Delivering Your Baby at CHRISTUS Children's
At CHRISTUS Children's in San Antonio, our maternity team provides personalized care throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum recovery.
Our physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurses, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, pediatric specialists, lactation professionals and newborn care teams work together to support you and your baby throughout your hospital stay.
Families also have access to specialized maternal and newborn care, including a Level III Maternal Care program and Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for patients and newborns who require advanced care.
Labor and Delivery at CHRISTUS Children's
Every birth is different. Our labor and delivery team works with you to understand your clinical needs, answer questions and help you understand your care options throughout labor, delivery and recovery.
Care and services may include:
- Experienced labor and delivery nurses
- Support for your birth preferences and care plan
- Pain-management options
- Cesarean delivery and vaginal birth after Cesarean when clinically appropriate
- Dedicated obstetric emergency services
- Maternal and neonatal transport services
- Lactation education and breastfeeding support
- Specialized maternal and newborn care when needed
Our team will help you understand what to expect based on your health, your baby's needs and your individualized care plan.
High-risk Pregnancy Care
Some pregnancies require additional monitoring or specialized care. At CHRISTUS Children's, maternal-fetal medicine specialists collaborate with labor and delivery, anesthesia, critical care, pediatric and other specialty teams to develop an individualized care plan for patients with complex pregnancy needs.
Our multidisciplinary approach helps coordinate care before, during and after delivery when additional maternal or newborn support is needed.
A Baby-Friendly Hospital
CHRISTUS Children's follows the evidence-based maternity care practices established by Baby-Friendly USA®. Through education, encouragement and compassionate support, our care team helps parents make informed infant-feeding decisions and work toward their breastfeeding goals.
Baby-Friendly practices support bonding and breastfeeding through care such as skin-to-skin contact, rooming-in, recognition of infant feeding cues and access to skilled breastfeeding assistance.
Our commitment to Baby-Friendly practices continues beyond your hospital stay. Our team helps connect families with lactation support and other resources for continued care after discharge.
Texas Ten Step Maternity Care
As a Texas Ten Step facility, CHRISTUS Children's follows evidence-based maternity care practices that support breastfeeding and continuity of care for parents and newborns.
These practices include breastfeeding education, skilled support from trained staff, opportunities for skin-to-skin contact and rooming-in, guidance about infant feeding, and connections to breastfeeding support after discharge.
Lactation Services in San Antonio
Breastfeeding is a learned experience for both you and your baby. Our lactation team provides evidence-based education and individualized support during your hospital stay and after you return home.
Lactation support may include:
- Help with breastfeeding positioning and latch
- Education about infant feeding cues
- Support for establishing and maintaining milk production
- Guidance for pumping and expressing breast milk
- Help addressing breastfeeding discomfort or other concerns
- Support for more complex infant-feeding needs
- Coordination with maternal, pediatric and neonatal care teams
- Planning for continued breastfeeding after discharge
If you have questions or experience breastfeeding challenges, ask your nurse or care team to connect you with a lactation professional.
Learn more about breastfeeding support and resources at CHRISTUS Health
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants
An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, or IBCLC, is a health care professional with specialized education and clinical experience in breastfeeding and lactation care.
Requirements for IBCLC certification include health sciences education, lactation-specific education, clinical experience and successful completion of a comprehensive certification examination. IBCLCs must also meet ongoing continuing education and recertification requirements to maintain their credential.
IBCLCs can collaborate with families and members of the health care team to address concerns such as:
- Breastfeeding positioning and latch
- Milk production and milk transfer
- Pumping and expressing breast milk
- Breastfeeding discomfort
- Feeding after discharge
- More complex infant-feeding needs
Ask your nurse or maternity care team about the lactation support available during your hospital stay.
Breastfeeding and Lactation Support After Discharge
Questions about breastfeeding and infant feeding can arise after you and your baby return home. CHRISTUS Children's offers outpatient infant-feeding care and postpartum lactation support so families can continue to receive guidance after discharge.
Depending on your needs, follow-up support may include:
- A breastfeeding and infant-feeding assessment
- Help with positioning or latch
- Support for milk production and milk transfer
- Pumping and breast milk expression guidance
- Help addressing breastfeeding discomfort or other concerns
- Coordination with your baby's pediatric or neonatal care team when additional evaluation is needed
Before leaving the hospital, ask your nurse or lactation professional how to access outpatient lactation support and which services are appropriate for you and your baby.
Level III Maternal Care
CHRISTUS Children's provides Level III Maternal Care for pregnant and postpartum patients who may need specialized treatment for complex medical, surgical or obstetric conditions.
Patients have access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists and other medical and surgical subspecialists who collaborate with the labor and delivery team to coordinate care based on each patient's needs.
When advanced maternal care is needed, our multidisciplinary team works together to support appropriate care before, during and after delivery.
Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care
Some newborns require advanced monitoring or specialized treatment after delivery. CHRISTUS Children's provides a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for newborns with complex medical or surgical needs.
Neonatologists and specialized pediatric care teams work together to develop an individualized care plan for each newborn and collaborate with families throughout their baby's care.
CHRISTUS Children's also provides maternal and neonatal transport services when patients or newborns require specialized care.
Prepare for Birth with CHRISTUS Children's Baby Academy
CHRISTUS Children's Baby Academy offers childbirth and newborn education to help families prepare for labor, delivery, breastfeeding and caring for a newborn.
What to Expect at the Hospital
Learn how to prepare for your hospital stay, what to expect when labor begins, the stages of labor, pain-management options and Cesarean delivery.
Comfort Measures and Newborn Care
Learn about comfort techniques during labor, what to expect in the delivery room and the basics of caring for yourself and your newborn after delivery.
Infant Development and Car Seat Safety
Learn about early infant development, safe play and selecting and properly installing an infant car seat.
Breastfeeding Education
Learn about skin-to-skin care, rooming-in, infant feeding cues, positioning and latch, milk production, and breastfeeding resources available during your hospital stay and after you return home.
For current Baby Academy information and registration, call 210-704-2054.
Schedule a Tour
Before your delivery, you can schedule a tour of our birthing suites, available both virtually and in person. You’ll have the opportunity to explore our well-equipped spaces and learn more about the care and services we offer during your stay.
Call to Schedule a Tour: 210-704-2011