The Baby Place
The Baby Place at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills offers family-centered maternity care in a professional, inviting environment. Our emphasis is to provide safe, quality maternal and newborn care based on your individual beliefs, values and customs. We recognize the role of family during this joyful time and welcome family members to participate as much as you like in your birthing experience.
The Baby Place adheres to the standards of the following organizations: ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; AAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics; and AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Planning--Before Your Baby Arrives
We encourage mothers-to-be to tour our facility. Tours are available and scheduled by calling (813) 783-6124. We also offer the following classes:
Childbirth Preparation:
This five-week series provides valuable information regarding labor, delivery and postpartum, allowing parents to make informed choices.
Breastfeeding:
Ensure the best start possible for your baby. This class provides information regarding the healthy benefits of breastfeeding for both you and your baby.
Infant CPR:
The CPR class is taught using the American Heart Association Friends and Family curriculum. This class teaches life saving skills every expectant family should know.
Scroll down for additional class information
|  THE BABY PLACE
Labor Delivery and Recovery (LDR) all takes place in our comfortable birthing rooms. Dad is welcome to sleep-over during labor on the fold-out couch/sleeper chair. Each LDR is furnished with a Jacuzzi to soothe the laboring mother.
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Your Baby’s Birth
As soon as possible after your baby’s birth, you will be encouraged to touch, hold and cuddle your baby to begin the important process of bonding. You and the family members of your choice will remain in the birthing room during this initial bonding time. You can even give your baby his or her first bath with the assistance of The Baby Place staff.
A specially-trained mother/baby nurse will care for you and your baby together throughout your hospital stay. Your baby will stay with you in your room unless special medical needs arise and your baby is transferred to our nursery, which is equipped for special care and stabilization. Our nurses are all Neonatal Resuscitation providers and are equipped to handle unexpected emergencies.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding has been proven to be the optimal way to feed an infant. No artificial food is even close in nutritional quality. Breast milk is the perfect food, containing more than 200 health-promoting ingredients unavailable in artificial baby milk (formula). Breast milk contains natural components that are natural tranquilizers for babies, is always clean and at the right temperature. In various studies performed, infants fed artificial baby milk had five times more gastrointestinal illnesses, three times more respiratory illnesses, and double the episodes of otitis media. Artificial baby milk may cause excessive crying/colic, diarrhea and lactose intolerance. The more breast milk an infant receives in the first six months of life, the less likely the infant is to develop health related problems. Breastfeeding is very beneficial to mom as well.
| Benefits for Baby | Benefits for Mother |
Stronger immune system
Less diarrhea
Less constipation
Fewer colds and ear infections
Better vision
Lower rates of infant Mortality
Possible lower rates of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome
Improves IQ
Less allergy, eczema and asthma
Fewer childhood cancers
Lower risk of juvenile diabetes
Lower rates of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness
Fewer cavities
Less likely to become obese later in childhood
Less likely to develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Less likely to develop heart disease in adulthood
Lower risk of multiple sclerosis
Lower rates of pre and post menopausal breast cancers | Promotes faster weight loss after birth
Less postpartum bleeding
Less chance of anemia
May lessen osteoporosis and resulting risk of hip fractures with age
May lower risk of uterine cancer
May lower risk of ovarian cancer
May lower risk of breast cancer
Fewer urinary tract infections
Increased calmness, self-esteem and confidence |
Because The Baby Place recognizes the benefits of breastfeeding, our nurses are trained in assisting the breastfeeding mother and there are several Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC) on staff.
Breast Pump Rental Station
The Baby Place has the Medela Lactina Select breast pump for rent (daily, monthly and six-month plans) as well as the Pump in Style professional pump for sale. Call 813/783-6124 for more information.
Baby Place Visitor Policy
Family is defined as those persons identified by you as providing familial support, whether or not they are biologically related. In The Baby Place, family members are not considered visitors and as such, you decide with whom you want to share this experience. Family members are welcome according to your wishes; visiting times will be determined by you. In order to protect our babies, anyone visiting you and your baby while in the hospital must be free from signs of illness and wash their hands thoroughly if they will be holding your newborn. There is a waiting room for family and visitors located outside the unit.
Childbirth Preparation class
Childbirth in the 21st century is filled with many choices. Childbirth preparation classes are vital in order to help expectant parents make informed decisions about their:
Normal Pregnancy Changes
Warning Signs During Pregnancy
When to Call your Doctor/Midwife
When to go to the Hospital
Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
Signs of Labor
True vs. False Labor
Stages of Labor
Comfort Measures for Labor
Breathing & Relaxation Exercises
Medical Interventions
Epidurals
Birth Plans
Cesarean Birth
Postpartum & Newborn Care
Hospital Tour
Cost: $60 per couple OR Healthy Start Referral *
Breast Feeding Class
At Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, we recognize that breastfeeding provides the best nutrition to your baby. We offer breastfeeding classes throughout the year to ensure the best start possible for your baby.
Topics covered during the course:
Benefits of breastfeeding for baby
Benefits of breastfeeding for mom
Positioning
Latch on
Prevention/Treatment Nipple Soreness
Breast Engorgement
Cluster Feeding
Feeding Schedules
How to know when your baby is getting enough milk
Cost: $20 per couple or Healthy Start Referral *
Infant CPR Classes
Every expectant parent should learn the life saving skills taught in this CPR class. You never know when you may need this vital information. The American Heart Association's Friends and Family curriculum is used to teach this course. This is a lay rescuer course and is not meant to satisfy job requirements for medical professionals.
Topics Covered:
Infant Rescue Breathing
Infant Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
Infant Foreign Body Airway Obstruction
Cost: $20 per couple or Healthy Start Referral *
* Healthy Start Referrals may be used to pay for any of the patient education classes offered at The Baby Place. You must be a participant in the Healthy Start Program to receive a referral. Your physician or midwife should offer this program to you during your prenatal visits (Usually at your first appointment). You may also call the Healthy Start office in your area if you have further questions about getting into this program and receiving a referral for educational classes.
Healthy Start:
Zephyrhills (813) 780-0740
Dade City (352) 521-1450
Land O’ Lakes (813) 558-5173
Call (813) 783-6124 for more information, class schedule or to register for a class
Tours
Please call (813) 783-6124 to schedule a tour of The Baby Place
Pediatrics
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills also provides low risk family-centered pediatric care to patients aged newborn to 12 years. Specially trained nurses care for pediatric patients and are Pediatric Advanced Life Support providers. Since hospitalization for a child can be a very frightening experience, The Baby Place requires a parent or other designated family member to remain with the pediatric patient at all times. Meals will be provided for the patient as well as one parent or family member staying with the child. If it is not possible to have a parent or other family member with the child, the family will need to hire a private sitter at the family’s expense.
Help your child have a more positive hospital experience:
Bring his/her favorite toy or blanket (marked with the child's name) to the hospital
Be honest. Describe what will happen, what the child will see, hear and feel
Let your child verbalize his/her feelings
During treatments we may ask parents to leave the room. This allows children to see their parents as safe comfort providers.
Pediatrics Visitor Policy:
Family members are welcome according to the parent’s wishes; visiting times will be determined by the parent. There is a waiting room for family and visitors located outside the unit.