When the time comes for your labor and delivery on the Women & Newborn Care Unit, you will encounter more than just your obstetrician, but a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team of experts ready to assist and care for you and your growing family. Listed below are providers you may meet during your stay at the South County Hospital's Women & Newborn Care Unit.
RN – Registered Nurse
Labor and delivery nurses care for women during labor and childbirth, monitor the baby and mother postpartum, coach mothers and assist doctors.
CNM – Certified Nurse Midwife
Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) are providers who care for women throughout their lifespan. Midwives perform physical exams, prescribe medications, order laboratory tests, provide prenatal care, gynecological care, and guide women through labor and birth care. They also provide health education and counseling to women of all ages. CNMs have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) before entering midwifery education programs.
NNP – Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Neonatal nurse practitioners serve as primary caregivers for premature babies and other newborns that require special care due to low birth weight, respiratory distress, congenital heart defects or various other abnormalities and disorders. NNPs typically hold a master’s degree, a registered nursing license and nurse practitioner certification. Between their BSN, MSN, and NNP program, an NNP usually has to complete about seven years of schooling. At South County Hospital, an NNP is a part of every delivery to ensure the best possible outcome for mom and baby.
CLC – Certified Lactation Consultant
Certified Lactation Consultants are professionals who have demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to provide breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding/lactation. CLCs come from a variety of different educational and employment backgrounds, including mothers, peer counselors, educators, nurses, childbirth educators, doulas, nutritionists, dieticians, midwives, physicians, social workers, public health workers, public administrators, and many others.
Talk with your OB/GYN at your next prenatal appointment for more information about your labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum team in the Women & Newborn Care Unit at South County Hospital. To schedule a tour of the unit, call 401-788-1225.