Labor and Delivery Services in Topeka, KS
At the University of Kansas Health System, we provide exceptional labor and delivery services. Our New Life Center features skilled physicians, neonatologists, obstetricians, midwives, and nurses. We are recognized as a Baby-Friendly facility and boast a Level II NICU for infants needing extra care. We also offer private suites, comprehensive prenatal care, childbirth classes, and midwife services, ensuring comprehensive support throughout your delivery and postpartum recovery.
Award-winning Labor and Delivery Services
Every baby born in our birthing unit, the New Life Center, is a small wonder and we feel privileged to help bring them into the world and offer ongoing support to you and your family. As a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), we are proud to offer exceptional labor and delivery services and breastfeeding support in a comfortable and supportive environment. Based on WHO’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this designation recognizes our facility’s ability to offer breastfeeding parents the information, confidence and skills they need to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
We are also proud to have earned Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas’s Blue Distinction Plus award for Maternity Care, as well as designation as a High 5 for Mom and Baby facility. We also earned the Breastfeeding Employee Support Award (Gold) from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, and we are participants of their Breastfeeding Welcome Here program.
Birthing Suites and Postpartum Rooms
The state-of-the art birthing suites at our New Life Center offer a place where parents and baby can experience both comfort and compassionate care from evaluation and labor to delivery and postpartum recovery. Our suites contain whirlpool baths and showers for relaxation, as well as TV/DVD players and comfortable sofa beds for visitors. Each room is also supplied with centralized mother and fetal monitoring equipment, with wireless monitoring available upon request.
A dedicated Cesarean-section delivery operating room is adjacent to our birthing suites, offering convenience and ease of transportation for patients requiring a surgical delivery.
We also have 11 postpartum rooms for parents who have just given birth. Six of our postpartum rooms are equipped with a queen-sized bed to allow you and your family to bond in a home-like environment after giving birth. Our other five rooms offer a standard hospital bed plus a sofa bed for your partner or other family members.
To learn more about everything our New Life Center has to offer, please call us.
Level II NICU
We offer neonatal intensive care services at our Level II NICU, the Special Care Nursery, for babies born 33 weeks and older. Our NICU is staffed by highly-skilled neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) ready to provide specialized medical care for infants who may need extra support after your delivery. Our staff are sensitive to your family’s needs and we will ensure you stay an informed and active participant in your baby’s care, no matter what type of medical attention they require.
As parents of babies who graduate from the Level II Special Care Nursery, you will get to stay in a home-like “graduation room” the night before your baby is discharged. This special room is equipped with a comfortable bed and offers you the opportunity to learn how to care for your infant when you return home. Extra support from our specialized NICU staff is available whenever you need it.
First Days Clinic (Infant & Child Health)
Located on the second floor of our hospital, the First Days Clinic offers breastfeeding support and early follow-up care to help you and your newborn have a safe and easy transition from the hospital to your home. The clinic is staffed by board-certified lactation specialists who will visit postpartum mothers each day during your stay at our hospital. Our lactation consultants will monitor your baby’s weight, evaluate your breastfeeding technique, check for newborn jaundice, and answer any questions you may have.
Our First Days Clinic staff will also provide follow-up care in an outpatient setting once you and your baby have been discharged. An appointment will be made for parents to bring their newborn in for a first checkup one to three days after you leave the hospital.
The first checkup includes:
- Breastfeeding support
- Jaundice evaluation
- Screening for heart problems
- Screening for stomach problems
- Weight evaluation
Most services at our First Days Clinic are free of charge, with breastfeeding and newborn supplies available for purchase. The clinic is open by appointment 7 days a week with same day appointments available.
Maternity Classes and Support Groups
Having a baby is a wonderful thing, but we understand there are certain stressors involved with preparing for a new family member. The staff at our New Life Center offer a variety of classes, support groups, and resources to help make sure your labor, delivery, and recovery are as stress-free and wonderful as possible.
For new parents, we offer expectant parent classes. These classes are offered all year long and are designed to provide education and helpful resources for both new and veteran parents alike. Our goal is to help you feel as prepared as possible for your baby. Most of our classes are free and open to anyone interested in delivering their baby at our New Life Center.
We also offer postpartum family support groups. Having a baby can be quite an adjustment and it may cause you to feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. Our Postpartum Family Support Group offers a safe place for parents to ask questions, share experiences, receive encouragement and connect with other parents.
The Postpartum Family Support group is led by a certified lactation nurse consultant trained to provide helpful instructions and support for breastfeeding parents, as well as mental health services.
The support group is offered in person on the third Thursday of every month from 4 to 5pm in one of the second floor meeting rooms at our hospital. Parents are welcome to bring babies to the meetings.
Our Visitor Policy
At the University of Kansas Health System, we understand the importance of seeing those closest to you before and after your delivery. We have updated our visitor policy to give you the opportunity to celebrate your new baby with the people you love.
Our New Life Center allows two designated support persons during labor and delivery. This can be a partner, family member, doula, or other support person. Postpartum patients are allowed two visitors at a time.
We also encourage siblings to visit their new brother or sister! We know that being away from your children can be challenging when you are in the hospital for the birth of your newest addition. For this reason, we now allow siblings to come visit you and meet their new brother or sister.
There following are a few guidelines to follow to ensure the safety of you and your baby:
- An adult over the age of 18 must accompany siblings to the hospital and remain with that child throughout their visit
- No overnight stays are allowed
- To ensure time for rest and recovery, we recommend short visits.
We look forward to welcoming big brothers and sisters to our unit! Please call us to learn more about our visitor policy.
St. Francis is designated as a Baby-Friendly® hospital, dedicated to providing the highest standards of care for mothers and infants
St. Francis Hospital is proud to be recognized as a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier facility. You can count on us to provide evidence-based maternity care that supports a mom’s breastfeeding goals. We’re proud to support mothers and babies by following ten High 5 for Mom & Baby practices. Learn more about the program here.