Labor & Delivery

Features of our Birthing Center

Our team delivers 1,500 babies every year, so we know that every birthing experience is unique. Our labor and delivery specialists are here for your and your family throughout your pregnancy and labor and delivery journey. We offer comprehensive resources and support services to ensure you and your baby are safe and healthy. Features and amenities of our Labor and Delivery unit include:

• A dedicated labor nurse who helps ensure you receive consistent and personalized care during your time at our facility
• A 16-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for infants who require extra care
• Electronic infant security systems
• Free labor and delivery unit tours
• In-suite bed for your partner or support person
• In-unit operating rooms for cesarean section (c-section) deliveries
• Newborn nursery access
• Private birthing suites with spectacular mountain views where you can labor, deliver and recover without needing to move rooms
• Spacious jacuzzi tubs
• State-of-the-art technologies, such as wireless fetal monitoring that help ensure safe outcomes for both you and your newborn(s)

We also provide exceptional care for mothers who have a high-risk pregnancy. Many factors can categorize you as a high-risk pregnancy. Some factors include having a family history that passes on an inheritable trait or disorder, an existing medical condition, a harmful lifestyle habit such as alcohol use, smoking or substance abuse, multiple births, pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, being over age 35, and obesity.

If you have a high risk pregnancy, you will need to have a conversation with you obstetrician or delivery provider about visiting the NICU. A neonatologist can help discuss any concerns you have as well as what to expect at the NICU.

We also offer free tours of our labor and delivery unit each month. To register for our next tour, click here.

Registration is required. Each registration accounts for the expectant mother and one adult support person. This event is not suitable for children. Please call (208) 239-1400 for more information about the labor and delivery tour.

Our Level III NICU

Our 16-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is staffed by board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, dieticians, speech and occupational therapists, pharmacists, social workers and case managers. Together, our team provides comprehensive care for critically ill newborns. Our physicians are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our neonatal flight team is also available 24 hours a day to transport babies to our unit by plane.

There are many reasons a baby may need admission in to our NICU, including:

• Chorioamnionitis
• Feeding problems
• Hematologic abnormalities requiring monitoring/treatment
• Hyperbilirubinemia requiring intensive phototherapy, IV hydration, possible exchange transfusion
• Hypoglycemia requiring IV therapy
• Infants who require prolonged resuscitation
• Intrauterine TORCHES infection
• Intrauterine viral infections requiring monitoring/treatment
• NAS (neonatal abstinence scoring) requiring treatment
• Newborns requiring palliative care who cannot remain in labor and delivery
• Newborns with cord pH less than 7
• Preterm infants less than 35 weeks
• Respiratory distress requiring intervention
• Seizures
• Subgaleal hemorrhage
• Suspected sepsis

Please contact our NICU at (208) 239-2255 to schedule an appointment, if needed.

With a dedicated family approach to neonatal care, we encourage you and your partner or support person to be a part of our team. However, we have a few guidelines in place to ensure the highest level of safety:

Feeding your baby — Even if your baby is in NICU, mothers are welcome to breastfeed. Your baby may not tolerate feedings for a while, so you will need to start pumping and saving your milk. Please talk to your nurse about getting started with a breast pump and the proper care and storage of your breast milk.

Hand washing — For your baby’s protection it is very important to wash your hands and forearms before you visit your baby. The nurse will instruct you in the procedure on your first visit. Good handwashing is very important to help prevent the spread of infections.

Social services — Babies, especially ill or premature babies, may have many different needs. Portneuf’s Social Services discharge planning staff are available to all parents. They will be glad to assist you with questions about insurance, billing, and help you in qualifying for any assistance that may be available to you, as well as providing emotional support. Portneuf also has a list of motels that offer reduced rates to families of patients.

Taking care of yourself — We realize that this is a very stressful situation for you and your family. We want to remind you to take care of yourself. Eat regular meals, get plenty of rest. Meals are available in the Portneuf Grille or vending machines, both located on the ground floor.

Social services — Babies, especially ill or premature babies, may have many different needs. Portneuf’s Social Services discharge planning staff are available to all parents. They will be glad to assist you with questions about insurance, billing, and help you in qualifying for any assistance that may be available to you, as well as providing emotional support. Portneuf also has a list of motels that offer reduced rates to families of patients.

Visiting your baby — Please visit your baby often. We ask that there be no more than three visitors at the bedside at any given time. Parents may visit anytime. Other visitors must be accompanied by a parent. No Children are allowed to visit in the NICU.

Please note that our NICU is closed to visitors each day at the following times:

6:45am – 7:15am (Nurse’s report)

12:00pm – 1:30pm (Quiet time)

6:45pm – 7:15pm (Nurse’s report)

Mother’s Milk Bank and Donation Site

Portneuf Medical Center is a human milk Donation and Outreach Center and part of the Mothers’ Milk Bank (MMB) network. MMB is a Colorado-based, nonprofit program benefiting women and babies nationwide. Portneuf Medical Center will safely transport the milk donations to the Denver facility where they will be pasteurized and distributed across the country to babies whose mothers cannot supply sufficient milk for their needs. Portneuf has used donor human milk for babies who need supplementation through this program.

Women interested in giving the gift of human milk may fill out the donation screening form on Mothers’ Milk Bank website, or call (303) 869-1888. For more information on MMB and its efforts to provide milk to babies who need it nationwide, visit milkbankcolorado.org.

If you would like to donate your extra breast milk to the Mother’s Milk Bank, the Portneuf NICU is a collection site. To get started, you can visit milkbankcolorado.org, or call (303) 869-1888 or toll free (833) 234-0555. They provide free blood testing for you and give you a donor milk number for you to be able to bring your donated breast milk to us.

Once you have completed the screening process and received notification of eligibility, we can accept your donations. Unfortunately, you must be eligible to be a milk donor before we can receive your donation.

Donations accepted between 2pm and 6pm, Monday – Friday or by appointment.

Please bring the frozen breast milk between donation hours (above) and call the NICU at (208) 239-2255. We will meet you at the door and collect your donation. Your breast milk will then be transported to Denver to the Mother’s Milk Bank.