Washington Health System in Washington, PA, provides a full range of obstetrical and gynecological services. We focus on family-centered care, encouraging new parents to spend as much time as possible with their newborn. Our highly skilled staff members are available 24/7 from admission to discharge to answer any questions you may have about a variety of topics, including high-risk pregnancy and help with your birth plan.
Your Support Team
Our certified childbirth educator and lactation consultant offer a full range of classes for new and/or expectant parents. We also offer a comprehensive lactation program to encourage breastfeeding, giving babies the best start in life. We promote the importance of bonding time by allowing newborns to remain in the mother’s room throughout their stay.
Family-Centered Care
Babies are placed skin to skin with mother immediately after delivery, and we encourage mothers to stay skin-to-skin until the first feeding and as often as possible during the hospital stay.
As part of WHS Washington Hospital’s family-centered maternity care, we encourage rooming-in for you and your baby 24 hours a day. Since typical hospital stays are 1-2 days for a vaginal delivery and 2-3 days for a cesarean delivery, rooming-in allows you to learn how to care for your baby from our expert staff before you go home. Rooming-in provides an opportunity for you to learn your baby’s feeding cues and be able to feed as soon as your baby is ready. Rooming-in also helps the mother and baby be cared for by the same nurse, called “couplet care,” and lets you and your family get to know your baby.
The Nursery
The nursing staff is available to help you whenever needed. If you are unable to care for your baby or your baby needs special care or monitoring, your baby will be brought to the nursery. If your baby is receiving special care or monitoring in the nursery, you and your support person may visit the baby in the nursery. Our staff delivers a personal touch to the care they provide. Whenever a baby is born at the hospital, a lullaby is played over the speaker system. Additionally, on some holidays, babies are dressed in holiday outfits with parental permission.
Patient Education
Our staff members, who are skilled in caring for you and your baby during labor, delivery and your recovery period, are available 24 hours a day. Even after your discharge from the hospital, our staff is available to answer questions by phone. Explanations and educational videos are offered to all mothers on a variety of topics, such as breastfeeding, formula preparation and feeding, diapering, bathing, and car seat safety. We offer prenatal classes to expectant parents on these subjects as well. Additionally, our lactation consultant is available for phone or outpatient consult as needed.
We offer in-person prenatal classes to expectant parents on these subjects as well. For a class schedule and more information please call (724) 223-3173. You can also access the same Newborn Channel programs offered at the WHS CARE Center for Family Birth and Women’s Health by going to www.healthclips.com with passcode 02915. Additionally, our lactation consultant is available for phone or outpatient consult as needed. You can also utilize the interactive website adaptation of the Ready, Set, Baby curriculum. This website allows expectant parents to prepare for their breastfeeding journey. The website was developed with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Access our library of educational videos and other resources for new parents.
Learn more about our full OB/GYN Services.