At Ochsner, you and your baby will be in a comfortable, supportive environment that is ready to serve your healthcare needs before, during and after birth. Ochsner delivers comprehensive healthcare expertise for your unique concerns and preferences and in unexpected circumstances — from routine prenatal care and labor and delivery, to high-risk pregnancies and complex care for unborn or newborn babies.

The obstetric and gynecological resources available to you at Ochsner include:

• Alternative birthing options at Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge and Perkin Alternative Birthing Center at Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion, both of which offer certified midwives for families who prefer minimal intervention during birth

• Birthing alternatives such as water births and spacious suites at some facilities

• Connected MOM, a digital program that shares your vital signs with your physician to monitor and prevent complications during pregnancy

• Multiple neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with a wide range of support for new babies — from basic care for healthy premature or full-term infants, to pediatric subspecialists and nurses who specialize in critical care for very sick babies

• All the obstetric and gynecological care you will need from adolescence to adulthood under one roof at Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion, with additional OB/GYN providers available at Ochsner locations throughout the region

• Fellowship-trained maternal fetal specialists to guide expectant mothers through high-risk pregnancies

• Certified lactation consultants who can help you create a personalized plan for breastfeeding your baby

• Prenatal and childbirth education classes to prepare your family for a new baby, with onsite tours of labor and birth rooms at many facilities

• Virtual visits available for easy, supplemental access to some prenatal and postpartum care

• 24/7 anesthesiology at many facilities

• Ability for healthy newborns to stay in a crib next to you, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Ochsner offers highly skilled healthcare for women and babies across Louisiana. Choose one of our many state-of-the-art facilities. Find a location near you.

Our labor and delivery care is available at numerous Ochsner facilities, including:

Baton Rouge Area:

• Ochsner Family Birthing Center at Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge

Bayou:

• Ochsner St. Anne Hospital Family Birthing Center in Raceland

Kenner Area:

• Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner

Lafayette Area:

• Ochsner Lafayette Medical Center

New Orleans Area:

• Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion in New Orleans

North Louisiana:

• Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center

• Ochsner LSU Health - Monroe Medical Center

Northshore:

• Slidell Memorial Hospital
• St. Tammany Parish Hospital

West Bank:

• Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus

Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus and Ochsner Baptist - A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center, are among the nation’s top sites for obstetric care, recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report.

Several of Ochsner’s labor and delivery hospitals also received the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative Birth Ready and Birth Ready Plus designation from the Louisiana Department of Health. The designation recognizes these facilities’ consistent, thoughtful healthcare improvement work:

• Ochsner Baptist: Birth Ready Plus
• Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge: Birth Ready
• Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner: Birth Ready
• Ochsner Lafayette General: Birth Ready
• Ochsner LSU Health - Monroe Medical Center: Birth Ready
• Ochsner LSU Health - Shreveport St. Mary Medical Center: Birth Ready Plus
• Ochsner St. Anne Hospital: Birth Ready
• Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus: Birth Ready
• Ochsner American Legion Hospital: Birth Ready

At Ochsner, most of our women’s health specialists are OB/GYNs, which means they practice both obstetrics and gynecology and can deliver babies, treat pregnant women and address gynecologic care for women through all phases of life. Some OB/GYNs, however, concentrate their practice on either gynecology or obstetrics rather than both. Gynecology is the field of medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating women for conditions unique to the female body, such as menopause and bladder problems. Gynecology also focuses on woman’s reproductive health, including routine cancer screenings, appropriate genetic testing, the female reproductive system, vaccines and helping women evaluate and choose birth control methods. Obstetrics is the field of medicine that focuses on pregnancy and providing prenatal care, childbirth services and postpartum care.

Obstetricians deliver babies and give care to women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. These physicians also offer healthcare to women during labor and delivery. After delivery, obstetricians make sure both mothers and babies are healthy. Since they check on women throughout a pregnancy, they are often the first to detect any complications. In such cases, they may refer high risk pregnancies to a specialist in maternal fetal medicine.

Obstetricians help women plan and prepare for a healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery. Physicians in this medical specialty offer prenatal care that protects mothers and babies by noticing any signs that suggest possible health risks. Prenatal care by an obstetrician also helps expectant mothers make dietary changes and identify nutritional supplements that reduce the risk of birth defects. An obstetrician can also make sure any medications taken during pregnancy are safe for your unborn baby.

After having a cesarean section (C-section) birth, some women can safely deliver their babies vaginally. This method is called vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Your obstetrician will consider several factors to determine whether your risks outweigh the benefits of a vaginal delivery, which often have shorter hospital stays and recoveries. In some cases, the type of C-section incision and the size of your pelvis are limiting factors for vaginal delivery. If your obstetrician thinks you are safe to deliver vaginally, and you have access to a hospital that’s prepared to handle complications, you may be successful in having a VBAC.