Pregnancy and Birth Care
At Mount Sinai, we offer expert, compassionate care for pregnant women and their families. Our doctors, nurses, and midwives provide a range of services during pregnancy, childbirth, and after birth (postpartum). Our goal is to keep you and your baby safe and healthy. We have state-of-the-art facilities and use the most advanced approaches available. We know pregnancy and childbirth are among the most important experiences in life. And we strive to make your experience as wonderful, fulfilling, and empowering as possible. At Mount Sinai, we offer expert, compassionate pregnancy and birth care for pregnant women and their families.
Mount Sinai provides pregnancy and birth information and services to help you and your support partners get ready. This includes:
Online Childbirth and Parenting Classes
We offer several online classes for pregnant women and their support partners. Private classes are available upon request; contact ChildbirthEducation@mountsinai.org.
Midwifery Services
Certified nurse-midwives provide personalized care. We are here for you during prenatal visits, throughout labor and delivery, and after the birth of your baby. Your midwife will help you make informed decisions about your pregnancy journey. We offer midwifery services at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai West, and at Mount Sinai Doctors– 108 Delancey Street.
Prenatal Genetic Testing and Counseling
We can help you evaluate your risk of birth defects or other genetic disorders. We take a medical history, review your medical records, including prior genetic testing, and discuss the benefits, limitations, and risks of genetic testing.
Labor Pain Management
Managing Pain During Childbirth
Giving birth can be exciting and empowering. It can also be scary—and painful. Everyone’s experience is different. But the more you know about what to expect, the better you can prepare. Your body will begin preparing before you go into labor. Your uterus will start by tightening up and releasing. As your body gets better at contractions, they will last a little longer and come more regularly. Your cervix will soften and open (dilate). When your uterus is having contractions and your cervix is dilating, you are in labor.
Pain Relief in Labor
You can’t make the pain go away completely. But there are plenty of ways to help ease the pain. You might want to try a few at home and in the hospital to see what works best for you. Please do not take any medicine unless you have specific permission from us. Breathing techniques can promote relaxation, relieve anxiety, and distract you from pain. Meditation, gentle touch, massage, position changes, walking, hydrotherapy, and warmth therapy may also help you relax and feel less pain.
Medication for Pain Relief
We strive for safety while giving you the best possible birth experience. To that end, we offer multiple pain relief options. You can decide what is right for you. You should talk to us in advance and include instructions in your birth plan. Options may include intravenous or intramuscular pain medications, nitrous oxide, and an epidural. The most common method for childbirth—and the most effective—is the epidural. Epidurals greatly reduce pain and allow us to provide pain medication throughout labor.
Pain Control During a Cesarean Birth
Whether your cesarean delivery is planned or unexpectedly necessary, we will work to keep you and your baby safe. We will talk to you about your options. These may include neuraxial anesthesia (epidural or spinal or both combined) and general anesthesia.
Pain Control After Birth
You may have some pain or discomfort after giving birth. We can help. Depending on your needs, we may suggest:
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Medication
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Massage
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Warm or cold water
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Sitz bath
Postpartum Care and Support
Mount Sinai provides a safe, supportive environment for you and your baby. We help you learn to care for your baby and yourself at both The Mount Sinai Hospital and at Mount Sinai West.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Social Work Support
Our social workers provide services for pregnant and postpartum women with a range of services. These include emotional support for you and your family as well as connections with Health System and community resources to address a range of concerns, such as psychological and medical challenges, housing, food insecurity, and health insurance.
Spiritual Care for Families
We provide families and babies with religious blessings and prayers. If need be, our pastoral departments can provide grief counseling and support. You can reach out by calling 212-241-7262 or emailing us at infospiritualcare@mountsinai.org
Virtual Maternity Tours
We offer virtual tours of our pregnancy and birth facilities and services at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai West.
Klingenstein Pavilion 1176 Fifth Avenue (between 98th and 99th Streets) New York, NY 10029 View Map
One Healthy Way Oceanside, NY 11572 View Map