How to choose the best hospital to have a baby

Medical City Healthcare - December 15, 2021

Having a baby is a unique experience every time; no two pregnancies or deliveries are ever quite the same. Here’s how to choose the best hospital to have your baby.

During labor and delivery, there are often so many factors outside of your control that choosing a hospital that can provide much-needed consistency, reliability and clinical excellence is key. And of course, amenities and choices! Keep reading to find out how to customize your childbirth experience with the choices and amenities moms want most.

While there are many factors to consider when choosing the best hospital to have your baby, here are 5 that top the list:

Find an OB-GYN

Amenities, choices and delivery options.

What will your delivery day be like? No one can say for sure, but creating a birth plan will give your OB and hospital staff a guide of what you would like to happen.

Do you want custom music? Soft lighting? Instant skin-to-skin contact? Baby in-room or in-nursery? Do they offer designated quiet time for mother and baby bonding? Do they have lactation support? Your hospital should offer these choices and more, and the staff should be able to help you decide what's right for you.

If the unexpected happens — whatever that may be — our labor and delivery specialists are prepared to provide expert care for you and your baby. Tatyana Bloom, who gave birth to her son at Medical City Dallas, found this to be true when her birth plans didn’t go exactly as she had hoped with her first delivery.

That’s just one of the many reasons Tatyana chose Medical City to deliver her little girl the following year. Her dream to have a VBAC — a vaginal birth after a C-section — came true with the expertise, support and encouragement of her care team.

Just as important as how your baby comes into the world is where you’ll spend the first few nights together. Make it memorable by choosing a hospital that offers the amenities that are important to you, whether it's an optional VIP luxury suite, a celebratory meal or a large room with many of the comforts of home. It’s your time to make it special!

Most hospitals offer tours of their labor and delivery departments, so be sure to sign up for the ones you're interested in. Currently, tours are being offered in a variety of ways depending on the facility, including virtually and via Webex. You can also view our online maternity tours.

View our interactive amenities checklist.

Maternity and childbirth classes.

In addition to labor and delivery tours, look for a hospital or health system that offers the maternity and childbirth classes and support groups that meet your needs. Class choices may include childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, infant CPR, prenatal yoga, sibling preparation, relaxation and meditation for delivery, newborn care and more.

Options currently include virtual and pre-recorded classes.

Find a class

Pain relief options.

In addition to the traditional epidural, there are now more childbirth pain relief options than ever.

Look for a hospital that offers a wide variety of pain relief choices, such as aromatherapy (essential oils), peanut balls, meditation, hot and cold therapy, and more.

Wireless monitoring is another great option that allows mom greater freedom to move around and find a more comfortable position during labor.

Don't be shy about trying more than one technique, especially if your labor is long. What works during one stage of labor may not in another.

Clinical excellence in labor and delivery.

You may not agree on baby names or whether you want a boy or girl, but it's safe to say the top priority of every parent is to deliver a healthy baby … and for mom to be healthy, too.

These days, that means enhanced safety precautions and added peace of mind for parents. Now as always, at Medical City Healthcare hospitals, moms and babies are cherished and protected. One way we ensure this is through our quality designations, which we are proud to have achieved. These include:

Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Blue Distinction^© Centers+ Maternity Care designation
Texas Ten Step Program
Level IV Maternal Designation (Medical City Dallas)

And if you’d like to get expert answers to common questions about pregnancy, as well as hear from other moms who’ve delivered their babies at Medical City hospitals, visit our We Deliver Dreams blog or our YouTube channel.

Bonus tip: Look for a hospital that offers two skilled medical teams—one for mom and one for baby. That tells you they take the needs of baby and the expectations of mom seriously.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — NICU.

The level of neonatal intensive care a hospital provides is one of those things that many parents-to-be may not think to consider, which is precisely why it's on our list.

Knowing what level of NICU care your hospital offers can provide peace of mind if your baby needs a higher level of care. Nine Medical City Healthcare hospitals provide compassionate neonatal care in varying levels, including Level II, Level III and the highest level of care available — Level IV.

Parents with a baby in the NICU can access a secure, 24/7 live video stream of their baby so they can stay connected at all times. When possible, we encourage bonding, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding in the NICU as well.

At Medical City Healthcare, moms and babies are cherished and protected.

We don’t just deliver babies. We deliver dreams. Find the perfect doctor for you or your baby or call our free, 24/7 Ask a Nurse hotline.

DFW Child Best Hospital to Have a Baby 2022

Amenities, choices, consistency, reliability and clinical excellence. These are just some of the reasons four Medical City hospitals were named Best Hospital to Have a Baby in 2022 by the readers of DFW Child magazine!

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