Giving Birth During COVID-19

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Winchester Medical Center is grateful that you have chosen us to care for you during this very special time. Having your baby during a global pandemic is not the birth experience you were hoping for, but we are here for you. In preparation for your upcoming delivery, please review the following information.

Changes to Visitation Policies

For the safety of our patients, visitors, staff and the broader community, Winchester Medical Center has implemented the following visitation restrictions for our Women and Children’s units:

• Labor & Delivery – Visitation is limited to one Care Partner who may remain with Mom throughout labor and after delivery (24/7). The Care Partner must enter from the North Tower 2^nd floor skywalk.
• Mother/Baby – In addition to the Care Partner from Labor & Delivery, Mom may add a second Care Partner. Only one Care Partner at a time is allowed to visit while on Mother/Baby unit (24/7) and cannot be switched. Each Care Partner must enter through the South Tower between 8am-8pm and will be screened for COVID symptoms before coming to the unit.
• Pediatrics – Visitation is restricted to two Care Partners at a time. Care Partners must enter through the South Tower between 8am-8pm. They may be on-site 24/7 and should confine themselves to the unit.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – Visitation is restricted to two Care Partners at a time. For the safety of our tiniest patients, Care Partners may be on-site 24/7 and should confine themselves to the unit.

Keeping Everyone Safe

In addition to our current limited visitation, these are some of our COVID-related safety measures:

• Our clinical team uses social distancing and technology to help minimize close contact.
• All of our clinical team members wear a surgical mask when caring for patients.
• All staff and clinical care providers are required to complete daily wellness checks.
• We clean care areas after each patient contact with CDC approved and recommended cleaners.
• Patients with infectious diseases remain isolated in their room at all times. Treatment comes to them, and equipment used for their care is not shared with any other patient.

For the most current information regarding Valley Health’s response to COVID-19, please click here.

Preparing for the Birth of Your Baby

We know you may have questions during this time about how to prepare for your baby’s birth or your upcoming hospital stay. To speak with someone on our staff about questions you may have, please call 540-536-8768 or email mwarren2@valleyhealthlink.com. Our goal is help you feel as prepared and confident as possible.

Packing Checklist

To help you prepare for your hospital stay we have included a suggested packing checklist. Click here to view!

VHS Babies Mobile App

We also encourage you to download our FREE VHS Babies pregnancy app to answer some of your questions and help you stay organized and knowledgeable during your pregnancy.

Take a Virtual Tour

To view a virtual tour of our Labor and Delivery unit, click here.

Arriving at the Hospital

The entrance to the Labor & Delivery unit is located in the North Tower. The North Tower entrances are currently closed with no entry access except for Labor & Delivery patients, who should use the buzzer at the end of the covered walkway connecting Garage 2 with the North Tower. Please note: If you are arriving after 10 p.m., you can still access Labor & Delivery from the North Tower entrance but there will be a wait for security to open the door. If you need quicker access, please go to the Emergency Department entrance, which is located to the right of the North Tower. Upon arrival to the hospital you should wear a cloth or homemade mask in the building, practice social distancing and perform hand hygiene.

We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for giving us the privilege to provide care to you and your growing family!