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Pre-Registration
Community Memorial Hospital is pleased to offer our patients a pre-registration service that allows us to verify all demographic and insurance information prior to your delivery. Expectant mothers should pre-register by the seventh month of pregnancy and complete the pre-admission form at the back of this brochure. The pre-registration process allows CMH to communicate with your insurance company to verify benefits and eligibility, start pre-certification, and obtain pre-authorization beforehand, so you can plan accordingly. DOWNLOAD A PRE-REGISTRATION FORM 
Advantages of Pre-Registration:
- Eliminates the stress of doing paperwork while you're in labor or in the hospital.
- Eliminates discharge delays by allowing you to pay co-pays and co-insurance before you are admitted.
Have the following information ready:
- Identification that includes your photograph and signature (such as your driver's license).
- Name of the Pediatrician/Family Practice Physician who will care for your infant.
- Insurance company information/card.
- Name of your employer.
- Admitting date/due date.
- Social Security Number.
- Emergency notification numbers.
For any questions on how to pre-register, please call Admitting at 805/667-2845
.
Paternity Papers
When the mother and father of the baby are not legally married to each other, paternity papers need to be filled out and signed by both parents. A government issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) is required to sign the papers. The paternity forms are available through the birth clerk in the hospital.
When paternity papers are signed, the father may add his name to
the birth certificate as the father of the baby. This does not affect the baby's last name – the baby could have the father's last name, regardless of whether or not the father has signed the paternity papers.
Choosing Your Baby's Doctor
It is extremely important to select a pediatrician or family
practice physician early on in your pregnancy to care for your baby after
delivery. We have provided some helpful and useful information to assist
you in making the right choice for you and your baby.
- Check your insurance provider’s physician list.
- Consider the location of the doctor’s office in relation to your home or work.
- Ask family, friends, or your obstetrician if they can recommend a physician or physicians.
Points to consider are:
- Is the office/physician taking new patients?
- Does the provider work alone or in a group with other providers?
- If you are visiting a group, will you see the same provider or will you be rotated from one to another each visit?
- Do they have evening and/or weekend office hours?
- Can they accommodate same day appointments?
We hope these suggestions will help you feel more confident about
making this important pre-birth decision. You will need to identify
your pediatrician choice upon admission to the hospital.
What to Expect
in the Hospital
Community Memorial Hospital is renowned for the excellent services we provide for mothers and infants. We recognize that each woman's delivery choices may differ; therefore, every effort is made to accommodate your individual needs and desires.
Visitors
We encourage your birth support person to be with you throughout your stay. Our visiting hours for other friends and family are noon to 8:00 p.m. We ask that children under 16 do not visit unless they are the baby's sibling.
Labor and Delivery
If you think you are in labor, call your doctor or midwife and follow his/her instructions. If you are instructed to come to the hospital, then come directly to Labor and Delivery on the second
floor (if it is after 8:00 pm, you must enter through the Emergency Department).
A nurse will examine you and utilize the external electronic fetal
monitor to evaluate your baby's heart rate and status of your labor. The nurse will consult with your physician to determine whether or not you will be admitted. Please do not be disappointed if you are not admitted; it is very common for women to experience symptoms of labor, yet not be ready to deliver.
The staff's focus in Labor and Delivery is to ensure safe care for you during labor, birth, and your immediate recovery period. Personalized labor care options are available to make you feel more comfortable. Some options include: water therapy, using a labor ball, listening to music, having a mirror to view the birth, breathing support/coaching, and 24-hour anesthesia coverage. We encourage you to remain as comfortable as possible while following your physician's or midwife's recommendations.
Throughout the labor and delivery period and for the first hour after your baby's birth, you will be in a Labor and Delivery room. We encourage breastfeeding mothers to nurse their babies within the first hour of life.
Mother-Baby Unit
About an hour after delivery, you will be moved to the
Mother-Baby Unit and begin your postpartum stay. Delivering your
baby is a physically and emotionally demanding achievement, and
most new mothers drastically underestimate how tired they may be.
