MemorialCare - Your Guide to Postpartum and Newborn Care

On behalf of the entire healthcare team at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, I would like to welcome you and your family to the Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center. You can feel confident in the high quality and compassionate care we have provided to generations of families in our community. We provide the highest level of safety and care for you and your baby. Even through challenging times, our goal is to keep your birth experience as “normal” and joyous as possible. Pregnancy and childbirth are momentous events in the lives of our patients and represent a time of intense vulnerability. To help you feel secure about choosing our BirthCare Center, I’d like to share our commitment to you for a Safe and Equitable Birth. We promise to: 1. To care for you with dignity and respect and provide you with safe and equitable care in a non-discriminatory way; 2. To partner with you to understand any social and emotional concerns you may have and assist you with community resources you may find helpful; 3. To provide explanations and information in the language of your choice so we can make an informed decision that is right for you; 4. To ask permission before carrying out procedures and examinations, and always protect your personal boundaries; 5. To recognize the importance of your support persons and value their role in your birth experience As an evidence-based health organization, we follow the California Model Infant Feeding recommendations. As such, all our nurses have received extensive education on supporting parents with their breastfeeding goals and/or alternative feeding methods. We provide around-the-clock lactation support services by RNs who are also Board-Certified Lactation Consultants. In addition, we have an Outpatient Lactation Support clinic that you can visit after you return home. We also have a robust breast pump rental service available to you. Please ask your nurse or lactation consultant for further information. Another program you may be interested in learning more about is our Welcome Baby Program. This program is available to all LA County residents. Program staff provides support after discharge to ensure you and your family get off to the best start possible. After discharge, the program includes a visit by an RN to ensure all is going well with you and your baby. So, keep an eye out for a visit by a Hospital Liaison who will be happy to answer any questions and assist in enrollment in this free program! We are also very proud to have been recently re-designated as one of the 7% of hospitals nationwide that have earned Magnet® recognition – a four-year designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Miller Children’s & Women’s is recognized as a Magnet® organization for delivering exceptional mother and baby care, constantly promoting staff growth, continued employee development, and positive patient outcomes. This booklet is designed to be a valuable resource for both during and after your stay with us. It provides important information about what you can expect in the early postpartum period, along with education on caring for yourself and your new baby when you return home.

We hope your time with us will be just the beginning of a healthy future for you and your family!

Sharilyn Kelly, Executive Director, Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach