Pregnancy and Birth
After giving birth at Mount Sinai West two actors were inspired to become nurses in labor and delivery. Read their story.
We work with our families to create a holistic delivery experience that offers care and comfort options based on the safest evidence-based practices.
Our new Mount Sinai West postpartum unit will provide you with the best care for you and your baby.
Take a virtual tour with our physicians and nurses to learn more about the childbirth experience at Mount Sinai West.
If you’re looking for a safe, compassionate, and personalized birth experience, Mount Sinai West is here for you. From the time you begin planning your pregnancy until you bring your infant home, we work with you, your support person, and your family. The first step is to choose one of our highly experienced obstetricians or midwives. If needed, your team may also include a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, an expert who focuses on high-risk pregnancies. Our doctors and midwives sit with you to discuss your needs and preferences. We help you develop a birth plan. By working together, we ensure that you have the best possible birth experience.
A Welcoming Space
When you arrive at the hospital in labor, the staff will perform a comprehensive initial assessment. This assessment helps us understand the needs of you and your baby and will determine when you move to the labor and delivery suite with your obstetrician or midwife. This unit, located on the 12th floor, has the latest technology, yet is designed for comfort. You also have access to our team of doctors, who staff the unit continually. After the birth, you transfer to a postpartum room on the 11th or 12th floor. You can take a look at the facilities through our virtual tour.
Minimal Intervention Approach
For low-risk pregnancies, we focus on minimizing medical interventions while ensuring that you and your baby are safe. We offer intermittent wireless monitoring, which leaves you free to walk around during labor. If you want, we can help you to focus on breathing exercises, positioning techniques for pain control and childbirth, and relaxation techniques. We welcome your doula to support and assist you during your birth. Our primary Cesarean birth rate is 22 percent, and we perform episiotomies on only 4 percent of our patients. These rates are well below the average for New York State. We offer a wide range of pain relief options, including nitrous oxide and analgesic epidurals.
High-Risk Care Available
High-Risk Care Available For families that need it, we have a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This unit has advanced electronic monitoring devices, mechanical ventilators, and incubators. It is continually staffed by experienced neonatologists, and pediatricians. They are aided by more than 50 nurses, all with special training in newborn care. NICU staff also includes dedicated social workers, lactation consultants, music therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and respiratory therapists.
Postpartum Care
After the birth, we make it easy to keep your baby in your room with you. But if needed, we also have a newborn nursery staffed by highly trained nurses. We understand that every family is different. Our experienced postpartum nursing staff will monitor your physical progress and provide whatever level of support or privacy you prefer. Our nurses teach aspects of baby care, breast care, and self-care to you and your family. Our postpartum and NICU nurses are trained to assist with breastfeeding, and lactation consultants are available.
Your support person can stay with you during labor and delivery. They can sleep in your postpartum room and remain with you until you leave the hospital. Additional visitors can come during our visiting hours.
Peace of Mind
We provide a safe, secure environment for you and your baby. Our postpartum units and nursery have security cameras and extra security staff. We put ankle bands on every baby, which set off an alarm if the baby approaches an exit. The bands also allow us to identify your little one even while they are swaddled. All visitors sign in and out of the postpartum units.
