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At Good
Samaritan Hospital’s Family Birth Center we strive to provide you with
excellent care. Every family member is affected by the addition of a new member
and our caring staff will assist and guide you through this transition. We
encourage you to keep your baby with you during your hospital stay, to become
familiar with his or her unique personality and gain valuable hands-on
experience with newborn care. The nurse will be checking on you and your baby
frequently during your hospital stay.
What
to pack for the hospital
For your
convenience, we’ve listed some items here that are beneficial during your
hospital stay and for discharge day:
· 5-7 extra
pairs of your own underwear and personal toiletries
· Outfit for
baby’s picture
· Car seat
that you have practiced properly installing in your
car
· 3 extra
receiving blankets
Families are welcome!
If your
spouse or support person plans to stay with you, let us know if you need extra
pillows or blankets. A visitor pass must be obtained after 9 p.m. from the nurse
caring for your family. Cafeteria hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
to 1:30 a.m., seven days a week. Vending machines are located on the ground
floor by the gift shop.
Siblings
play an important role in welcoming the newest family addition and are
encouraged to visit when it is convenient for you. To keep your baby healthy,
please make sure any visitors you have are free from signs of illness or
infection. Most importantly, please encourage good hand washing for everyone
that holds your baby.
Newborn
Channel
The Newborn
Channel is television programming related to baby care and postpartum topics
available in your room, 24 hours a day. It is available in both English and
Spanish.
About Circumcision
At one time, almost all boys were
circumcised, but now, circumcision is a procedure that parents may desire due to
religious, social or cultural reasons. Since circumcision is not essential to a
child’s health, parents should choose what is best for their child by looking at
the benefits and risks of this procedure. To make an informed choice, parents of
all male infants should be given accurate and unbiased information and be
provided the opportunity to discuss this decision.
What is
circumcision?
Circumcision is a surgical procedure in
which the skin covering the end of the penis, the foreskin, is removed. This
procedure takes about 10 minutes and is usually performed in the first or second
day of life. Infants can be given a local anesthetic (numbing medicine) to
decrease pain and stress, but they must be stable and healthy to safely be
circumcised.
What are the
risks?
Like any surgical procedure,
circumcision does have some risks, but the incidence of complications associated
with this procedure is very low. Bleeding and infection are the most common
types of complications.
What to expect after the
circumcision?
After the circumcision, the tip of the
penis will appear raw. Petroleum jelly should be used to keep the diaper from
sticking to the newly exposed area for the first several days. This will also
help to promote healing and comfort your infant. Gently clean the skin with
water every day and when the diaper area becomes soiled. Expect to see a little
yellow discharge around the head of the penis, but this typically does not last
more than a week. Normally, the penis will heal approximately 7 to 10 days after
a circumcision.
Notify your infant’s doctor if you
notice any signs of infection such as redness, swelling or foul-smelling
drainage, or if there is persistent bleeding.
How do I care for my baby if
I choose not to have him circumcised?
The uncircumcised penis is easy to keep
clean by gently washing the genital area while bathing. No special cleansing is
necessary. The foreskin does not fully retract for a few years and should never
be forced.
When the foreskin fully retracts, boys
can be taught how to retract the foreskin and clean the skin
underneath.
Teach your son to wash his
foreskin everyday while bathing by:
· Gently pulling it back away from the
head of the penis
· Rinsing the head of the penis and
inside fold of the foreskin with soap and warm
water
· Pulling the foreskin back over the
head of the penis
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