Labor & Delivery, Postpartum
Family and friends are excited about the birth of the baby and may wait in the visitor area of the Labor & Delivery unit. However, the number of people allowed in the room during the labor is limited. Each must adhere to the rules in the Labor & Delivery unit.
- Only two visitors per patient are allowed at one time
- Visitors must wait in designated waiting areas and not in the hallway.
- No person under the age of 12 is allowed on the Labor & Delivery unit at Willis-Knighton South or WK Pierremont Health Center.
- No food or drinks are allowed on the Labor & Delivery unit.
- Visitors must wear shoes at all times.
- Cellular telephones are prohibited in the Labor & Delivery unit.
- Smoking is not permitted in Willis-Knighton hospitals.
- If any unforeseen complications occur, visitors must leave the room.
- Sometimes a patient must be moved to an operating suite. With the approval of the doctor, two persons may attend the birth of the baby in the operating suite. They must wear attire provided by the hospital.
Sibling Visitation Postpartum
Because a newborn’s immune system is not fully developed, we make every effort to assure that any siblings visiting are free from illness.
When older children visit, they are required to have their temperatures taken by the nurse and they must wash their hands before visiting the newborn.
A Sibling Health History Data Sheet must be completed on the day of the visit and kept with the mother’s chart.
Siblings may visit their mother and the newborn any time unless they have had any of the following symptoms in the past two weeks.
- Fever
- Runny Nose, Cold or Any Respiratory Infection
- Cough
- Diarrhea or Vomiting
- Rash
- Draining Sores
Siblings who have been exposed to chicken pox, mumps, measles, rubella or other illnesses in the past three weeks may not visit.
If siblings have not had the chicken pox, the mother must show written proof that they have had the chicken pox vaccine at least six weeks before any hospital visitation.
Please Note: The visitation policy is different for the newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the intermediate care nursery. Ask your nurse to explain these policies.