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Preparing for Your Delivery

Choosing Your Baby’s Doctor

It is extremely important to select a pediatrician or family practice physician early on in your pregnancy to care for your baby after delivery. You will need to identify your pediatrician choice upon admission to the hospital.

    Packing for the Hospital

    Your doctor may have specified a due date, but babies have their own sense of timing. We recommend you pack your suitcase at 36 weeks. Your big day could come early – or late. Below is our list of recommended essentials:

    • Bathrobe, clothes to go home in, and a nursing bra if desired
    • Washable slippers or flip-flops
    • Personal care products (shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush)
    • Baby clothes and a blanket for going home
    • Camera – per hospital policy only still photography is allowed during the delivery.
    • Infant car seat – hospital staff are unable to place infants in car seats or install the car seat in your vehicle. Please call one of the following agencies and make an appointment to have your car seat installation checked thoroughly before you come to the hospital:

    Please DO NOT bring valuables or credit cards to the hospital. We cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage to personal property.

    Pre-Registration and Other Forms

    You will need to complete some documents for us, both before and after your baby’s birth.

    • Your Birth Plan: This form is not legally required. However, we encourage you to take the time to fill out our birth plan so we can help provide the environment that will make you most comfortable, physically and emotionally, from your preferences regarding pain relief, visitors, comfort measures, and more. It is also important to discuss your plan with your physician or midwife during an office visit before you come to the hospital for delivery. Learn more about the Birth Plan. Fill out your birth plan in English or Spanish.
    • Pre-Registration: Expectant mothers should preregister by the seventh month of pregnancy. You can fill this form out online, here.
    • Your Baby’s Birth Certificate: Your child will need this essential piece of paperwork throughout his or her life. Birth certificate registration for your baby is done while you are in the hospital. Your baby will also be issued a Social Security Number at this time.
      We encourage you to pint these forms, fill them out, and bring them with you when you arrive to deliver your baby. If you don't bring them with you, the forms will be available at the hospital and you'll be asked to complete them once you arrive at the postpartum unit.
    • Birth Certificate Worksheet English | Spanish
    • Once your baby is born and the official birth certificate is complete, you will be able to order copies online using our secure online process.
    • Birth Certificate Order Form English | Spanish
    • Paternity Papers: This form serves as an official declaration of paternity when the child’s parents are not married. Paternity papers can be filled out and signed by both parents. A government issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) is required to sign the papers. The paternity forms are available through the birth clerk in the hospital. Once paternity papers are signed, the father can be listed as such on the birth certificate. This does not affect the baby’s last name – the baby can have the father’s last name regardless of whether or not the father has signed the paternity papers. The paternity forms are available in the hospital.