South Bend Memorial Hospital (logistics)
Details about the childbirth and mother-baby units at South Bend Memorial Hospital:
Parking: Park on the 3rd floor of the parking garage, it’s super convenient to just walk right in. If you or your guests don’t mind a walk, you can park for free in the visitor parking lot north of the hospital. The parking garage may charge you, unless its a weekend.
Security: I just discovered this one! From the website: “Security is available 24 hours a day to assist patients and visitors with escorts to their vehicles, jump-starts, and lockouts, or to address security concerns”. I accidentally left my interior light on when I went in for a long birth. 40 hours later, I came back and my car was dead. In the early, early morning, not a soul was around. I ended up calling security on the off-chance they could help, and guess what! They can! The guy was so kind and helpful. 10/10 recommend when you’re in a bind in the hospital parking lot.
After your birth: If you have a c section, you’ll go to a post-op room after the surgery. I’ll tag another blog post about C sections sometime. Once you’re clear, you’ll move up to mother-baby. If you have a vaginal delivery, you’ll stay in your same room until you and baby are stable, then you’ll move to mother-baby. You can plan on it being about 2 hours after birth until you move up there. That will likely be longer if there have been any complications. The childbirth unit is on the third floor, and the mother-baby unit is on the fourth floor. They’ll give you a cart to pack your things on. Somebody (usually partner or doula) gets to wheel the cart, and your nurse will wheel you on the bed while you hold baby, Make sure to look at every outlet for any chargers. People most often forget chargers, keys, and things in the bathroom. They’ll take you through a back hallway, and you’ll go in a large elevator(with mirrors on the ceiling-take a fun picture) and they’ll take you to your room, help your people unload your cart, and transfer care to the postpartum nurses.
The closest place to park to the mother-baby unit, is still on the third floor by the childbirth unit entrance. Coming from the parking garage, you’ll go through the two sliding glass doors (labeled E on the map below), pass a security desk on the right (you’ll probably need to check in), keep going straight and then curve left. (On the right will be the entrance to the childbirth unit), as you curve left, the doors may be closed. Pick up the phone and wait until the doors open (the doors close after hours, I’ve never had to talk to anyone on that phone, they usually know what I’m doing, but you might have to let them know where you’re going). Go through the doors. On the left will be another set of doors that lead to elevator A (labeled A below). Turn right (away from the elevator) and go down the hallway. You’ll walk through a long hallway that has a skylight, usually a bit of a draft, and some pinwheels. Go all the way to the end and you’ll see elevator B (labeled B). Go up to level 4 (either on the elevator or stairs). Once you’re there, you should see a phone that says “access to mother-baby unit” or something similar. Pick up that phone and you’ll tell the nurses who you’re here to see and what room number they’re in. They should let you in, and then you can find the room.
If you need a walk or somewhere in the hospital that feels fresher, that skylight hallway is a great place! It’s on the third floor between elevators A and B.
PACK SO MANY SNACKS!! And a variety of snacks! Like actual food snacks: jerky sticks (and other protein), electrolytes, some light sweet things for quick energy (applesauce, dried fruit), granola bars… The cafeteria is closed for night time hours. The nurses can bring you juice, water, graham crackers, pudding, jell-o, a cheese stick, peanut butter, broth packets… But my clients who pack good snacks and food are so glad when they do! Your partner/support folks will need food too. If the cafeteria is closed, there’s not much they can do. McDonald’s is a couple blocks away and always open, but that’s about it.
