Labor and Delivery

You and your baby deserve the best. That’s why more families choose to have their baby at North Kansas City Hospital.

Check-in and Admission

When it’s time to deliver your baby, head to NKCH and check in at the Patient Access area on the 1st Floor Pavilion. If you arrive before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. during the week or any time on the weekend, go to the Emergency Room on the 2nd floor of the hospital.

After admission, we’ll ask you to complete several consent forms. You also may have routine blood tests to monitor your and your baby’s health.

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Types of Childbirth

Childbirth can look different for each person.  You can count on your NKCH birth care team to help you with these types of childbirth deliveries:

• Assisted birth, which involves your doctor helping the baby through the birth canal with methods, such as an episiotomy, vacuum extraction or forceps
• Cesarean section (C-section), which involves your doctor delivering your baby through an incision in your abdomen
• Vaginal birth, which means the baby is born through the birth canal

Recovering from Delivery

The typical hospital stay for a vaginal delivery is 24–48 hours. Most C-section deliveries require a 48–72-hour stay.

Mom & Baby Care

You’ll have access to comprehensive, family-centered maternity services, including:

• 24/7 anesthesia services
• High-risk pregnancy care
• Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for babies born as early as 30 weeks or who need specialty care
• Lactation consultants available every day to assist with breastfeeding
• Maternity nurse navigator to assist you throughout your labor and delivery
• Private operating rooms on the same floor as the labor suites

Birthing Suite Amenities

When you deliver your baby at NKCH, you’ll enjoy:

• Access to a spa room after delivery, with low, relaxing lighting and a large tub
• Private mom and baby suites with Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and a private bathroom and shower
• Rooming-in, so your baby can stay with you in your room
• Secure hospital units

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Pain Management Options

As your labor progresses, you’ll have the choice between several options that help manage pain and keep you comfortable, including:

• Epidural anesthesia that numbs your lower body and is the most common form of pain control during labor
• Narcotic pain medicine to decrease pain, so you can relax
• Natural pain control, such as showers, birthing balls, position changes, massage, aromatherapy, rhythmic breathing or other relaxation techniques

After Delivery

Immediately after delivery, your maternity nurse will perform routine screenings to assess your newborn’s health. They’ll also apply erythromycin eye ointment to your baby to prevent infection.

Your baby will get the hepatitis vaccine and a Vitamin K shot. Most babies don’t have much Vitamin K in their bodies at birth, and as a result, can have serious bleeding problems. The Vitamin K shot helps prevent Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDV).

Skin-to-Skin Contact

The hours following birth are the perfect time for you and your baby to get to know each other and bond. We encourage skin-to-skin contact for the first hour after delivery if you and your baby are healthy. Skin-to-skin contact helps your baby adjust to their new world and encourages breastfeeding.

You can expect a family-centered experience, though sometimes we may limit visitors based on your condition and your baby's health.

Visitors

See our full Visitor Policy.

You may have up to four visitors at a time as you labor. During delivery, you may have up to three visitors in the room, including your support person. If you deliver by C-section, only one person may be in the room with you. Labor and Delivery rooms are located on the 7th floor of the main hospital, Mother and Baby rooms are located on the 8th floor. 

How to Choose a Car Seat

Before you leave the hospital, you’ll need a car seat safely installed in your vehicle. Car seats significantly reduce the risk of a fatal injury in an accident. Refer to National Highway and Traffic Safety recommendations for more information. Make sure you installed the car seat correctly by visiting a car seat safety inspection station.

Baby Photos

Those early, precious moments with your baby are special. Capture the memories with professional photography. Learn how to request and pay for baby photo services through MOM365.