The Mother-Baby staff will assist you in learning how to take care of
yourself and your newborn.
We believe in individualized care that emphasizes the importance of involving family members in the care of the mother and the newborn. Newborns and their mothers room-in together; however, a nursery is available.
We provide breastfeeding support and education to all breastfeeding mothers and have a lactation educator available to assist you with any breastfeeding issues or special needs.
Special memories of your baby's entrance into the world can be
captured by purchasing a newborn photo or souvenir birth certificate.
Check out time is 11:00 am. In preparation for leaving the hospital, please arrange for family or friends to take you and your baby home. You may experience a wide range of emotions, mood swings, or
physical discomforts, which are completely normal. To help you during this transition period, please arrange for extra help when you get home.
It's important to give yourself some recuperation time and to rely on
your loved ones for help and support.
Kangaroo Care
A mother's desire to keep her healthy newborn near her is instinctive. Research indicates this is exactly what mom and her baby need. Infants who remain with their mothers after birth make an easier transition to life both physically and emotionally. Some of the benefits to the mother include distraction from discomfort, more confidence in caring for her baby, less anxiety and strengthened attachment to her baby which is believed to decrease the incidence of post partum depression. Some of the benefits to the baby include improved ability to maintain temperature, decreased incidence of low blood sugar, less crying and increased success with breastfeeding which can decrease the chance of the baby developing jaundice.
Based on this information, the staff will assist you with the following after your baby is delivered:
- Your baby will be placed on your chest with a clean blanket, dried off and then remain skin-to-skin on your chest/abdomen for approximately the first 90 minutes of life. Mothers are the perfect "incubator". Studies show their temperature will increase or decrease to warm or cool their infants as needed.
- Most infants will rest for about 20 minutes and then latch themselves to the breast if allowed to do so. Some may need a little assistance with the initial latch on. Please feel free to do what feels natural. Your nurse is available to help you as needed.
- We ask that any visitors present in the delivery room view the "new addition" for just a few minutes after delivery and then excuse themselves from the room so that the new mother and her husband/partner can have some privacy, bond with their new baby and provide skin-to-skin contact.
- After this time period, the baby will be weighed and measured and the new family will be transferred to the post-partum room together. Visitors can reunite with the family at this time.
- Your new baby will be bathed approximately 6-12 hours after delivery allowing the baby to stabilize his/her temperature before the bath. Research shows that bathing infants too soon can cause "cold stress". The nurse will bathe your baby in your room. She will make arrangements with you so you may assist or watch.
- For patients having a cesarean section, skin-to-skin contact will be initiated as soon as possible after delivery.
Packing for the Hospital
The following list includes suggested items for you to pack
for your hospital stay. It is a good idea to pack your suitcase early
(36 weeks).
- Clothing (bathrobe, nursing gown, nursing bra)
- Slippers or thongs that can be easily washed
- Daddy Comforts (comfortable shoes, sweatshirt, toothbrush)
- Shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush
- Baby items (clothes, blanket)
- Camera and film
It is important to get an infant car seat properly installed in your
vehicle before baby's arrival. We recommend that you call the
California Highway Patrol Office at 805/477-4100 to have your
car seat installation checked thoroughly.
What not to Bring to the Hospital
Please do not bring valuables or credit cards to the hospital. You might want a few dollars for the gift shop or to purchase a souvenir birth certificate from the Auxiliary (cost $3). We cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage to personal property.
People Make the Difference
The highly-trained staff at Community Memorial Hospital provides you with years of experience and expertise when meeting your personal medical needs. This is your special time, and in order to make your stay pleasant, a comfortable, supportive, and caring environment will be provided.
We are staffed and equipped to give you and your baby the finest care possible. At Community Memorial Hospital, our experienced team utilizes the latest medical advancements to give you peace of mind.
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