COVID-19 Updates from IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology

 

COVID-19 Updates from IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology

Updated April 28, 2020

We know this is a stressful time for many of our obstetrics and gynecology patients, particularly those who are expecting. Please consider this page a resource to stay informed of policies that may change to protect the health and safety of our patients, their families and loved ones, our staff and providers as we navigate COVID-19 together. 

As always, if you have any questions please call your IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology practice for more information.

Visitor Policies 

Mental Health Resources for Expectant Mothers 

Patients in the Third Trimester 

What to Expect & How to Prepare for Delivery at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital 

Mothers with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 

 

 

Visitor Policies

In-person appointments at IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology practices

To practice safe social distancing and minimize exposure of as many individuals as possible, only the patient is currently permitted at all in-person gynecologic appointments at IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology practices. Obstetrical patients may have one adult visitor accompany them to their appointments.  If you have someone additional accompanying you to your appointment, they must wait in the vehicle or outside of the building. 

If the patient is a minor, or needs physical assistance with maneuverability, one (1) adult guest may accompany the patient to the appointment.

 

 
In-person appointments at IHA Maternal-Fetal Medicine

To practice safe social distancing and minimize exposure of as many individuals as possible, the patient and one adult visitor are currently permitted at all in-person appointments at IHA Maternal-Fetal Medicine practices. If you have someone additional accompanying you to your appointment, they must wait in the vehicle or outside of the building. 

If the patient is a minor, or needs physical assistance with maneuverability, one (1) adult guest may accompany the patient to the appointment.

 

Fetal ultrasound appointments

To practice safe social distancing and minimize exposure of as many individuals as possible, the patient and one adult visitor are currently permitted at all in-person fetal ultrasound appointments at IHA Maternal-Fetal Medicine practices. If you have someone additional accompanying you to your appointment, they must wait in the vehicle or outside of the building. 

If the patient is a minor, or needs physical assistance with maneuverability, one (1) adult guest may accompany the patient to the appointment.

 

Labor & Delivery at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital

If the patient is admitted to labor and delivery or antepartum unit, at this time two (2) support people are permitted to be with the patient during labor & delivery. Only one (1) support person can be present in the operating room during a c-section.

These designated persons will be asked to stay on the unit during the entirety of care.  Once delivery is accomplished and the patient is transferred to Mother Baby Unit, two (2) visitors are permitted with only one staying overnight.  Family members are not permitted to switch with each other during the day, meaning the same person should plan on staying during the labor course or during the postpartum stay.  For antepartum patients, two adult visitors are allowed during the daytime but no visitors are allowed to stay overnight.

 

Triage & Antepartum Unit at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital

To minimize exposure of as many individuals as possible, one (1) visitor is allowed in triage unit.

 

Newborn appointments with IHA Pediatrics 

At this point in time, one healthy adult may bring your newborn to their appointments. A phone call to include the child's other parent is permitted to keep them informed of the newborn's care plan. 

Birth to 12 months is a key point in your child’s development and your development as a parent. It is important to keep up with your child’s newborn and developmental check-ins and vaccination schedule. Our IHA Pediatrics staff will help you schedule your child’s upcoming appointments and keep you on-track for a successful first year. During this time your first few newborn appointments may be at a different IHA Pediatrics practice location than where your provider typically sees patients, and you may be seen by another provider on your care team. Please call your IHA Pediatrics practice to schedule or check on upcoming appointments.  

Mental Health Resources for Expectant Mothers 

IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology has a Social Worker and Patient Advocate who supports all IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology patients. Kassandra Maple, LMSW can be reached at 734.887.4902.

 

 

Patients in the Third Trimester 

IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology recommends that patients who are 37 weeks or greater self-isolate to minimize the possibility of infection with COVID-19 close to your due date. 

