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Pain Management/Cesarean Delivery/Circumcision

mom and babyPain Management is a personal choice. We feel strongly that our patients need to be aware of all their options for pain management, weighing risks versus benefits, so they can make informed choices. In labor we offer low-intervention techniques for managing pain, such as hydrotherapy, and we encourage the use of breathing and relaxation techniques. And if our patients choose to use pain medication such as epidural analgesia, we always make it available to them according to their doctor’s plan of care.

Routine Newborn Care in the hospital consists of daily weighing and bathing, and physical assessments. With your help, we also monitor your baby’s food intake and diaper changes. One application of antibiotic ointment is put into the baby’s eyes after birth to prevent infection, and one injection of vitamin K is given after birth to start the normal clotting process. A hepatitis B vaccine is also given, with parental consent. The risk of side effects for this vaccine is very small. If you have concerns, please discuss them with your baby’s doctor in advance. Every baby has a hearing screening while in the hospital, as required by the state Department of Health. This is a noninvasive test where the baby hears sounds through special earphones that record the baby’s auditory response. Separately, we take a few drops of blood from your baby's heel for a required newborn metabolic screening. This test is mandated and processed by the Department of Health. The screening, done in New York since 1965, now tests your baby’s blood for more than 40 disorders. The results are automatically sent to your baby’s doctor.

Cesarean Section
If you require a scheduled delivery by cesarean section, you and your doctor will pick a date that is best for you and your baby. You will be given a surgery date, your arrival time and any necessary preoperative instructions. Length of stay for a cesarean section is three days, as opposed to two days for a vaginal delivery.

Circumcision
Infant circumcision is an elective surgical procedure requiring the mother’s consent. This means you do not have to circumcise your baby boy unless you want to. It is performed by your doctor in the nursery with the use of either a topical or local anesthetic. Whether or not to have your baby circumcised is a very personal and often difficult decision for parents to make. In some cultures, circumcision is performed for religious reasons. In this country, circumcision was performed routinely at one time because it was thought to provide several medical benefits, mostly for the prevention of infections and lowering the risk of cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. However, after extensive research, in 1975 the American Academy of Pediatrics determined “there is no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn,” causing more and more parents to rethink the “circumcision decision.” In 2002, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommended physicians “discuss the potential harms and benefits of circumcision with all parents or legal guardians considering this procedure for their newborn son.” If you are unsure, discuss your options with your doctor.

Location

105 Mary's Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: 845.338.2500

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