Labor & Delivery Center: The Women's Place
Tips for preparing for this important life event.
Heart of Lancaster is the only full-service hospital in Lancaster County with a Level III NICU.
It's important to think about your lifestyle and health habits during pregnancy.
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Here are some tips and guidance for safe travels while you’re pregnant.
A healthy, well-balanced diet during pregnancy can also help to minimize some pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and constipation.
Regular exercise, with the approval of your physician or midwife, can often help to minimize the physical discomforts of pregnancy and help with the recovery after the baby is born.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), monkeypox, and a host of diseases can find their way into people from animals.
Certain medical conditions may complicate a pregnancy.
Certain symptoms should be reported to your physician immediately, during any stage of the pregnancy.
About the Women's Place
Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center’s labor and delivery center, the Women’s Place, is a part of a full service hospital. What does that mean for you? It means that if a complication arises, quick access to a complete range of specialists and emergency services are available in the same facility, reducing the need to transfer patients to another hospital for a higher level of care.
Heart of Lancaster also offers:
- 24/7 in-hospital OBGYN physicians
- 24/7 in-hospital Midwives
- 24/7 in-hospital Neonatologists
- 24/7 in-hospital Anesthesiologists
- 24/7 in-hospital ER Physicians
- Level III NICU (the only full-service hospital in the county with this designation)
There is a lot to consider when having a baby. Rest assured that the Women’s Place at Heart of Lancaster is equipped to take care of you and your baby in any situation.
Virtual Tours
Birthing Suite:
Testimonials
New moms are raving about the Women's Place!
At the Women's Place, you'll find that we're intent upon creating the ideal birthing experience for you and your baby. We'll pamper you with personalized attention. We'll give you premier medical care, and we'll provide information and personal assistance that will make you feel safe, comfortable, and informed through all stages of your pregnancy, birth and recovery.
Read stories from real moms who gave birth at the Women's Place below and see for yourself the difference family centered maternity care makes for new moms.
Jessica Henry's Story
"I'm so thankful to the Women's Place for providing a great level of care."
Early in her pregnancy, Jessica and her husband thought long and hard about where to have a baby. Their first tour of the Women’s Place was a real eye opener. It was the intimate, family setting they were both looking for. Jessica and her husband created a birth plan with input from her mother, who is a Lamaze teacher.
When the big day came, Jessica was ready. She didn’t want to labor in bed so her midwife and nurse helped Jessica move around, getting in and out of the tub, just as she requested. But during the birthing process, things didn’t go according to plan.
The medical team discovered the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, so the neonatologist stepped in immediately. And when Jessica needed extra medical attention, experienced physicians were right there for her and her baby.
Then, finally, her healthy baby boy was placed on her chest – just as she’d planned.
“My plans were modified, based on real-life events,” she said. “I’m so thankful to the Women's Place for providing a great level of care.”
JoAnna Hess's Story
"I was so impressed with all of the staff. They helped my family get through a very scary time."
JoAnna started not feeling well on the fourth of July: two months before her due date. Her baby had to be delivered by c-section and weighed less than five pounds. JoAnna felt helpless and scared seeing her new baby hooked up to monitors and tubes.
However, the nurses were always there to help JoAnna and her family understand what was going on. The lactation specialist was also there to help JoAnna keep a regular pumping schedule and encouraged her no matter how much milk she pumped.
“I was so impressed with all of the staff,” said JoAnna. “They helped my family get through a very scary time.”
During her baby's over one month stay in the NICU, JoAnna developed a strong bond with the nurses. On the days she felt like her baby would never leave the NICU, the staff was there to be that extra encouragement she needed.
Since her delivery, JoAnna and her baby have gone back to the Women's Place several times to visit the nurses who were there for her when she needed them most.
Melissa Erb's Story
"Everything at the Women's Place exceeded my expectations, ten times over."
Melissa works at Heart of Lancaster and had high expectations for giving birth at the Women’s Place. When her day came, Melissa was happy for the compassionate care she received from the nursing staff. Melissa’s nurse coached her on breathing through contractions and massaged her legs in between to avoid cramping.
After 24 hours of labor, Melissa started having complications and it was recommended she have a c-section. Melissa was disappointed and frustrated, but trusted in the medical staff. Her nurse even made arrangements so that she could stay with Melissa the entire time.
“I wasn’t the easiest patient,” said Melissa. “But the nurse understood my feelings and always remained calm and optimistic."
After delivery, Melissa was happy for the “Golden Hour” when she and her husband were able to spend time with their newborn without interruptions. Despite unforeseen complications, Melissa had a wonderful experience giving birth and was grateful for the excellent medical care she received.
“Everything at the Women's Place exceeded my expectations, ten times over.”
Rikki Salzman's Story
"If we would have had this type of experience the first time we would have had way more children!"
When Rikki found out she was pregnant with her second baby, she was excited but also nervous. Her first delivery was at another hospital, and it was a nightmare. She felt she had no control over the process and that everything was on the hospital’s terms.
“We were being bombarded at all hours of the night - we were on the hospital's schedule, not my family's,” said Rikki.
The Women’s Place was totally different for Rikki. The nurses became her family’s best friends, and the baby never left her room. The “Golden Hour” helped her family bond with the new baby, something they missed with Rikki’s first child. Rikki felt her family was always put first and the staff was respectful of her time.
“The Women's Place was the best balance of the personal experience of a home birth and the safety and security of a hospital. If we would have had this type of experience the first time we would have had way more children!”
For a more intimate birthing experience, choose a more intimate setting: The Women’s Place at Heart of Lancaster. Our birthing suites are luxurious and private, and many offer labor-easing Jacuzzi tubs. You’ll have an expert team of physicians, nurses and midwives to fulfill your birth plan and watch over you and your newborn. And the security of our NICU, just in case you need it.
