Delivery at Covenant

Pre-Register for Your Delivery with MyChart

We want to make your admission to the hospital as simple as possible. You can register for your delivery before you come to the hospital to deliver your baby by logging into your MyChart account. From the Main Menu, go to Find Care > Register for My Delivery to preregister for your upcoming delivery.

You’ll be asked to enter your expected due date and select the Harrison location as the place where you’d like to give birth. There will be a short registration questionnaire to complete and then you will be registered for labor and delivery. You can see details of your upcoming delivery in the "Visits" section, add the expected due date to your calendar, and get directions to the hospital.

Signup for a MyChart Account

Visit the MyChart Signup Page and fill out the information. MyChart will give you access to preregister for delivery, schedule childbirth classes, and much more.

For support, contact the MyChart Patient Support Line at 989-583-0488.

Birth Center Information

We are looking forward to assisting you as you welcome your new baby into the world. Our Birth Center offers compassionate nursing care, in addition to the most advanced medical technologies available.

When you go into labor:

• Call your healthcare provider first
• Park in the visitor lot
• Come into the main entrance and use the elevators to get to the fourth floor.
• You might be placed in a triage room while our nurses assess your labor status; while you are being admitted your support team will be asked to wait in the waiting room provided on the 4th floor.
• You are allowed to have two labor support people if you wish.

Our Labor Rooms

Our labor rooms are designed to make you feel at home, while also offering exceptional medical care.

Each room has the following features:

• Shower
• Rocking chair
• Adjustable beds
• Squat bar (available upon request)
• Fitness ball (available upon request)
• Television
• Wireless Internet service

Your Postpartum Stay

Most parents stay in our mother-baby unit for 2-4 days following birth. The following information can help you plan your stay. Our postpartum unit offers the following features and services:

• Postpartum rooms: Each room has an adjustable bed, a hideaway bed for your support person (1 can stay), newborn crib, phone, TV, dining table and wireless Internet service. We provide basic toiletries and self-care items for you and baby during your stay.
• Security and safety: All visitors will need to check in and out. Your baby will wear an identification band that matches yours. No one else is allowed to take your baby.
• Lactation services: Our certified lactation consultants may visit you during your stay to answer questions you might have and help with positioning. Our post-partum nursing staff are all trained in lactation support. Upon discharge, you will be given the number for our lactation hotline.
• Meal services: In-room meals are available to the new mother. You will receive a menu to order from each day. Family members can order meals for a nominal fee.
• Discharge: Before you are discharged, your nurse will review essential medical information with you. She will also give you all the forms you need in order to fill out your baby’s birth certificate or register for any social services. You must take your baby home in a properly-installed car seat. Install the seat before you go into labor so it’s ready to transport your newborn!

Your Baby's Birth at Covenant

At Covenant, we support and encourage rooming in. We attempt to avoid separation by performing caregiving activities such as exams, labs, and testing in your room. We encourage family participation in caring for your baby and yourself. We believe in involving you and your support person(s) in the learning process. Our staff is available to assist you during the times when you need rest. We encourage you to take advantage of the daily scheduled quiet time from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

Medicine & Testing For Baby

After your baby’s birth, there are some medicines they need to be given and tests they need to take before leaving the hospital. These medicines and tests are given to your baby to keep him/her healthy. Some tests are done to detect rare problems that need early treatment to prevent severe disabilities or even death.

Erythromycin

Your baby will have his/her eyes treated once with erythromycin ointment (an antibiotic). The ointment will protect your baby’s eyes from any infection they come in contact with during delivery. It may cause minor irritation or may blur your baby’s vision for a short time. This procedure to treat your baby’s eyes is required by state law.

Vitamin K

Newborn babies are at risk for bleeding during the first few days of life. They lack vitamin K, which helps blood to clot. To decrease the risk of bleeding, one shot of vitamin K is given to newborn babies in the outer thigh of the leg. This will be done shortly after birth when the first bath is given. Within a few days the baby will make its own. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your OB provider or nurse.

Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can be prevented. It is a disease of the liver caused by a viral infection. It often has no symptoms. Most people who get the virus get better in a few months, but some people carry the virus in their blood all their lives (they are called carriers). In the United States, more than 300,000 people get hepatitis B infection every year and there are about 1 million carriers.

If they are not protected by vaccine, babies and young children can get hepatitis B through contact with blood or body fluids of infected people. Those infected in infancy or childhood are more likely to become “carriers” and this may lead to serious liver disease later in life.

You can protect your baby before he or she has contact with the virus. Following your baby’s birth, you will be offered the first hepatitis B shot for your baby. This will be given with your consent before discharge to go home. You will receive additional information about the vaccine at this time. The second shot will be given between 2-4 months of age and the third shot will be given between 6-18 months of age. For information about hepatitis B vaccine for older children, contact your child’s doctor, your local health department, or visit HealthyChildren.org

Newborn Screening

All hospitals are required by the State of Michigan to test every baby born at their hospital for rare metabolic diseases. This is done by a simple heel poke. The tests can help doctors detect serious illnesses early which can minimize or eliminate serious medical conditions. Visit the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website to learn more about the Michigan Newborn Screening Program. For a complete list of disorders the screening may detect, visit Newborn Screening - List of Disorders.

