What is an Obstetrics Hospital?

An obstetrics hospital is a medical center focused on providing care to pregnant women, fetuses, and infants. These facilities may provide care from conception to after birth, and usually feature qualified teams of specialists that can cope with any complications due to pregnancy. An obstetrics hospital may be a private entity, but often exists as a branch associated with a much larger hospital.

A doctor who practices obstetrics is called an obstetrician. Pregnant women will usually have regularly scheduled visits with their obstetrician throughout pregnancy. While some women may choose to visit a physician at an obstetrics hospital for the duration of the pregnancy, others may go to the hospital facility if potential complications are suspected or tests required.

Pregnancy can come with a variety of concerns and complications for both the mother and fetus. If a complication is suspected during prenatal care, obstetrics hospitals can use advanced testing methods to determine the extent of the problem. Understanding the condition or potential problems can allow the obstetrics hospital to create a team of doctors that are best prepared to handle the situation. Having a variety of skilled obstetric surgeons and doctors is one of the advantages of an obstetrics hospital; they can work together when necessary to protect the lives of mothers and children.

Birth services are a main portion of the work at an obstetrics hospital. While most women experience a vaginal birth, the presence of numerous specialists allows for other options in case of an emergency or a pre-existing condition preventing a normal birth. Cesarean sections are a common alternative birth method that is often performed at an obstetrics hospital.

Many obstetrics hospitals features a neo-natal intensive care unit, also known as an NICU. It is here that newborn babies requiring monitoring and specialized care are treated. An infant can be brought to the NICU due to low birth weight, congenital conditions, low oxygen rates, or birth complications. Although seeing a new baby in a NICU can be terrifying for new parents, the baby will be closely monitored for any change and given a sterile, properly oxygenated environment that promotes recovery and health.

An obstetrics hospital may also feature gynecological services. Many doctors choose to specialize in both obstetrics and gynecology, and can therefore offer the best of their training to patients in both sectors. Gynecological services may include basic check-ups and treatments, pap smears, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy testing. If a woman becomes pregnant, the doctor who confirms it at the gynecology visit may also become the obstetrician for the pregnancy. Staying with the same doctor allows many women to feel safe and in trusted hands.

Obstetric hospitals have a vital and important medical purpose: to bring the next generation of the human race into the world. By shepherding women and families through the process from conception to labor to birth, obstetricians ensure that as many babies as possible are born easily and in good health. A large team of pregnancy, birth, and infancy specialists as well as a dedicated facility make an obstetrics hospital a worthy possibility for prenatal and neonatal care.