Women's Center & Birthing Center
Bringing a new baby into the world is one of the most thrilling moments in a family’s life. At Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, we want to ensure that you and your new bundle of joy receive the most exclusive care from the most caring professionals. Personalized attention for you and your baby will make your precious birth a joyous occasion. Our experienced staff has one goal in mind – to be available for you during your birth. We offer an environment which brings joy, safety, and comfort without compromise. Our beautifully decorated suites add a special touch to the baby’s first look at the world. From our family of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals we want to help you welcome your new family addition into the world. Our door may read “Women’s Center,” but our mission is “Family Center.”
The Women's Center at Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center in Sebring is a contemporary locked unit where parents can feel safe and comfortable delivering their new babies. The rooms are beautifully decorated birthing suites where mother and baby are monitored throughout labor and delivery by the most advanced computer monitoring available. Rooms are large enough to accommodate overnight stays by a spouse or significant other.
The Women's Center is also available to female patients who are admitted to the hospital for other non-birthing reasons.
Obstetric Pre-Registration
Florida Hospital Heartland Division wishes to share in your joy! To make your stay and birth experience pleasant, we ask you to make arrangements prior to your admission.
Pre-Registration Form
You may pre-register ahead of time by filing out the “Pre-Admission” form. Returning the form prior to the birth will reduce the amount of time spent with paperwork when you are admitted. Mail the form or bring it by the hospital any time before the birth. If you have pre-registered, a family member will be able to complete your registration quickly at the time of admission. Bring the following items with you to the hospital to assist in your registration:
- Driver’s license or Photo ID
- Social Security Number
- Insurance Card
- When you arrive for the birth of your baby, go to the Inpatient Registration are located at the main entrance of the hospital. If you arrive between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., you will need to enter through the Emergency entrance, where you will be admitted and escorted to the Women’s Center.
If you have questions about this information or your upcoming admission, please contact the Admitting Office at (863) 314-4466, ext. 3550, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or the Women’s Center at (863) 402-3405 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pre-Admission Process
There are several other forms necessary to complete the pre-admission process. They include:
- Consent for Treatment - This form authorizes treatment under the direction of your physician, release of information to your insurance company, assignment of benefits for insurance, and your financial co-payment responsibility.
- Advance Directive & Living Will - This document informs the hospital staff regarding your Power of Attorney or Living Will decisions.
These forms require your signature and may be done at any time before the birth or will be present for completion at your time of admission.
Obstetric Services
The Women’s Center at Florida Hospital Heartland features 11 private rooms which allow you and your family to stay in one room through labor, birth, and recovery. Your spacious room has a private bath with shower and Jacuzzi, telephone and direct dialing to your room, select cable TV, comfortable rocking chair for snuggling, and a lounge chair which coverts to a sleeper where a family member may sleep when they choose to spend the night. Beautiful framed quilts, hand-stitched by local artisans from the Caladium Co-op in Lake Placid, adorn the walls of each room. Flower arrangements add to the home-like atmosphere.
After your birth, your bed is made more comfortable with the addition of a bed topper, which makes the birthing mattress more like a regular mattress. We know that family support is a must for you and your baby. Supporting you is their job. Preparing you for the job of “mothering” is ours. Because we take that responsibility seriously, we ask that you encourage friends to wait until you are home to visit. Your time with us is short and there is so much to learn about your little miracle. We offer this education using videotape, written material, and one-on-one instruction so that you leave with the basic knowledge of how to provide the care that mom, dad, and baby need at home.
Experienced Staff
Our registered nursing staff has over 200 years combined experienced in labor and birth assistance, nursery, and post-partum care. The nurses have education in fetal monitoring, and are certified in neonatal resuscitation. This assures you of having a nurse informed in taking care of you and your baby.
Safety
For the safety of you and your baby, all doors onto our unit are secured. Visitors must know your name in order to gain admittance, and must be buzzed out by a staff member. Only OB staff with a picture ID may take your baby from your room. If you leave your room, your baby is brought to the nursery where he will be loved and cared for until you return.
