If you’re expecting a baby, check out Pregnancy Resources for ideas for creating a birth plan and selecting baby names. Also, review our Health Classes for a wide range of classes featuring prenatal exercise, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, parenting, sibling education and baby care.
The birth of your baby is a miraculous and joy-filled event. At St. Francis NewLife Center, you and your baby will benefit from the medical expertise of physicians, certified nurse-midwives and nurses ready to help you before, during and after delivery. Using a family centered approach to childbirth, St. Francis is committed to providing you with a high-quality, holistic experience supported by knowledgeable nurses who will individualize the care that you receive based on your needs and choices. Women overwhelmingly report the quality of nursing as a key factor in choosing where to deliver. The NewLife Center labor and delivery nurses, known throughout the community for their expertise and caring attitudes, have brought into the world generations of babies whose mothers and grandmothers chose St. Francis.
The only way to know whether the St. Francis NewLife Center is the right place for you to have your baby is to see it for yourself. A tour provides information on procedures from admission through delivery and allows expectant parents to view the facilities, from the birthing suites to the Newborn Nursery. Call 785-295-8276 to make tour reservations.
Birthing Suites
The NewLife Center offers birthing suites in which women can experience labor, delivery and recovery all in one tastefully decorated room. While the rooms provide a warm, comfortable environment, they also ensure the delivery of high-quality medical care.
Each suite is beautifully appointed with wood-like flooring, recessed lighting and a whirlpool bath. A television is available in each room, as well as CD/stereo equipment to establish utmost relaxation. Convertible sofa beds allow dads and birthing coaches to sleep or rest.
In addition to offering all the above amenities, each room supplies constant mother and fetal monitoring. The high-tech monitoring systems do nothing to detract from the comfortable atmosphere of all the rooms, but allow 24-hour observation from the adjacent nurse station. A dedicated Cesarean Section Delivery Operating Room is located adjacent to the birthing suites, providing the availability of a specialized operating room for emergency cesareans while offering convenience for patients and doctors scheduling surgical deliveries.
Rooms
St. Francis’s NewLife Center also has nine additional rooms for recovering mothers. Like the birthing suites, each room is tastefully decorated. Four family suites provide a comfortable queen-sized bed to allow Mom, Dad and the rest of the family to bond in a home-like environment. The spacious rooms offer plenty of room for newborns to sleep with their recovering moms, along with ample space for patient recovery care and equipment. For dads or other family members, a sofa bed is available in the other five rooms.
Special Care Nursery
In the event that an infant is born prematurely or with complications, the Special Care Nursery provides crucial medical and nursing support in a dedicated environment. Portable ventilators, monitors and crash carts are available and can be provided at the infant’s bed in a matter of seconds.
Family Waiting Area
Families can visit or watch television in this homey area while awaiting the birth of a baby.
Security
The NewLife Center has a multi-tiered, state-of-the-art security system, which offers multiple precautions to ensure your infant’s safety. The details of these are discussed with you during labor or immediately after the birth of your baby.
Pre-Registration
Pre-Admission Appointment
When you select St. Francis for the birth of your baby, a pre-admission appointment allows you to take care of necessary paperwork ahead of time so you can look forward to a smoother and quicker transition to the Birthing Room upon your arrival at the Health Center. When you go into labor, you can focus exclusively on the safe delivery of your baby rather than filling out forms. Call Centralized Scheduling at 785-295-8004 for an appointment.
Complete the Pre-registration Form as soon as possible. The document is accessible as a printable (PDF) file using Adobe Acrobat version 7.0 or higher. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download a free copy from Adobe Acrobat. You can complete it online and e-mail it to scheduling@stfrancistopeka.org or you can mail the form to:
St. Francis Health Center
Centralized Scheduling
1700 SW 7th St.
Topeka, KS 66606
Fax: 785-270-5184
You also can pre-register by calling 785-295-8004 or visiting the Registration Desk between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to complete pre-registration paperwork. However, you may experience a wait because of the volume of other patients being registered for procedures that day.
Remember, a copy of your insurance card is needed for our records. Following pre-registration, we will attempt to contact your insurance company and obtain a pre-certification for your admission. It is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to obtain a pre-authorization from the insurance company.
The Breastfeeding Resource Center
After delivery, our highly trained certified breastfeeding educators or lactation consultants are available to provide new mothers with breastfeeding support. You will be assisted in learning your baby’s feeding cues, proper positioning and latch-on techniques, issues arising from prematurity, breast augmentation or reduction and breastfeeding in the workplace. This encouragement is reinforced through post-hospitalization visits and consultation. St. Francis also offers a free Breastfeeding Support clinic to new and experienced mothers and their babies, as well as a breastfeeding support line for mothers to call if they have questions or are experiencing any nursing problems. The support line is 785-295-5498. You can also e-mail any questions or concerns to the Breastfeeding Resource Center at brc@stfrancistopeks.org.
First Days Clinic
The first few days can be overwhelming, even for experienced parents. During your stay on the NewLife Center, we will schedule an appointment for your and your newborn to be seen in the First Days Clinic, operated by advanced registered nurse practitioners. One to three days after leaving the Health Center, your baby will receive a first checkup to help make sure the transition to home is a healthy one.
Babymoon Boutique
The Babymoon Boutique provides maternity items, breastfeeding accessories, rental and retail breast pumps and infant feeding equipment for special situations. “Babymoon” is the beginning of the journey of discovery for new families, and the professional staff of our Babymoon Boutique can help you as your journey begins.
Medical Support at St. Francis Health Center
As part of our dedication to offering the best care for mother and baby, we provide the following medical services:
Antepartum Services
We provide care for women who have complications during pregnancy.
Antepartum Fetal Assessment
During pregnancy it is important to assess the well-being of the fetus. Testing can be performed in your doctor’s office or in the St. Francis NewLife Center.
Anesthesiologists
Anesthesiologists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide continuous epidural anesthesia during delivery.
Special Care Nursery (SCN)
Should your newborn require extra medical attention, our SCN offers sophisticated support in a warm, caring environment. The nurses and respiratory therapists are sensitive to families’ needs and encourage your participation in caring for your baby. In addition, our SCN nurses are specially trained to stabilize a baby safely and efficiently.