Maternity Department - Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center - Phoenix

There are many options when you want to find a birth center, so you can experience giving birth in a more natural setting. A birth center provides an atmosphere that is warm and relaxing, with access to a full team of healthcare providers and the option to go home shortly after the birth of your baby.

A labor, delivery, and recovery room is the type of room that some hospitals and almost all birth centers use for their care. Once you are placed in a room, this is the room that you will use for your labor, birth, and recovery.

Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to breastfeed her young. The process naturally occurs with all post-pregnancy female mammals.

The goal of breastfeeding classes is to help new moms learn the basics of breastfeeding so they can successfully breastfeed their baby.

A level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a special care nursery that is designed and equipped to care for newborns that are born prior to 32 weeks of gestational age or who are otherwise very small or very sick. There is a wide range on onsite staff, including neonatal nurses, neonatologists, and respiratory therapists to provide 24-hour care.

Maternal fetal medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and after pregnancy. Maternal fetal medicine specialists are physicians who specialize in the field of obstetrics.

Comprehensive fetal care centers offer diagnostic, treatment, and management of complex and rare fetal conditions.

A multiple birth follows a multiple pregnancy, with the mother giving birth to two or more children. The birth of twins is the most common in multiple births, with triplets being less common and so on.

Maternity online pre-registration is where you turn over certain information about you, your pregnancy, and your insurance or payment information to the hospital, prior to your labor.

Dignity Health's My Baby app is a pregnancy app that not only helps women learn about pregnancy and childbirth and track the symptoms and milestones in their pregnancy, but also allows them to personalize it to their unique needs.

Pudendal nerve decompression is a treatment for people who have entrapment of the pudendal nerve, which is the primary nerve of the perineum. This decompression is ideally done using minimally invasive surgery through a small incision through the buttocks, although it can also be done via an incision made through the vagina or anus.

The removal of adhesions (scar tissue) is done via a type of surgery called adhesiolysis. This surgery can be done as a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure or as open surgery, which will depend on the location of the adhesion.

One or both ovaries are removed through a surgical procedure called an oophorectomy, which can be done through the vagina, laparoscopic surgery, or open surgery. The procedure is typically done when a woman has ovarian cysts, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or ovarian cancer.

The removal of the uterus is called a hysterectomy. When the ovaries are removed with the uterus, it is known as a full hysterectomy, and without the ovaries it is known as a partial hysterectomy. There are a variety of reasons why the uterus may be removed, such as chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, uterine prolapse, uterine cancer.

The resection, or excision, or extensive endometriosis is a surgical procedure that is performed to remove abnormal tissue and lesions without the need to remove the uterus. This is done via laparoscopic surgery, which entails the creation of tiny incisions through which a scope and small instruments are used to remove the lesions.

Midwifery is the health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care of the mother and the newborn. The goal of the midwife is to help women have as natural a childbirth as possible and to prevent health problems during pregnancy and detect any abnormal conditions that may need more advanced medical care.

If you've already had a cesarean birth (also called C-section), you may be able to have your next baby vaginally. This is called a vaginal birth after cesarean (also called VBAC).

Find an OB that is right in terms of your wants and needs, taking into consideration your insurance coverage, your health history, and the type of birth you want. It is important that the OB you choose is someone with whom you feel comfortable with.

Genetic carrier testing is a type of genetic test that can tell you whether you carry a gene for certain genetic disorders. It is done before or during pregnancy and it allows you to find out your chances of having a child with a genetic disorder.

Newborn screening refers to a set of special tests, including blood, hearing, and heart screening, done to infants, usually before they leave the hospital to check for any serious health disorders.

Your decision to donate umbilical cord, which is full of blood-forming cells, may potentially save the life of someone who has a life-threatening disease.

Antepartum care is a type of preventive maternal fetal healthcare and is provided shortly before childbirth. It is provided in the form of medical checkups, consisting of recommendations on managing a healthy lifestyle and the provision of medical information.

Gynecologic surgeries are surgical procedures that are performed on any part of a woman's reproductive system.

Pain caused by previous pelvic surgery is often the result of scar tissue. This pain can sharp or dull, cause cramping, and it is often chronic, lasting for more than 6 months. The pain can be managed with the use of pain medications, physical therapy, and counseling and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Fibroid Removal also called a myomectomy is when a surgeon removes the fibroids leaving the uterus in place.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove a woman's uterus. This may be done for many reasons, such as uterine fibroids, excessive bleeding, uterine prolapse, cancer, and other issues. The ovaries may also be removed.

A presacral neurectomy is a surgical procedure that is used to remove the presacral plexus, which is a group of nerves that are responsible for conducting pain signals from the uterus to the brain.

Postpartum care refers to the first six weeks after childbirth. It is a period of adjustment and healing for mothers. During these weeks, you'll bond with your baby and have a post-delivery checkups with your doctor.

Skin-to-skin bonding is the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on their mother's bare chest after birth, both of them covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour or until after the first feed.

Obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is a medical specialty that focuses on women's health. This includes all aspects of reproductive health, such as menstruation, as well as pregnancy and childbirth and menopause.

Maternity classes are facilitated by board certified lactation consultants who provide support to breastfeeding moms during their baby’s first year of life. Moms have the opportunity to meet other breastfeeding moms and share feeding challenges.

A high-risk pregnancy is when a woman has one or more things that raise her or her baby's chances for health problems.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia occurs when the diaphragm fails to close during prenatal development.

Congenital heart conditions are heart conditions or defects that develops in the womb, before a baby is born.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and the health of your baby.

A genetic disorder is a medical condition that is caused by a combination of gene mutations, environmental factors, or by damage to chromosomes.

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy in which the mother has high blood pressure and potential damage to internal organs, such as the liver and kidneys. This condition typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, before which the mother's blood pressure was normal.

Dignity Health Arizona combines top-tier medical science with the natural benefits of a desert climate and brings it all to a thriving metropolitan location. Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States, averaging 306 sunny days a year, and boasting exceptional entertainment, recreation, dining, and more. It’s a powerful combination that keeps our patients happy, healthy, and whole.

Endometriosis is a condition which tissue similar to the tissue that forms the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterine cavity.

Pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition that results in chronic pain, primarily in women in their childbearing years who had had multiple pregnancies. The condition is attributed to issues with enlarged veins in the pelvic region.

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic bladder condition that results in pain , discomfort, and pressure in the bladder and sometimes in the pelvis. It is one of a group of diseases known collectively as panful bladder syndrome.

Pelvic floor tension myalgia, also known as pelvic floor dysfunction, is a condition in which a person is unable to relax and control their pelvic floor muscles when having a bowel movement. This can result in symptoms such as constipation and the leakage of stool and urine.

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus (the myometrium).

Postoperative adhesions are areas in which scar tissue forms between two sections of tissue that have been sutured together. They are common after pelvic and abdominal surgeries and can cause blockage in the intestines, infertility, and other problems.

Pudendal nerve entrapment occurs when the pudendal nerve, located in the perineum, becomes the source of significant pain, burning, or numbness. This can be cause by a number of things, such as time spent on horseback or on a bicycle or motorcycle or prolonged periods of sitting.

Obturator nerve neuralgia is a severe stabbing or burning pain that is caused by the compression of the obturator nerve. The compression of this nerve can be due to entrapment of the nerve by tight muscles and tissues or by a hemorrhage, tumor, an abscess, endometriosis, or the cement used in hip arthroplasty.