are a wonderful way to remember these special moments. For safety reasons, we ask that you please refrain from taking pictures or video during medical procedures, including your baby’s birth. In the event of a C-section, our staff will tell you when you can pull out your camera and start documenting life with a newborn. 

During labor as well as after the baby is born, you and your loved ones are free to take pictures or video as long your doctor gives the OK. We make it easy to share baby photos with friends and family members who can’t visit. It’s up to you whether you’d like your baby’s picture posted on our online nursery. The service is free. Pictures are posted within 72 hours after your baby leaves one of our hospitals.