BHS Maternity Center

It’s difficult to plan for a baby. Sometimes circumstances beyond our control make it impossible take care of a newborn. Thankfully, there are options. Through the Safe Haven program, parents who feel they cannot take care of their infant may take it to a Safe Haven facility. This is a legal, discrete way to relinquish care of your child to a safe organization and give it a brighter future. The employees at these facilities understand the difficult decision you have to make, and assist you without any judgement or chastising.

There are many reasons to breastfeed. Remember that feeding your baby is a learned skill. It happens easily for some women, but others it can be frustrating and uncomfortable. We are here to help!

The staff at Butler is privileged to share in one of the happiest moments of your lifetime. We focus on your family and provide a mother/baby couplet care model, which the mother and baby remain together for the hospital stay. We understand some mothers prefer to get some much needed sleep at night and therefore support any mother that requests to send her newborn to the nursery at night. The nursing staff will review the newborn care and self - care for the mother during your stay. We want you to be comfortable and confident in caring for your newborn.

Here are some Helpful Hints for your birthing suite stay at Butler Memorial Hospital. View Helpful Hints.

At Butler Memorial Hospital we offer numerous amenities for our patients and their visitors to utilize including Austin's Play Room, Cummings Coffee, free Wi-Fi and more! Visit our Patients & Visitors page for a full list of amenities.

Skin to skin, also referred to as "The Magical Hour", is a way of holding a newborn directly on mom's chest immediately after birth. The first few minutes after birth are a magical time for bonding with baby. Research has shown that what happens during the first 60 minutes of a baby’s life can maximize the bonding between mother and child. That uninterrupted contact between mother and baby during the “magical hour” is critical to the child’s growth and development. Learn more.

Despite sleeping 16 hours out of the day, it’s highly unlikely your newborn will have the same circadian rhythm you do. Infants have no concept of night and day. They fall asleep and wakeup whenever their body demands. You can help the child understand that night is for sleeping by limiting stimulating action with them in the dark and creating a bedtime routine that signals time for sleep. For the baby’s safety, always place them on their back to sleep. Be vigilant if they need feeding or changing, as these needs should be addressed. Learn more.

The birth of a baby is an exciting time for new parents. However, new mothers often go through periods of both physical and emotional change. Even though you have prepared for your baby’s arrival, caring for an infant can be hard work. Many women experience some unexpected “highs” and “lows.” New mothers are surprised at the energy it takes to care for their new baby and many may begin to feel anxious, frustrated, uncertain or overwhelmed. During this adjustment, support from family and friends can be very helpful.

Click here to view the Postpartum Adjustment brochure.

Following delivery, your birth partner is able to stay in the same room with you during your stay. The birth partner will also be provided their own bed.

BHS offers a variety of classes for expecting parents, new parents and even grandparents. We know that expecting a child can be a wonderful time for any family and we want to help you be prepared. Click here to download the Prenatal Education brochure.

Click here to view our events calendar.

Rest assured, we have a security system and policies in place to keep you and your baby safe. Your baby will only receive care by individuals wearing special identification. We will review these practices after your delivery.

Babies are challenging, particularly colicky babies, and even caring parents can lose their cool sometimes. In fits of frustration, some parents have unwittingly shaken their baby and severely injured them. Never forget that it is unsafe to shake a baby. An infant’s head is much bigger than their neck, and the muscles are weak, making it easy to create a whiplash effect. Shaken baby syndrome could cause brain damage, blindness, or even death. If you have a baby with colic, of find yourself getting frustrated, give yourself a break. Try counting to 10 or calling a friend-whatever it takes to stay calm. Learn more.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is an unexpected, and so far unexplained, death of a child aged under 1 year. Thankfully, there are many ways to reduce the risk of this tragedy. You may have heard that putting an infant to sleep on their stomach is the safest way for them to rest, but there is no evidence to support this claim. Studies have shown infants sleeping on their stomach have a higher chance of suffering SIDS than babies who sleep on their backs. Breastfeeding is shown to reduce risks, as is keeping up with the child’s shots and immunization. Do not use anything that claims to reduce SIDS unless a doctor explicitly recommends it. Most importantly, make sure whoever cares for your baby knows to have them sleep on their back and knows the emergency contact information. Learn more.

During labor you may have up to two visitors. When it's time to deliver, your two designated visitors will remain in the room with you. The rest of your visitors can wait in a nearby waiting room. After delivery to protect all babies, anyone who is not feeling well is not permitted to visit. All visitors must wash their hands before touching your baby. Only siblings of the newbors are permitted to visit. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to visit (siblings only).

Your care team will develop the online program to provide you with the necessary information you need to know for your delivery at Butler Memorial Hospital. At 28 weeks, your care team will enroll you, or call us and we will help you get started. Learn More.

An anesthesiologist is always on duty to provide an epidural to wase your labor pains.

Hospitalists are American Board of Pediatrics Certified physicians who specialize in caring for hospitalized pediatric and nursery patients. Learn more.