Maternity
At Texas Vista Medical Center, we’ve been bringing new life into the world for more than 15 years at The BirthPlace. This year, nearly 2050 babies will be born at our hospital.
Maternity
Maternity
7400 Barlite Blvd.
San Antonio, Texas 78224
210-921-8620
San Antonio's Trusted Maternity Ward
To better meet the needs of our expectant mothers and their babies, The BirthPlace recently went through a major expansion and renovation. The expansion added six labor, delivery and recovery (LDR) suites, increasing the capacity to 17 rooms. In addition, 14 postpartum suites were constructed, bringing capacity from 20 rooms to 34 rooms. The Level III Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit increased from a 10-bed unit to a 24-bed unit, utilizing the entire second floor of The BirthPlace. The project has added approximately 26,920 square feet to The BirthPlace, improving our ability to provide excellent maternity care to all expecting mothers.
There’s a reason that so many families choose us for their maternity care. It’s because we view each new life as a miracle to celebrate, and our experienced team of doctors, nurses and other professionals are dedicated to helping your baby get the best possible start.
Labor, Delivery and Recovery Services
For the birth of your baby, we’ve prepared a private, spacious Labor, Delivery and Recovery (LDR) suite. With an adjustable bed and reclining sleeper for your coach, our suites are designed to increase your comfort during labor. Each suite is also fully equipped to help ensure a safe delivery and outstanding medical care for the first hours of your baby’s life.
If you require a Cesarean section, we also have surgical suites dedicated to women’s services, so you will be able to deliver your baby in an operating room located right in our maternity unit.
Level III Maternal Care Designation
The Birthplace at Texas Vista Medical Center is a Level III Maternal Care Center, making it the only facility on the Southside of San Antonio offering this advanced level of care. This means that we:
- Provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients with significant complex medical, surgical and/or obstetrical conditions that present a high risk of maternal morbidity or mortality, as well provide care for patients at low risk
- Deliver access to a full range of medical and maternal subspecialists, surgical specialists, and behavioral health specialists
- Undertake major surgeries and other complex procedures on-site
- Ensure physicians with critical care training are consistently available to collaborate with maternal fetal medicine physicians and/or obstetrics and gynecology physicians with obstetrics training and privileges in maternal care
- Employ skilled personnel with documented training, competencies, and annual continuing education, specific for the population served; and
- Conduct outreach education to lower-level designated facilities, among other capabilities.
Postpartum
After your baby is born, you have had time to recover, and we know that your baby is doing well, you will move to another private room in our Women’s Center. Nurses in the postpartum unit provide couplet care, where the same nurse takes care of both you and your new baby.
Rooming In
We encourage mothers to keep their new babies in their rooms as much as possible. Rooming in gives families time to bond and helps new parents learn how to care for their infant with the professional assistance of our nursing staff.
Nurseries Overseen By A Certified Staff
Our Level III NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) provides a higher level of care for babies who are sick or who need special medical treatment. The 24-bed NICU, which occupies the entire second floor of The BirthPlace, has a number of features, all implemented with the goal of providing the absolute best care for special needs infants:
- Capability to provide comprehensive care for extremely low birth-weight infants (≥500 grams and/or 23 weeks)
- Advanced respiratory support
- Neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals available on-site
- CT and MRI scans
- Echocardiography
- Partnership with advanced surgical facilities for special needs infants
- In addition to offering a high level of treatment and care options, the NICU features a nursing staff that truly cares for the well being of every baby and family in its charge. Every nurse is Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and S.T.A.B.L.E. certified.
Visiting the NICU
The NICU is open for visitation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All visitors are asked to roll up their sleeves and wash their hands and arms prior to entering the NICU in order to prevent the spread of disease. Visitors are not allowed in the NICU if they have a cold, fever, or have been exposed to any illness. Please consider the critical health conditions of our smallest patients when planning a visit.
For more information about visiting, please call 210-332-1350.
Breastfeeding Services
We offer lactation assistance for mothers who choose to breastfeed. All our nurses are trained in lactation and can help you learn the best techniques for feeding your baby and how to be sure your baby is getting enough milk.
Are Visitors Allowed In The NICU?
We know you will want friends and loved ones to share in your joy when you welcome your new baby to the world. We maintain a family-centered approach and offer flexible visiting hours and comfortable waiting areas for your guests.
Will My Newborn Be Provided With Infant Security?
Our comprehensive infant security plan is designed to protect our tiniest patients and to help ensure they stay safe in the hospital.
In addition to other security measures, we use a high-tech electronic surveillance system to keep track of each baby. After birth, we place a small monitoring band around your baby’s ankle, where it remains until you take the baby home. The band, which is completely safe, transmits an electronic signal to a nursing station and alerts nurses if a baby ever moves too close to a maternity unit exit.
Infant Safe Sleep
There are many things that may put your baby at risk while sleeping. Some risks may even be deadly if they experience suffocation, strangulation, entrapment, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - a term attributed to any infant death that cannot be explained. Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old in which the cause was not obvious before investigation.
According to the CDC, in 2017, there were 3,600 sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) in the United States. Of those fatalities, 1,400 deaths were due to SIDS; 1,300 deaths due to unknown causes; and 900 deaths due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.
It is important for parents to always choose a safe sleeping environment for their baby during naps and at night. Where and how your baby sleeps is vital to their safety. Here are some useful prevention tips to keep your baby safe during sleep.
Safety Tips
- Place babies on their backs to sleep every time, for naps and at night.
- Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as a safety-approved crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet.
- Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area.
- Never use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, sleep positioning devices, or pillow-like bumpers in your baby’s sleep area.
- Avoid letting your baby overheat during sleep. (Dress your baby in light sleep clothing and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.)
- Never place a crib near a window with blinds, curtain cords or baby monitor cords to prevent strangulation.
- Avoid bed sharing as it increases the risk of suffocation.
- Do not attempt to fix a broken crib; replace it.