Postpartum support in Houston
We care for you as you bond and recover with your baby in our mother-baby unit (MBU).
At The Woman's Hospital of Texas, we are dedicated to preparing you for a healthy life with your newborn. After you have brought your baby into the world, we will provide you with a range of personalized postpartum services.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Postnatal services we offer
Our providers are educated and trained to help you confidently facilitate the transition from our hospital to your home.
After-birth care
Also known as the postpartum unit (PPU), the MBU is a place where babies, mothers and family will stay after birth. Each of this unit's private rooms include a bed, sofa and television, with overnight accommodations available for your support person.
During nursing shift changes, your current and incoming nurse will meet at your bedside to discuss your care, goals and expectations. Both your nurse and your baby’s nurse carry phones, allowing you to contact them directly as needed.
You may choose to receive visitors or rest. Quiet hours are observed daily from 2:00pm to 4:00pm., and Wi-Fi is available throughout the hospital to help you stay connected with family and friends. During your stay, birth-registration staff will collect information for your baby’s birth certificate and electronically submit it to the state.
New mothers generally stay in the MBU for 48 hours after a vaginal delivery and 72 hours after a cesarean section (C-section). Upon discharge, your nurse will provide information about best practices for caring for yourself and your baby upon returning home.
Couplet care
With the exception of those who require specialized care, all newborns room with their mothers in the MBU for couplet care. Nurses who are specially trained in newborn care will tend to your baby in your room while your own nurse is caring for you. We encourage you to keep your baby in your room day and night, not only to help you more successfully breastfeed, but also to feel more confident when you take your baby home.
We strive to limit separation between mothers and newborns. Couplet care allows newborns to stay close to their mothers so they can breastfeed as soon as they are ready.
Infant security
“Code Pink” is our infant security system. After birth, we will place a sensor on your baby that alerts us to any unauthorized movement they may have. This sensor can only be removed by approved team members, whose color-coded uniforms provide an additional safety measure that lets us know which staff members have permission to transport infants.
We have many systems in place to ensure a secure environment for you and your newborn. In addition to the security photo taken of your baby once you arrive, the Center for Missing and Exploited Children recommends we take an additional photo of every newborn that is cataloged for our Photo-All-Baby Program. Your participation can enhance the security of your newborn.
Food services
For room-service dining, please call extension 3663 (FOOD) any time between 6:30am and 6:30pm to place your order. One of our team members will take your order, and your food will be delivered to your room within 45 minutes. You may also place your entire day’s selection at once.
If your physician has placed you on a modified or restricted diet, we can help you with your selection. Guest trays are also available at an additional charge and can be purchased from the cafe. When finished with your meal, please contact us to remove the tray.
Home care
If your doctor has determined that home care may be necessary, you can access these services from a number of providers. Our homecare services include skilled nursing, home health aides, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social services, emotional and mental health programming and wound management.
Lactation support
Our experienced, board-certified postpartum nurses and international board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs) offer a variety of breastfeeding support services, and are available to help you through your first few breastfeeding sessions to discuss beneficial techniques.
Breastfeeding programs are available on the interactive TV in your hospital room. We also offer free online breastfeeding courses and live, in-person courses taught by our breastfeeding educators.
Newborn care classes and support groups
Our team proudly provides a number of educational resources for you and your new baby. After delivery, we will continue to be here for you through infant care classes and parenting support groups.
Newborn photography
We offer photo packages to new families through our professional photography service that will come to your suite for a complimentary portrait session. You will be able to view and order your portraits right from your suite, just minutes after they are taken. The free baby portrait page lets family and friends “meet the baby” online.
Pain management
Managing your discomfort is a top priority. When you arrive to your room in our MBU, you will receive a pain management card to track when you can take medication. Your nurse will be in charge of administering your medication throughout your stay.
Physical therapy
Pregnancy and delivery bring extraordinary changes to the body. Postpartum muscle weakness, if not addressed, may become symptomatic later in life as incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain and back pain. After your baby arrives, our physical therapists will help new mothers focus on the following bodily areas:
- Back — Sacroiliac joint, tail bone, coccyx or pubic pain may persist after delivery. Mid-back or neck pain may begin because you are lifting, feeding, bathing and carrying your baby.
- Belly — The belly muscles consist of three layers. During pregnancy and delivery, these muscles may separate, leading to weakness, lack of core support and lack of pelvic organ support.
- Bottom — Tension in these muscles from delivery may cause “tension myalgias,” including pain in the pelvic floor, incomplete voiding or constipation. Episiotomy or fascial tearing during delivery may lead to uncomfortable scars or sexual discomfort.
Physical therapy may include modifications of childcare activities, massage, biofeedback, electrical stimulation and proper exercise techniques. Ultrasound or manual therapy may be prescribed to soften or gently stretch scars. Physical therapy can also help with interstitial cystitis, painful periods, endometriosis, vaginal spasms and vulvar pain.
Sibling cakes
To help celebrate your new baby with brothers or sisters, we are happy to provide a sibling cake the day before discharge or the morning of the discharge. To order a sibling cake, please call extension 3663. Delivery times are 10:30am or 3:30pm.
The Woman's Suites
For an additional fee, you can upgrade to one of The Woman's Suites, which provide extra touches not usually found in a traditional hospital setting.
If you are interested in staying in a suite, please inform your nurse upon arrival for delivery. Since we never know exactly when babies are going to be born, we cannot make reservations for the suites. If one is not available when your baby is born, we will make every effort to transfer you to one during the course of your stay.
For additional information, please call (713) 790-1234.
Higher levels of postpartum care
When you or your child needs additional support following delivery, we offer the personalized care and attention required.
Multiples program
If you deliver multiples, your high-risk pregnancy care may continue after birth. Our multiples clinic is a family-centered environment where proven practices in maternal-fetal medicine give multiple births' parents and children specialized care. After birth, our team will quickly provide lactation support for breastfeeding multiples.
Newborn intensive care
In our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a team of highly specialized neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners provide 24/7 care for babies that are premature, critically ill or have a life-threatening health condition. We are among a select number of hospitals in Texas that provide this level of care for newborns.
During your child's stay in the NICU, we invite you to visit as much as possible. You can hold, touch, talk to and care for your baby as their condition allows.
If you deliver multiples, your high-risk pregnancy care may continue after birth. Our multiples clinic is a family-centered environment where proven practices in maternal-fetal medicine give multiple births' parents and children specialized care. After birth, our team will quickly provide lactation support for breastfeeding multiples.
In our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a team of highly specialized neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners provide 24/7 care for babies that are premature, critically ill or have a life-threatening health condition. We are among a select number of hospitals in Texas that provide this level of care for newborns.
During your child's stay in the NICU, we invite you to visit as much as possible. You can hold, touch, talk to and care for your baby as their condition allows.