Important Information
COVID-19 and Pregnancy - An Update for our Patients
We would like to take this opportunity to update you about your maternity care during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and assure you that our dedicated team of expert nurses, physicians and midwives are committed to providing the safest and most effective care.
Alaska Regional's top-ranked physicians and nurses have the collective experience of thousands of deliveries, including high-risk and multiple births. From the very first second of a new life, Alaska Regional helps promote physical and emotional bonding. We take a family-centered approach to care, which means we work with moms to provide a comfortable and relaxing birthing atmosphere.
We offer tours and classes
Join us at Alaska Regional to take a hosted tour of our Family Birth Center. We encourage you to ask questions and get to know our staff while you learn about the equipment and the facilities.
Register online for Virtual Childbirth Education classes offered by our sister facility, St. Mark’s Hospital. View our Family Birth Center tour here.
We also offer classes designed to prepare you for labor, delivery and early parenting. Both first-time and "experienced" expectant parents are welcome. Sign up to take a class here.
Prior to delivery
Before your due date, be sure to pre-register online. Pre-registration allows for faster admission when the baby is ready to arrive.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the terms of your insurance coverage in order to understand how your benefits apply to Alaska Regional's billing procedures and charges.
If you have questions about insurance coverage, please contact one of our financial counselors at (907) 264-1795.
Make sure to choose a physician or midwife for your obstetrical care before the big day, and be sure to select a physician for your baby's care. If you do not already have an OB/GYN, you can call our Physician Referral Line at (907) 264-1722. You can also visit our Find a Doctor page.
Labor and delivery
At the Family Birth Center, we offer the following services and support:
- A spacious birthing suite with private bathroom and shower designed to ensure your comfort, complete with furnishings including a birthing bed, sofa sleeper and a glider rocker.
- Free Wi-Fi and cable TV
- You and your baby will rest and recover together in the same room
- Medical equipment is available and close at all times during labor and delivery
- State-of-the-art infant security system
- Pain management to suit your preference
- Access to our hydrotherapy room during labor
- The latest technology and access to neonatologists in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
After delivery, our visiting hours allow for all your friends and family to see the new addition to your family. We also offer support from our board-certified lactation consultant, if you choose to breastfeed.
We provide specialized support for newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS babies, through the NEST program.
Hydrotherapy
Alaska Regional has a hydrotherapy tub, located in a private room, to help distract laboring mothers from contraction-related discomfort. Hydrotherapy in labor combines the therapeutic feeling of water and moving bubbles to provide sources of touch and visual distraction as you advance through labor.
Maternity amenities
- Labor and delivery tours
- Breastfeeding classes
- Childbirth preparation classes
- Doulas welcome
- Choice of epidural
- Music
- Lighting
- Filming/photography
- Umbilical cord cutting
- Cord blood options
- Instant skin-to-skin contact after C-section
- Birthing ball
- Breathing techniques
- Intravenous pain control
- Distraction
- Meditation
- Standard epidural
- Baby can room-in
- Lactation support
- Pacifiers allowed
- Formula allowed
- Luxury suites
- Celebratory meal
- Breast pump in room
- King size beds in postpartum suites
- Gifts
Five steps for a healthy pregnancy
- Take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day for at least one month before getting pregnant to help prevent birth defects.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
- If you have a medical condition, be sure it is under control. Also, be sure that your vaccinations are up to date.
- Talk to a healthcare professional about any over-the-counter and prescription medicines you are taking. These include dietary or herbal supplements.
- Avoid contact with toxic substances or materials that could cause infection at work and at home. Stay away from chemicals.
Preventing problems during pregnancy
Folic Acid:
Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help prevent major birth defects. Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, before and during pregnancy.
Alcohol:
When you drink alcohol, so does your unborn baby. There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant.
Vaccinations:
Many vaccinations are safe and recommended during pregnancy, but some are not. Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you and your baby healthy.
Flu and Pregnancy:
Flu and pregnancy: If you're pregnant, a flu shot is your best protection against serious illness from the flu.
Infections:
You won't always know if you have an infection, sometimes you won't even feel sick. Learn how to help prevent infections that could harm your unborn baby.
HIV:
If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, get a test for HIV as soon as possible and encourage your partner to get tested as well. If you have HIV and you are pregnant, there is a lot you can do to keep yourself healthy and not give HIV to your baby.
West Nile Virus:
Take steps to reduce your risk for West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne infections.
Diabetes:
Poor control of diabetes during pregnancy can not only cause serious health complications for you, but also increase the chance of birth defects and other problems for your baby.
High Blood Pressure:
Existing high blood pressure can increase your risk of problems during pregnancy.
Medications:
Taking certain medications during pregnancy might cause serious birth
defects for your baby. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any
medications you are taking. These include prescriptions, over-the-counter
medications, dietary supplements and herbal supplements.
Environmental and Workplace Exposures:
Some workplace hazards can affect the health of your unborn baby. Learn
how to prevent certain workplace hazards.
Radiation exposure:
If you think you, and by extension your unborn baby, might have been
exposed to radiation, talk with your doctor.
