The Family Birth Center at Valdese Hospital in Valdese, N.C., was established in 1984. The many special features that distinguish this birthing center are:

Birthing Rooms
Six cheery, comfortable maternity suites decorated to look like home without sacrificing the safety of a modern hospital; suites where mothers labor, deliver and recover without having to move to a new location. Also, baby can room in with mother if the mother chooses.

Nursery
Staffed around-the-clock with registered nurses trained especially for nursery care.

OB Classes
Skilled, caring support and attention for expecting parents and families provided through coordinated childbirth education programs. Childbirth education classes prepare individuals for laboring and giving birth. A childbirth refresher course is for mothers who have already attended a childbirth education class. Cesarean birth classes provide guidance for couples who may experience Cesarean childbirth. And, to help prepare parents for their child's first year of development, the hospital offers newborn care, parenting classes taught by a maternal/child specialist, as well as infant CPR classes.

For information or to register for a class, please call the childbirth educator at 828-879-7524.

Maternal/Infant/Postpartum Care
When mothers return home with their babies, they can depend on Valdese General's skilled nurses for support and care. The hospital's Home Care Department is staffed with nurses who specialize in newborn, maternity and women's healthcare. These nurses visit mothers and their babies at home soon after they leave the hospital to conduct complete physical assessments on both of them. If needed, the Home Care team provides skilled medical care, treatment and education to assist mothers with their healthcare needs as well as those of their infants.

Call 828-879-7711 for more information about Maternal and Infant Program. A Postpartum Support Group offers fellowship for new mothers, breast-feeding support and guest speakers each week.

For more information or to join the group, call 828-879-7697.

Sibling and Family Tours
These are tours to enable children to see newborn babies and help them feel more at ease about becoming a "big" brother or sister. Parenting classes also include a tour of the hospital.

To arrange a sibling tour, call the childbirth educator at 828-879-7524.

OB/GYN Physicians and Certified Nurse-Midwifes
Available for the mother's choice are OB/GYN physicians and certified nurse-midwives. Personalized attention by a highly skilled labor and delivery registered nurse staff is also provided.

Gifts
Parents of the new baby will receive a federally approved infant car seat, a hospital birth certificate for framing, 10 birth announcements to send to friends and family, as well as print media birth announcement service if desired.

More Specialty Care
24-hour epidural service; specialized care for high-risk pregnancies, and individualized, family-centered care are all provided through the Family Birth Center.

Breast-Feeding Station
Expectant and nursing mothers can now turn to Valdese Hospital for their breast-feeding needs. As a breast pump rental station, the hospital offers the most advanced breast pumps and accessories along with an array of breast-feeding services that make it convenient and cost-effective for mothers to breast-feed. Breast-feeding classes teach mothers about breast-feeding, how to obtain support and how to overcome feeding obstacles.

For more information about the Family Birth Center at Valdese Hospital, call 828-879-7583. To register for classes, call 828-879-7524.