Hearing Screening

A hearing problem in infants is difficult to identify because it is invisible, and infants and toddlers cannot tell us that they are unable to hear. Hearing loss is treatable. Because babies learn to speak by listening, the child who is unable to hear normally will not develop speech and language normally. The most critical time for your child to learn to speak is from birth to three years of age. Early identification of hearing problems helps give your child the special attention needed to help them learn to communicate. For more information about hearing screen, visit Michigan’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program

Congenital Heart Disease Screening

Approximately 1 in 100 babies is born with congenital heart disease, making heart defects the most common of all birth defects. Family history, genetic conditions and maternal risk factors can increase the risk. Over 1,700 Michigan babies are born with heart disease each year. Congenital heart disease occurs when a baby’s heart or major blood vessels do not form properly. There are many types of heart defects, ranging from mild to severe. Critical heart defects need urgent treatment to have the best outcome for the baby. Treatment can include medical and/or surgical procedures. To learn more about screening, visit Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Jaundice

To make sure your baby’s first week is safe and healthy, it is important that your baby is checked for jaundice in the hospital. To learn more about Jaundice, visit HealthyChildren.org

Circumcisions

Circumcision is the removal of a double layer of skin that normally covers the glans of the penis. This fold is known as the foreskin and contains nerves, blood vessels, glands and makes up 25-50% of the skin of the penis. After circumcision, the head of the penis has an open wound. Many parents learn more to prepare themselves so they will be able to share in the decisions and responsibilities of the birth process. If your baby is a boy, one decision you will make is whether or not to have your son circumcised. In the first few hours or days of his life, we will ask you if you have made your choice. To learn more about circumcision, contact your OB provider or visit HealthyChildren.org

Cord Blood Banking

What is Cord Blood Banking?

Cord blood banking is an optional procedure in which the blood left in your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta after birth is collected, frozen, and stored for future medical use.

Why is Cord Blood Banking Done?

Cord blood is a rich source of stem cells – the building blocks of the blood and immune system. Stem cells are able to change into new tissues, organs, and blood vessels and they can be used to treat a host of diseases. Stem cells have been used successfully to treat leukemia, sickle cell anemia, immune and blood problems, and cancer of the lymph system such as Hodgkin’s disease.

Will Cord Blood Collection Affect My Newborn?

Some parents worry that newborns need the blood and stem cells in their umbilical cords and that clamping the cord soon after delivery (a vital step for cord blood collection) will harm their babies Clamping the cord shortly after birth is perfectly safe for most babies. The only babies who can benefit from the extra blood in their cords are those who have lost blood – which can happen when the placenta separates too early from the uterus.

Donating Cord Blood

Donating your baby’s cord blood can be a life-saving gift for a patient waiting for a stem cell transplant. Chances that your family will need the blood are very low and ranges from 1 in 1,400 to 1 in 200,000.

If you are interested and would like more information about donating cord blood, go to: Versiti.org/ways-to-give/cord-blood-donation.

You can sign up at any time, up to 4 weeks prior to your due date. You will need to download and complete the Preliminary Screening form at Versiti.org/ways-to-give/cord-blood-donation. Return the screening form to Versiti in one of the following ways:

Mail: Versiti Cord Blood Bank, 1036 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Email: CTL@miblood.org

Fax: 616-233-8559

• The collection paperwork will be mailed to your home within 4 weeks of your due date.
• Bring the completed paperwork with you to the hospital when it is time for you to deliver.
• Let the nursing staff know you wish to donate your baby’s cord blood and give them the paperwork.
• We will need to collect the required maternal labs upon arrival and then the cord blood with the delivery.
• Covenant has the kits on hand to collect your baby’s cord blood after delivery.
• The completed collection paperwork will be placed in the kit along with blood and sent to the lab.
• Be sure to talk to your provider about Cord Blood banking.

Private Cord Blood Banking

Private Cord blood banking is when your baby’s cord blood is collected for future use. Private banks charge a yearly fee for storage. This can be important , especially if you have a family history of a disease that can be treated with cord blood, or your children belong to an ethnic minority group. Blood stored in a private bank must meet the same standards as blood stored in a public bank. Let the nursing staff know you will be collecting cord blood for private banking.

Keeping the Placenta for Cultural and/or Spiritual Use

The decision to keep your placenta is a personal choice. There are a few things that need to take place if you choose to keep it. We need to ensure that the hospital and staff meet your request and follow all regulatory guidelines. Your healthcare provider will need to authorize the release of the placenta to you, and that you have signed the release of placenta form. You will need to bring a rigid, plastic container with a secure lid to the hospital with you. We will place the placenta inside the container at the time of delivery. Your support person or a family member must remove the placenta from the hospital before we transfer you to your postpartum room as it is considered biohazard waste (due to the blood and body fluids) and needs to be handled appropriately.