Labor & Delivery

Maternity services in New Mexico

At Lovelace Health System, we want to help create the best birthing experience possible for babies and their parents. Our specialists provide comprehensive labor and delivery care ranging from educational classes and resources to leading-edge technology designed with your safety and comfort in mind. Our highly-skilled staff offer obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) services as well as prenatal care, to ensure you are taken care of throughout every stage of your labor and delivery. We offer 24/7 anesthesiology coverage, state-of-the-art C-section rooms, and other special services to provide families with compassionate care during one of life’s most important moments.

For more information about our maternity services, please call (505) 727-7677.

Our labor and delivery services

Nothing is more natural than delivering a child, and Lovelace is here for you every step of the way to make sure your delivery is as comfortable as possible. We offer the best care from a broad spectrum of birthing options.

Services at our Lovelace Women’s Hospital includes:

• 24/7 OB anesthesia
• Antenatal Testing Unit
• Antepartum Unit
• Childbirth education classes
• Hydrotherapy during labor with jacuzzi/jetted tubs
• Lactation services
• Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• Maternal-fetal medicine program with 24/7 coverage
• Obstetrics & midwifery services
• Prenatal assessment
• Traditional & High-risk OB
• Vaginal delivery after C-Section (VBAC program)

Services at Lovelace Regional Hospitals include:

• 24/7 OB anesthesia
• Antenatal Testing Unit
• Antepartum Unit
• Childbirth education classes
• Lactation services
• Prenatal assessment
• Traditional & High-risk OB
• Vaginal delivery after C-Section (VBAC program)

Lovelace Birthing Centers provide comfortable and convenient care delivered by compassionate physicians, nurses, and midwives. Throughout your labor, delivery, and recovery, you will stay in one of our private birthing suites. These suites are equipped with leading-edge technology and each room is designed to be safe and relaxing.

Please call us for more information about what type of care is best for you and your baby.

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

In the event that your baby is born prematurely or needs special care, our state-of-the-art NICU is here to serve you. In our NICU, skilled medical and nursing staff care for infants at the age of viability, as young as 23 weeks of gestation. Board-certified neonatologists lead a specialized team of nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, social workers and other caregivers who work together to provide advanced and compassionate care for your baby.

Our expanded 53-bed NICU offers state-of-the-art technological support in a quiet, home-like environment with 24/7 neonatologist coverage and a knowledgeable, caring NICU nursing staff.

Our NICU offers the following services and amenities:

• Case management and social services
• Coffee hour for NICU families
• Complete discharge education, including infant CPR training, to ensure a successful transition from the NICU to home
• Consultations with pediatric specialists if needed
• Developmental rehabilitation
• Family support services
• Isolation rooms
• Lactation consultants
• Lactation room for privacy
• March of Dimes liaison to assist with family support and integration
• Neonatal nutrition care and dietary counseling
• NICU-specialized respiratory therapists
• Open visiting hours to encourage and support your involvement in the care of your baby
• Ophthalmology and cardiopulmonary specialists to provide testing, monitoring and, if needed, intervention
• Overnight transition rooms for parents who need further education and preparation before going home
• Parent and family lounge equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, television, and coffee available around the clock
• Skin-to-skin care (kangaroo care)
• Support from community resources, including partnerships with Ronald McDonald House and Casa Esperanz, to provide temporary housing for out-of town parents
• Trained physical & occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists to help facilitate feeding and swallowing success and ensure proper positioning and movement

High-risk pregnancy care

For women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, our Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) program includes prenatal diagnosis and consultation, specialized fetal care, and a full range of diagnostic testing. Maternal fetal medicine specialists are committed to communicating and closely collaborating with your obstetricians, midwife, and family physicians to evaluate your condition and determine the best course of labor and delivery for you and your baby.

Our MFM team regularly cares for women with the following conditions:

• Bleeding/clotting disorders
• Diabetic education
• Fetal anomalies
• Genetic disorders
• Heart disease
• HIV
• Hypertension or preeclampsia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Kidney disease
• Lupus or other auto-immune diseases
• Multiple pregnancies
• Recurrent pregnancy loss
• Sickle cell disease
• Suspected intrauterine growth retardation

We offer MFM care at our Lovelace Women’s Hospitals in Roswell, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.

GRACE program

Are you pregnant or do you know someone who is pregnant and struggling with addiction, substance use or on Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)? Lovelace Health System’s Giving Respect and Compassion to Expecting (GRACE) mothers program is here to support you and your family! Our healthcare providers will work with you to establish a treatment plan for your pregnancy.

Moms enrolled in the GRACE program will receive prenatal care at a Lovelace Medical Group clinic, where we offer treatment based on each person’s needs. You will be supported throughout your pregnancy, during your hospital stay for delivery at Lovelace Women’s Hospital, and in the first weeks after birth.

Lovelace’s GRACE program can help moms who are using, or addicted to the following substances:

• Alcohol
• Cocaine
• Heroin/Fentanyl
• Marijuana/pot
• Methamphetamine
• Opioids/prescription drugs
• Tobacco/nicotine

Services in our GRACE program include access to Labor of Love, a maternity support program, case management support, community referrals, high-risk pregnancy consultations, NICU care, and prenatal services.

Our goal is to make your pregnancy and delivery as healthy as possible. For more information or schedule an appointment, please call (505) 727-5000.