 

 

What to Expect & How to Prepare for Labor & Delivery at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital 

 

IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology and the staff at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor's Family Birth Center are doing all that we can to keep you, your baby and your family as healthy as possible during the Covid-19 outbreak. In light of this, please read through the information below to prepare for your time in the hospital: 

 

If you are being induced
  • If you have a scheduled induction, please call the triage line 2 hours prior to your scheduled induction time to speak with the charge nurse and confirm. 
  • If you have an elective induction, the charge nurse will call you to let you know what time to arrive for your induction.
  • Leave valuables at home that are not needed during your hospital stay. 
  • Remove all jewelry before arriving at the hospital. 
  • Eat a light meal before your scheduled induction. 
  • Park in Lot Q
  • Enter the building through the Family Birth Center entrance.
  • You and your support person will be asked questions to screen for Covid-19 when you arrive. You may have your temperature taken. 
  • Your support person will remain in the room with you for the entire hospital stay. Guest meals will be provided for your support person, but we recommend bringing snacks in preparation of your stay. 
  • Bring all of the belongings you will need during labor & delivery into the hospital, including the infant car seat. Your support person will not be permitted to leave and retrieve items you may need during labor & delivery. 
 
If you have a c-section scheduled
  • Arrive 2 hours before your scheduled procedure time. 
  • Leave valuables at home that are not needed during your hospital stay. 
  • Remove all jewelry before arriving at the hospital. 
  • Do not eat anything solid for 8 hours before your scheduled procedure time. You may drink 16 ounces of clear fluid from 8 hours to 2 hours before your scheduled procedure. No fluid is allowed after 2 hours before your scheduled procedure. 
  • Take a shower the night before your scheduled procedure. Use antibacterial soap and refrain from shaving or waxing.  Use CHG (Chlorhexidine Gluconate) wipes to clean your body.
  • Do not take a shower or use lotion, perfume, powder, cream or deodorant the day of your scheduled procedure.
  • If you were given a high carbohydrate drink to consume prior to your surgery, please drink this on your way to the hospital. This must be finished 2 hours prior to your surgery. 
  • Park in Lot Q
  • Enter the building through the Family Birth Center entrance.
  • You and your support person will be asked questions to screen for Covid-19 when you arrive. You may have your temperature taken. 
  • Your support person will remain in the room with you for the entire hospital stay. Guest meals will be provided for your support person, but we recommend bringing snacks in preparation of your stay. 
  • Bring all of the belongings you will need during labor & delivery into the hospital, including the infant car seat. Your support person will not be permitted to leave and retrieve items you may need during labor & delivery. 
If you do not have an induction or c-section scheduled
  • Please call the after hours line or come to the hospital.
  • Park in Lot Q
  • Enter the building through the Family Birth Center entrance.
  • You and your support person will be asked questions to screen for Covid-19 when you arrive. You may have your temperature taken. 
  • Your support person will remain in the room with you for the entire hospital stay. Guest meals will be provided for your support person, but we recommend bringing snacks in preparation of your stay. 
  • Bring all of the belongings you will need during labor & delivery into the hospital. Your support person will not be permitted to leave and retrieve items you may need during labor & delivery.
  • At this point, if you do not have COVID-19 or are not suspected to have COVID-19 you should leave your infant car seat in the car when you check into the hospital. When mother and baby are ready to be discharged, your support person will be asked to retrieve the infant car seat and bring it up to the postpartum room for a car seat inspection to be sure baby is properly secured in the car seat. Baby will be discharged in the car seat. 
 

Mothers with COVID-19 or Suspected COVID-19 

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are suspected to be positive before labor or admission to the hospital, please call your IHA Obstetrics & Gynecology provider before you go into labor or arrive at the hospital to discuss the plan to keep your baby healthy both immediately after delivery and going forward. We strongly recommend that a healthy caregiver, not your labor support person, that has not been exposed to mom is available to care for the baby after delivery. 

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are suspected to be positive, you and your support person are asked to bring ALL possessions needed by mother, support person, and baby during labor, delivery and postpartum with you at check-in to the hospital, including the car seat. Your support person will not be allowed to leave and return.