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315.349.5511

Maternity center

315.349.5627

For a tour of Oswego Hospital's Maternity Center, call 315.349.5572.

Mothers in labor will feel like they never left home at Oswego Hospital's homelike Maternity Center.

The Maternity Center features attractive private rooms, each with a bathroom and large soaking tub. These comforts are complemented with the latest technology.

Providing 24-hour coverage and care includes the experienced staff of Oswego County OB-GYN, Oswego Hospital's registered nurses, 24-hour breastfeeding support during the postpartum period and after discharge, and a neonatal nurse practitioner on duty for newborn care after delivery.

After mom delivers, private postpartum rooms offer her support person the opportunity to spend the night and join the family's special bonding experience.

Interested in a tour of Oswego Hospital's Maternity Center? Give us a call at 315.349.5572.

Birth plans

Oswego Hospital encourages its expecting moms to consider developing a birth plan, which can help you and your birth team outline your goals and wishes. It is a helpful document that allows everyone to have an understanding of your expectations.

You may be surprised by some of the decisions that need to be made during labor, and a birth plan can help you to make them in advance. Creating a birth plan provides an opportunity to explore all the available options and begin to communicate with your birth team.

Download a sample birth plan

Childbirth and breastfeeding classes

Oswego Hospital's Maternity Center offers several classes to help new parents prepare for the birth of their child. Give us a call at 315.349.5572 to register.

Pain management

Numerous pain management options are available to the expectant mother. We encourage you to discuss these options further with your physician before arriving at the hospital.

Nonmedication options

Among the most popular choices are the large soaking tubs that are in each of the Maternity Center's private labor rooms. Many women find that their pain is reduced by using the tub during labor.

Another procedure our staff say their patients have found effective is an intracutaneous sterile water block. This method helps reduce the back pain associated with labor. Small amounts of water injected into points in the lower back reduce the level of pain.

In addition to these options, patients are encouraged to keep busy by walking, using a special exercise ball, and taking advantage of back rubs from their coaches or the nursing staff.

However, for those women who find that these measures don't reduce their pain, there are several medication options available.

Epidural

Through a small tube, or epidural catheter, an anesthetic is delivered through injection. This enables the pain control effect to last while the catheter is in place. An epidural numbs the body below the injection site, allowing a woman to remain both comfortable and alert during contractions. An epidural is typically given in the early stages of labor because it takes about 20 minutes to take effect.

This type of pain control is most effective for a woman who is having a prolonged labor pattern or who finds herself not coping well with the pain in the early stages of labor.

Spinal or intrathecal

Administered similarly to an epidural, a spinal delivers pain medication directly into the spinal fluid for fast pain relief. This medication is usually given to women who are closer to delivery or are nearly fully dilated because it acts faster than an epidural. Women who have previously given birth may choose this option because their labor tends to be shorter than that of first-time moms.

Intravenous/intramuscular pain medication injections

These injections, which contain narcotics, may alleviate but not eliminate the pain during labor. The relief from this pain management option varies, but it is known to take the edge off and make labor more tolerable.

Awards

Among the most recent accolades for the facility:

  • The Maternity Center was presented with the Obstetrical Improvement Project Quality Improvement Award by the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative, which, in partnership with the state Department of Health, aims to provide the best and safest care for women and infants in the state.
  • The facility was presented with two honors in recognition of its fight against hepatitis B, including the Immunization Action Coalition Birth Dose Honor Roll. The Maternity Center is among the 25 hospitals in the state that achieved a 90% or higher coverage rate for the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine. The New York State Department of Health also recognized efforts to prevent perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus, as the Maternity Center achieved 100% compliance with this hepatitis B program.

Once you return home, if you have questions about your care or your newborn's, the staff is only a phone call away at 315.349.5572.

You can rest easier with these tips.
Reviewed 9/18/2022

Pregnancy and sleep problems

Get more ZZZs when you're sleeping for 2

When you're pregnant, your body goes through changes that can make sleeping difficult. Do you know what symptoms to expect when you're expecting—and what you can do to ease them? Select a + to find out.

Nasal congestion:

Your blood supply increases during pregnancy. This and hormone changes can cause a stuffy nose and nosebleeds as your nose swells or dries out.

What you can do: Gently blow your nose. Drink fluids, and use a cool mist humidifier.

Heartburn:

Hormones relax the valve between the esophagus and stomach. In your second and third trimesters, the growing baby also pushes on the stomach. These changes make it easier for food and acid to come back up and cause heartburn.

What you can do: Eat several small meals daily instead of three large ones. Avoid citrus, greasy, fried or spicy foods. Don't lie down right after eating.

Frequent urination:

As your baby grows and changes position, the pressure on your bladder increases.

What you can do: Do Kegel exercises to tone pelvic muscles. Drink fewer fluids before bedtime.

Aching back, pelvis and hips:

Your growing belly can strain your back. And the joints in your pelvis are relaxing in preparation for childbirth.

What you can do: Apply heat. Sleep with pillows behind your back and between your knees.

Leg cramps:

Your growing baby puts pressure on the nerves and blood vessels that go to your legs. This may be the cause of leg cramps in pregnancy. Lack of fluids and blood circulation problems can also cause leg cramps.

What you can do: Sleep on your side instead of your back. Gently stretch your leg muscles. Drink plenty of fluids. Get regular exercise (with your provider's OK).

Restless legs syndrome (RLS):

This sleep disorder is related to low levels of folic acid and iron. Symptoms of RLS include unpleasant feelings in the legs. Your legs may feel tingly or achy.

What you can do: Get enough folic acid and iron in your diet to prevent RLS. Your baby needs them too. Ask your provider what you can do if you develop RLS.

Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; March of Dimes; National Sleep Foundation; Office on Women's Health

Sources

Pregnancy

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