Labor & Delivery

Norman Regional takes a family-centered approach to labor and delivery, designing our services to allow you to bond with your baby from birth through discharge. We also offer board-certified lactation consultants and a Level III NICU.

Considering giving birth at the Norman Regional Hospital, formerly known as HealthPlex? We would love to be a part of your growing family! Watch the video below to virtually tour our Labor and Delivery and Women's and Children's units. Click here to read about some of the benefits of delivering at the Norman Regional Hospital and sign up for a special new mom goody bag from our family to yours! We're not offering in-person tours at this time.

Treating Your Growing Family Like Our Own

Norman Regional’s team of experts is ready to care for you as you welcome your new addition into the world, with board-certified physicians, registered nurses, lactation consultants and many others. Our exceptional clinical care team works with families to ensure every experience is tailored to their specific needs and desires while ensuring safety every step of the way. We offer a variety of labor-management options that are dependent on the level of labor support desired. If you’re not sure what you want or what to ask for; check out our patient preference menu for a few suggestions. Remember; it’s important to discuss these with your OB provider.

• Personalized Care with your "Team Birth" providers
• Mobile monitoring to facilitate freedom of movement
• Spacious in-room showers
• Birthing balls – Peanut balls
• Pain management options

Once your recovery is complete, usually 2-3 hours after delivery, your family and care will move upstairs to our lovely Women’s and Children’s area. This is where you will enjoy the rest of your stay until you and your family are ready to discharge home.

• Preregister for your delivery. Type “Obstetrics Admission” in the "Procedure" box.

Centers of Excellence

Norman Regional Health System is the first program in the state of Oklahoma to be certified in Perinatal Care by The Joint Commission.

When do I call my doctor?

If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are pregnant and think your water is broken or you are in labor, you do not need to call the answering service. If your labor was not already scheduled for today, please go directly to Norman Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department entrance located at the east side of the hospital. From there you will be seen in the Obstetrical Emergency Department (OBED) where a board-certified OB hospitalist will assess your condition, work closely with your primary physician, and provide appropriate treatment.

Women's and Children's Unit

After giving birth, mom and baby are moved to the Women's and Children's floor, which offers 28 Women's and Children's rooms. We take a family-centered approach so baby can stay with you from birth through discharge so you can have more time for bonding. If for some reason your baby needs special care and equipment, we also offer a newborn nursery and a Level III NICU.

Skin-to-Skin

The first hour following delivery is so special, we refer to it as ‘The Golden Hour.’ During this time, your health care team will encourage uninterrupted, skin-to-skin time, at least until the first feeding is complete. There is a lot happening in that tiny body, and skin-to-skin helps with it all!

Skin-to-skin is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and has important health benefits including:

• Helping your baby regulate their temperature, breathing, heart rate and blood sugar,
• Helping your uterus shrink back to normal size,
• Enhancing bonding,
• Soothing you and your baby.

Your health care team will continue to encourage you and your significant other to practice skin-to-skin for ongoing benefits throughout your stay and even after discharge. It is important for the safety of your baby that you are awake, alert and attentive, during skin-to-skin. (Without distractions from phones or visitors.) You may find the semi-reclined, or upright position, works best to see that your baby is well-colored, breathing and responsive. And should you get sleepy, it’s best to have an alert adult to lend you a hand.

During this time, consider:

• Quiet time. Every day from 2 to 4 p.m., we have quiet time on our unit, allowing our parents and their newborns to bond, rest and breastfeed uninterrupted. We encourage our families to refrain from accepting visitors during this time.
• Lactation consultants. Breastfeeding is very important to us at the hospital. Our staff are all skilled in helping you get off to a good start, but in case you need expert advice, we offer a full lactation department with board-certified lactation consultants available seven days a week. After you go home, if you still feel the need for assistance, our consultants are available to you on an outpatient basis by appointment.

We encourage you to have a designated support person to stay with you in the hospital and after you go home. Having a baby and adjusting to the demands of a newborn is tiring, and it’s always good to have someone ready to take over to allow you some rest. Make sure you discuss any needs with your nurse prior to discharge so we can assist you.

Siblings

Norman Regional’s team has something special for siblings who are welcoming a new brother or sister. Please make sure to check-in at the main desk in the Women's and Children's unit and ask about the sibling gift.

We welcome siblings during this exciting time and understand they are a vital part of your growing family. Children 12 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult other than the patient.

Safety and Entrances

The safety and security of our patients is a priority at the Norman Regional Hospital. Between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., the entrance to the Pavilion is locked and monitored by our security team. All visitors should use the Emergency Entrance during these hours.

Obstetrical Emergency Department (OBED)

All unscheduled labor and delivery patients should use the Emergency Entrance at the Hospital at all hours to be evaluated by a board-certified OB hospitalist in the Obstetrical Emergency Department (OBED). Find out more about our OBED.