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For New & Expecting Parents at �ٺ���Ƶ Hospital—Long Island

Each year, more than 5,000 babies are born at the New Life Center, home to all labor and deliveries at �ٺ���Ƶ Hospital—Long Island. Our staff provides family-centered care that is focused on understanding and meeting the unique needs of every mother and her family. We are certified by The Joint Commission for advanced perinatal care, which recognizes our excellence in caring for mothers and babies before and after birth.

Each of our labor, delivery, and recovery suites is designed with your comfort in mind, with a private bathroom and shower, specially designed birthing beds, and seating for your labor partner. Each suite features advanced monitoring to keep track of the mother and baby’s health during childbirth.

The New Life Center staff includes obstetricians, maternal–fetal medicine specialists, pediatricians, certified nurse–midwives, and registered nurses and nurse practitioners with advanced training in mother–baby care. Newborns who need specialized medical treatment are cared for in our Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where our neonatologists are available around-the-clock.

Arriving at the New Life Center

When you experience the first signs of labor, please inform your obstetrician. They will let you know when it’s time to come to the New Life Center. Once you arrive, a registered nurse with advanced training and certification in obstetrics welcomes you and escorts you to a room, where you are examined and monitored. As your labor progresses, you are taken to one of our labor, delivery, and recovery suites, and we discuss your pain management options.

Support people are allowed in accordance with our visitor policy. We also can connect you with a doula who can provide physical and emotional support during delivery, at no additional cost.

During your stay, you have access to our restaurant-style menu. Please inform your nurse of any dietary restrictions you may have.

Newborn Care and Safety

After delivery, you are moved to a room in our mother–baby unit. Our nurses are specially trained to care for both you and your baby. Feel free to ask them any questions about your recovery or the care and feeding of your baby.

We have earned Baby-Friendly designation by Baby-Friendly USA, and encourage you to keep your baby with you in your room throughout your stay. This promotes bonding and a successful start to breastfeeding. Our lactation consultants are available to provide guidance and support for mothers who choose to nurse their babies.

Matching identification bands are placed on you, your birth partner, and your baby. These identification bands must be worn at all times during your stay. If you are released from the hospital before your baby, you must bring your identification band with you when the baby is discharged.

When leaving the hospital, New York State law requires that infants be placed in a rear-facing car seat in the backseat.

Support Services for Families

We offer several support groups and educational programs for new mothers and their families.

For new mothers, we offer screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, also known as postpartum depression. If you are experiencing bouts of sadness or feeling overwhelmed, we can connect you with support programs and home care services that can help you through this time. We can also connect family members with individual counseling if needed.

Childbirth can be an anxious time for some families. We offer a support group for parents whose babies are in the NICU. For parents who have experienced the loss of an infant, our perinatal bereavement team connects with you in the hospital and provides follow-up support after you leave. Learn how you can support our Perinatal Bereavement Program.