It is the philosophy of Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital to encourage family participation in the birth process. We also want to provide rest, comfort and privacy to all new families on our unit. With that in mind, we ask you - our visitors - to follow these guidelines.

Pregnant women and newborns are extremely susceptible to the H1N1 virus. Visitation may be strictly limited at anytime for this reason.

• Visitors are asked to stop and sign in at the reception desk for the safety of our moms and babies.
• During the labor and delivery process, we ask that no more than three visitors be in the birthing suite at one time.
• The new mother going to surgery for a cesarean birth may select one person to accompany her. The rest of her visitors are asked to remain in designated waiting areas.
• When visitors are not in the labor suite, we ask that they go to the designated waiting area.
• When visitors are not in the labor suite, we ask that they go to the designated waiting area. Please do not stay in the hall outside the rooms, as there are other moms and babies in the area who are trying to rest.
• Although we really enjoy seeing big brothers and big sisters with their new babies, we also want to protect the new babies from illness, so we ask that only big brothers and big sisters who are well visit the unit. For the protection of the babies, other children (cousins, children of friends, etc.) should not visit the unit.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Visitors: Parents are encouraged to stay with their baby in the NICU as much as possible. Because the health of the baby is our primary concern, special precautions may be taken to ensure that all visitors in the NICU are healthy and free from colds, cold sores and flu-like symptoms.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us provide quality care and rest for your family members and other families.