Resources & Pain Management

Prenatal and beyond resources

WIC - Woman, Infant & Children
Food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services are provided to low-income women, infants, and children under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, popularly known as WIC. Click here to learn more.

Nurse-Family Partnership
Nurse-Family Partnership's maternal health program introduces vulnerable first-time parents to caring maternal and child health nurses. This program allows nurses to deliver the support first-time moms need to have a healthy pregnancy, become knowledgeable and responsible parents, and provide their babies with the best possible start in life. The relationship between mother and nurse provides the foundation for strong families, and lives are forever changed – for the better. Click here to learn more.

Hilltop's B4 Babies
B4 Babies & Beyond provides access to quality health care insurance for pregnant women and children that do not have insurance or cannot afford what is offered by their employer. All B4 Babies & Beyond services are free of charge, culturally sensitive and diverse, and focus on lowering barriers to health care. Click here to learn more.

Circumcision

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the tip of the penis. In the United States, it is often done before a new baby leaves the hospital. There are medical benefits and risks to circumcision. Possible benefits include a lower risk of urinary tract infections, penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. The risks include pain and a low risk of bleeding or infection.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that the medical benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks. They recommend that parents make this decision in consultation with their pediatrician. Parents need to decide what is best for their sons, based on their religious, cultural and personal preferences.

Pain Management

Community Hospital strives to make your birth experience exactly what you desire it to be. A wide variety of pain management options are available to all of our patients.

Natural pain relief modalities:
Each room is equipped with a whirl pool tub for hydrotherapy. Patients may choose to get into the tub for pain management in between monitoring of the baby and mother. Our spa like atmosphere with battery operated candles, aromatherapy options, and an unlimited supply of hot water make this an option of choice for many expectant mothers.

Labor balls are also available upon request and all of our nurses are skilled at applying sacral pressure and massage to help relive the back pain that some patients experience.

Birthing balls also help widen the pelvis to allow the baby to come down more effectively. (Link to Labor Ball)

Squat bars are also available for those patients who feel like this decreases pain during pushing. (Link to squat bars)

Nitrous Oxide:
Nitrous Oxide is a gas used for labor pain. A mixture of 50% nitrous gas and 50% oxygen is inhaled through a mask. Inhaling the nitrous about 45 seconds before the contraction starts helps the maximum effect of the nitrous take place at the peak of the contraction. Nitrous is self-administered by the laboring mother and most patients find it to be very effective both in early labor and as the body begins to change later in labor. Nitrous oxide is cleared through the lungs so after the patient stops inhaling the nitrous it clears for the mothers system immediately with no effect on the baby. There are only a handful of hospitals that offer this method of pain relief and we are excited to be able to make it available to you!

Narcotic analgesics:
Narcotic analgesics are medications that are administered through an IV for pain relief. Most narcotics are effective for about 30-45 minutes. They make the patient drowsy, they take the edge off of the contractions but do not entirely eliminate contractions. Narcotic analgesics do cross the placenta and there is an effect on the baby. Timing of administering a narcotic analgesic is important but your nurses, midwives, and doctors are very skilled at determining when to give the medication. Laboring mothers report this is sometimes “all the medication they need to get through the last little part of labor.”

Epidural Anesthesia:
An epidural is a medication that is placed in the patients back. A tiny catheter is left in the epidural space in the back that allows medication to be continuously administered until it is removed after delivery. Although it does not eliminate all of the pain during delivery it is very effective in eliminating the pain of contractions. Unlike a narcotic, the medication does not cross the placenta so there is no effect on the baby.