As You Make Prenatal Care a Priority, We’ll Protect and Keep You Safe

Now that we’re slowly getting back to normal, you can breathe a little easier and get back to focusing on health care for your top priority: your growing baby.

Rest assured that to keep you safe, we’re employing extra safety measures at our facilities by heeding the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During in-person care, your OB/GYN will be alert in screening you for symptoms of COVID-19 during your prenatal visits and protecting you while you’re in the office.

Give Your Baby the Best Start

No matter what’s going on in the world around us, prenatal care helps keep you safe and gives your baby a healthy start. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to be born underweight than babies born to mothers who do get care.

By checking in regularly with your OB/GYN, potential problems can be prevented or treated. This is why it’s so important to get back on track with your prenatal care as soon as possible.

When to Have Prenatal Checkups

You and your physician can decide on the right timing for you, but a typical prenatal checkup schedule likely looks like this:

1. Once a month during weeks eight to 28
2. Twice a month during weeks 28 to 36
3. Every week during weeks 36 to delivery

Women with high-risk pregnancies typically see their physicians more often, however.

For First-Time Parents: Take Baby Steps

No matter how many birthing books you’ve read or parenting apps you’ve downloaded, it’s hard to fully prepare for what’s to come. That’s why we offer childbirth education classes as well as baby-care classes on infant CPR and breastfeeding. Our childbirth class covers a range of topics to better prepare you and your partner for labor and delivery, including, but not limited to:

• Birth Plans
• Breathing and Relaxation Exercises
• Cesarean Sections
• Epidurals
• Newborn Care
• Pregnancy Education and Support
• Signs and Stages of Labor

And, long after you check out of the hospital, our team will be there to offer postpartum support with a wellness center, health screenings, nutritional education and more.

Your Personalized Birth Day Experience®

Your child's birth day will soon become one of the biggest events of your life, so where to host their arrival should be no small decision. At The Baby Place® in AdventHealth Zephyrhills, we know that besides top-notch medical support, it's those mom-centric amenities that can make all the difference. Our other comforting amenities at our birthing center include:

• Anytime Visiting Hours
• A Private and Spacious Birthing Suite
• Beds Built for Bonding
• Cake and Balloons to Celebrate Baby's Arrival
• Gourmet Meal for Two
• Flat Screen TVs and WiFi
• Free Valet Service
• Self-Administered Pro-Nox™ Pain Relief During Labor
• Walk-In Showers

We also have a Women’s Health Navigator, an expert in pregnancy and childbirth who can help you schedule appointments, guide decisions, and coordinate your maternity care. Her complimentary services include connecting you with physicians, signing you up for parent education classes and providing emotional and spiritual support to help you feel whole.

We’re Taking Extra Steps to Keep You Safe

When you do need to see your physician in person for prenatal care, you’ll notice new measures in place to keep you safe.

“In the OB/GYN office, all of our patients are being screened with the appropriate questionnaire, their temperature is being taken and they are being given a mask to wear during the visit,” says M. Olga Villa, MD, an OB/GYN at AdventHealth Medical Group.

Checking in for Appointments Remotely

Some of our locations allow you to check in from your car. You can then wait there for a text from our staff when they are ready to see you.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Often

All exam rooms, waiting rooms, equipment, screens and high-touch areas are cleaned and disinfected often.

Limiting Visitors

Visitors are allowed in one at a time, as long as they are wearing masks.

Masks for Everyone

All of our team members, patients and guests are required to wear masks. If you don’t have one, we will provide one for you.

Safety Measures in Waiting Areas

We have floor markers and seat covers for where to stand and sit, which helps keep people 6 feet apart for safe social distancing.

Taking Temperatures at All Facility Entrances

Most people who have symptoms of COVID-19 develop a fever, according to the CDC. That’s why we take the temperature of everyone who enters our facilities.

Protecting Yourself and Your Bundle of Joy

To ensure a safe visit and give you peace of mind, try not to touch your face, and wash your hands well (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) before and after your visit. In general, to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19, you can take some simple steps, such as:

• Avoiding people who are sick or have been exposed to the virus
• Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily (like doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones and keyboards)
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, or cleaning with alcohol-based hand sanitizer

It’s also advised for pregnant women to stay home as much as possible and stay at least 6 feet away from other people if you need to go out.

“If you are pregnant, you should continue to follow the CDC guidelines of social distancing, avoiding large group gatherings, washing your hands regularly and wearing a facial covering when going out,” says Dr. Villa. “You should still limit your outings as there are many individuals who have COVID-19 and do not have any symptoms. It is better to stay safe at home.”

In addition, wear a mask or cloth face covering when in public.

We’re Here With Trusted Care You Can Count On

Our board-certified OB/GYN physicians and Birth Advocates are here for you from the start, guiding you through preconception, prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum and beyond. It’s all part of our whole-person approach to wellness. To learn more or request a tour of The Baby Place®, please contact our Women's Health Navigator, Dana, at 813-779-6471 or [email protected].