Birthing Options
Creating a Birth Plan with your physician is an important aspect of a rewarding birth experience. Your nurses will work with you to make your plan a successful one. Some plans you may want to discuss with your physician include:
- Intermittent or continuous fetal monitoring throughout labor
- Continuous or modified rooming-in as desired
- Pain management, including epidural or intravenous medication (see anesthesia brochure in this packet)
- Food and nutrition during labor and post-partum
- Father participation in the actual birth
- Varied positions for comfort during birth
- Alternative methods to episiotomy use
- Utilization of Jacuzzi and shower during labor
- Video recording criteria
- Breastfeeding and bottle feeding
What to Bring
Packing a suitcase for your and your baby ahead of time can put your mind at ease when the time comes for the special event! The following items are some suggestions:
For Mom:
- Nightgown (nursing gown for breastfeeding moms)
- Robe and slippers
- Toiletries (hair brush, shampoo, toothbrush, deodorant)
- Camera, extra batteries and film
- Pillows and brightly colored pillowcases
- Supportive or nursing bra
- Loose-fitting clothes to wear home
- Phone numbers of family and friends
For Baby:
- Clothes to wear home
- Blanket
- Infant car seat with extra blankets for head support
*Knitted hat and booties, hand-made by our Hospital Volunteers, are given to your baby
Baby Photos
Baby photos may be taken at your request upon discharge and are available for purchase through this wesite. A brochure is also available for you to review before your birth. If you desire to have the baby’s picture taken in a special outfit (like your grandmother’s gown), let us know.
Child Birth Classes
A schedule of upcoming Childbirth Education Classes is listed below and can be downloaded. You can also download and print a "Childbirth Education Class Registration" form. Participants may register in Admitting at Florida Hospital Sebring, Florida Hospital Lake Placid or Florida Hospital Wauchula. Course fee is $40.00. You can also visit our events calendar to view upcoming dates and register online. Students should bring two pillows and a beachtowel or blanket to class. If you have questions about these classes, please call the Coordinator of Childbirth Education at (863) 402-3258.
Childbirth Class Schedule July - December 2008
Childbrith Class Schedule January - June 2009
Family Life Series Classes
As new, or even not-so-new, parents you may have a lot of questions regarding a variety of topics. The Family Life Series classes are designed to help you make the transition to your new roles, responsibility and joys. The Series provides classes on the following topics:
- Breast Feeding
- Childbirth Preparation
- Cesarean Birth Education
- Family Life Series Tour (tour of the Women’s Center and an opportunity to meet the hospital staff)
- Safe Sitter (designed for 11-13-year-olds to teach them to safely care for younger children)
- Sibling Class (a class for expecting big brothers and sisters)
For information about the Family Life Series Classes, please call the Childbirth Education Coordinator at (863) 402-3258.
Fitness Programs & Resources
Staying in shape and getting back into shape are often concerns of expecting and new moms. Like you, Florida Hospital Heartland Division is interested in promoting health and fitness. Through the Haywood fitness Center in Avon Park, the Haywood Fitness Center inside the Heartland Medical Center in Sebring, and the Elizabeth Hyde Shoemaker Fitness Center in Lake Placid, we have a number of programs to help you stay in shape during pregnancy or to get you back in shape after the birth.
We encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary fitness assessment to the Florida Hospital fitness center of your choice. The Fitness Centers feature resistance and aerobic equipment.
A number of aerobic classes are offered through the Center, they include:
- Step
- High and Low Impact
- Power Build
- Sculpt and Shape
- Slide Aerobics
The Fitness Centers also include a Kids Korner dedicated to providing a safe and stimulating atmosphere for children while parents utilize the Center’s services. The Kids Korner is open for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years for $2.00 per child with a two-hour limit. The Center’s staff will work with you to design an exercise program specific to your needs and goals. For more information and to reach the Fitness Centers click here.
Contact Us
Please call us at (863) 402-3405 or fax (863) 402-3468. We are located inside Florida Hospital Sebring on the 2nd floor at 4200 Sun ‘n Lake Boulevard, Sebring, Florida 33872.