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Planning For Your Child's Birth
Welcome to The BirthPlace at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. Our staff is here to serve your needs and help ensure a positive birthing experience. Please review this information and feel free to call our BirthPlace Office at (424) 259-8250 if you have questions. 
What to discuss with your physician:
- Type of delivery
- Anesthesia and episiotomy use
- Fetal monitoring
- Delivery participants
- Medication options
- Labor induction
- Delivery positions
What to discuss with your pediatrician:
- Breast-feeding or bottle feeding
- Circumcision
- Newborn screenings and hearing tests
- Examinations
- Vaccinations
Our Facilities
The BirthPlace features elegantly designed birthing rooms called "LDRs" so that you can labor, deliver and recover in one comfortable place. We also have two operating rooms for scheduled and emergency C-sections.
After your delivery and recovery, you will be moved to our Postpartum Unit. All patients receive a private room at no extra charge. Additionally, you have the option of upgrading to our larger Deluxe room. Contact our BirthPlace Office for details.
The BirthPlace also features a Well-Baby Nursery adjacent to our Postpartum Unit and a Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit for premature infants and other newborns with life-threatening conditions. Although your baby may not require intensive care, you can take comfort knowing those services are nearby, if needed.
What to Bring to The BirthPlace
We suggest you have a suitcase ready by the beginning of your ninth month, packed with all the items you will need during your stay, including:
For You
- Nightgown
- Nursing bras
- Robe and slippers
- Toiletries and cosmetics
- Change of clothes to wear home
(5-month pregnancy size)
For Dad (if staying overnight)
- Pajamas or robe
- Change of clothes
- Toiletries
- Comfortable clothes
For Baby
- Large blanket or shawl (depending on weather)
- Receiving blanket
- Nightgown, shirt, sweater
- Cloth diapers and rubber or Velcro pants, if desired
- Cap or hat
- Socks or booties
- Infant car seat (installed in your car's back seat facing backward)
PLEASE NOTE THAT HOSPITAL LINENS, SUCH AS BLANKETS AND T-SHIRTS, CANNOT BE TAKEN HOME AT DISCHARGE!
Optional Items
- Cassette or disc player (must be battery-operated)
- Camera or camcorder (must be battery-operated)
- Extra pillows
- Other comfort items
