From the day you discover you’re pregnant, your emotions and thoughts may range from happiness to anxiety. Valley West Hospital's many resources can help you prepare for what is to come.

At your first prenatal visit, your doctor and Valley West Hospital become partners in your continuing education. The importance of excellent prenatal care cannot be overstated. Valley West Hospital has all the resources and information you need to ensure you and your baby remain healthy throughout your pregnancy.

During your pregnancy

Valley West Hospital recommends the following throughout your pregnancy:

• Visiting your obstetrician at least once a month
• Taking a prenatal vitamin that includes at least 400 mcg of folic acid every day
• Drinking plenty of water
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Abstaining from cigarettes, drugs and alcohol
• Avoiding toxic substances at work and harmful chemicals at home
• Talking to your physician about any medications (prescription or OTC) or natural remedies you are taking, as these may be harmful to your baby

Delivery registration

Being pre-registered saves you a step once you go into labor. Take this opportunity to fill out your pre-registration information online, or print a form below and remember to pack it in your bag when preparing for your delivery.

Labor and Delivery services

Women and their families throughout northern Illinois have turned to Valley West Hospital in Sandwich for outstanding maternity care. Our level II labor and delivery services allow us to care for moms and babies who need extended hospitalization or have special needs.

Valley West Hospital will also be your resource for the many months ahead, from prenatal education, through your birthing experience, to breastfeeding.
Labor and Delivery services include:

• Dedicated cesarean section operating room just steps away
• Anesthesia services available 24/7
• Specialty trained registered nurses in-house 24/7, including certified lactation consultants, who will visit during your hospital stay
• Private neonatal procedure room in nursery
• Advanced fetal monitoring
• Social workers, registered dietitians and spiritual leaders, including postpartum counseling
• Free postpartum visit after you’re discharged
• Breastfeeding support while you’re in the hospital
• Access to the free Breastfeeding Center at Kishwaukee Hospital once you’re home

All new moms, dads and babies are encouraged to return for a free postpartum visit within 72 hours after they leave the hospital. At this visit a nurse will:

• Measure and weigh the baby
• Perform a head to toe assessment of mother and baby
• Check vital signs
• Check bilirubin level
• Provide breastfeeding support and feeding evaluation
• Answer questions

Maternity suites

The maternity suites at Valley West Hospital are specially designed and equipped to allow you to labor, deliver, recover and receive postpartum care (LDRP) in one spacious, comfortable room throughout your stay.

The maternity suites include an operating room just for our birthing moms. One of nice features of the OR is the adjoining area where mom and baby can recover with dad present. Mom can have immediate skin-to-skin contact with her baby. After mom and baby are recovered, they will return together to mom’s private room to visit with family and friends.

Each room is staffed by highly trained, caring nurses and offers the following amenities:

• Flat screen TV with access to entertainment options (new release movies, music, etc.)
• Comfortable seating for family and visitors
• Overnight accommodations for support person
• Rooming-in for baby
• Large private bathroom and closets
• Customized photo session with photographer
• Refrigerator
• Complimentary WiFi access for personal/mobile devices
• Complimentary refreshments for visitors
• Birthing chair
• Birthing bar (installed upon request)
• Birthing ball (available upon request)
• Telemetry monitor during labor
• Warm wood flooring and upholstered furniture
• Large windows that bring lots of natural light

Every mother who gives birth at Valley West Hospital will receive a mom/baby care booklet upon discharge. Valley West Hospital also offers an expansive menu for hotel-style room service for moms to take advantage of during their stay.

The Valley West Hospital maternity suites follow the guidelines of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization to improve the health of women and infants through education, support and the promotion of breastfeeding. 

Hospital safety and baby tracker services

Our HUGS baby tracker device with coded baby identification wristband assures the safety and security of your newborn.

In addition to your baby rooming in with you, he or she will have a computerized tag for identification and location purposes. The maternity suites are locked for the safety of the infants and their families. Security staff is available 24/7.

Newborn photography

Beautiful newborn photos done by BellaBaby photographers at Valley West Hospital will be keepsakes you and your family will cherish forever. These are not your typical nursery photos. The photographer comes to your hospital room and sets up several poses. With your permission, your baby pictures are then posted on the photographer’s online baby gallery so family and friends can view.

Online baby gallery

Our photographers will photograph your baby and post photos to a custom online slide show for you to view just minutes after your session. Online viewing and ordering is available for two weeks for anyone with whom you choose to share your password. Bella Baby loves to photograph parents, and we encourage your participation.

Breastfeeding Center

Breastfeeding classes before your baby is born and lactation specialists and consultants during your hospital stay will provide breastfeeding education and support for you and your baby. Once you leave the hospital and are home with your baby, you may need more breastfeeding support. That is when you can turn to the Kishwaukee Hospital Breastfeeding Center, located on the first floor of Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, for support over the phone or to schedule a free lactation consultation.

Our goal is to help you address concerns and overcome obstacles through your baby’s first year. The Breastfeeding Center in DeKalb serves all new moms in Northern Illinois, no matter where you delivered.

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

Valley West Hospital maternity suites are in the process of achieving the designation of "Baby–Friendly" and are committed to excellence by providing evidence-based maternity care with the goal of achieving optimal infant feeding outcomes and mother/baby bonding.

To achieve Baby–Friendly designation, the hospitals must adhere to the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” that consist of evidence-based practices that have been shown to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration.

The title of “Baby–Friendly” may only be used when a facility has been assessed by Baby–Friendly USA, approved by the External Review Board, and the CEO has received the letter from Baby–Friendly USA indicating the facility has been designated, a process that can take several years to complete. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program initiated in 1991 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to recognize hospitals offering quality bonding and breastfeeding support to mothers and babies.

According to Baby–Friendly USA, “Hospitals that receive Baby–Friendly designation report an increase in breastfeeding rates, both in the hospital and after discharge. Mothers who deliver at Baby–Friendly hospitals report greater satisfaction with their overall birth and breastfeeding experience. Increased breastfeeding rates mean better health outcomes for mothers and babies. The Baby–Friendly Initiative outlines specific steps and requirements that must be completed and demonstrated in an on-site assessment.”