Hospitals Where the Midwives of New Jersey Attend Births

The Midwives of New Jersey are privileged to deliver babies in Morristown Medical Center and Hoboken University Medical Center. With that privilege comes the obligation to follow hospital policy and to work closely with hospital physicians and nurses when deciding the management of our clients’ labors. This adherence to routine is intended to provide the best possible care to many people at the same time.

Delivering a baby in the hospital gives a woman access to immediate emergency care like cesarean section and Neonatal resuscitation. There is more time to recover and bond with baby during an extended postpartum stay. Hospitals have more extensive options for pain management than the out of hospital choices. The care is good but less personalized, and the woman has less control of her care when hospitalized. She has an increased risk for intervention in the physiologic process of labor and birth even when it is not indicated. Even though it is less than the routine care, Midwifery care received in the hospital generally has more intervention than at home or in a birth center. Baby stays with parents throughout the hospital stay, care is given in the woman’s room. MMC has the Baby Friendly designation.

In Most Circumstances, Our Pregnant Clients Can:

• Eat and drink in labor
• Have minimal continuous fetal monitoring
• Labor outside the confines of the hospital bed
• Give birth in any position desired
• Avoid routine IV access
• Have delayed cord clamping
• Labor and deliver in a pool of water

Although the Midwives of New Jersey offer many choices for childbirth, not all people can take advantage of them. Some women have more risk when giving birth and so New Jersey healthcare providers must care for them in a hospital. These risks include:

1. Gestational diabetes controlled with Insulin
2. Pre-eclampsia
3. Chronic conditions that can impact the health of the mother or baby like High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Addictions, Seizure disorder, morbid obesity, tobacco use
4. Multiple gestation
5. History of surgical birth or uterine surgery
6. Fetus will need immediate medical care at birth
7. Breech position or Tranverse lie of fetus

About the Hospitals We Deliver In

Morristown Medical Center was named among the “100 Hospitals with Great Women’s Health Programs,” by Becker’s Hospital Review and ranked as a top hospital nationwide for gynecology by U.S. News and World Report.

Hoboken University Medical Center has received several awards of distinction including an “A”, its top grade in patient safety, by The Hospital Safety Score, a service provided by The Leapfrog Group, and was recognized as a Best Hospital by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

Both hospitals and their staff are very supportive and accommodate a wide variety of birthing plans and procedures including natural childbirth, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and those of the midwifery model of care. Hoboken University Medical Center is also now offering nitrous oxide as an option to assist laboring women cope with anxiety and pain.

If you are interested in having a waterbirth, Morristown Medical Center offers 3 patient rooms with birthing tubs as well as one portable tub for our low-risk client’s use. Hoboken University Medical Center has several  birth suites with birthing tubs designed to support women through physiologic birth.  As of yet, we have had no difficulty in securing tubs for our clients.

To learn more about the hospitals we deliver in sign up and visit us at our next orientation.