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Norton County Hospital provides state of the art, family centered obstetric and newborn care in a caring and supportive atmosphere.
At Norton County Hospital, expectant couples and their families can be at the mother's side while awaiting the birth of their baby. Our spacious yet private labor and delivery suite allows families to spend the entire labor & delivery process in one location.
We have two birthing rooms. Each suite has a private bath, shower and other amenities. We have a nursery workroom so our staff remains next to you at all times. Our facility is fully equipped for emergent cesarean section procedures if necessary.
But that is not the only reason to have your baby Norton County Hospital. Another one is experience, our certified obstetric nurses have helped deliver many babies, and we have the equipment and facilities to get you and your baby get off to a great start.
While in a birthing suite, every patient and her family will experience specialized one-on-one nursing care for labor, delivery, and recovery. Newborns are tenderly cared for by nurses certified for neonatal resuscitation.
Postpartum care features baby rooming-in with mother while receiving care and support from our nursing staff.
Pre-admission
The OB department is also ready to help our patients, both before and after your baby arrives. A few weeks before your due date, all expectant mothers will need to set aside a time for pre-admission paperwork and a optional tour of the Birthing suite.
Prenatal Information Packet
During your pregnancy, you will receive a Prenatal Packet from your Physician at the Doctors Clinic. This packet is full of important information to help you make decisions for when your baby arrives. Other information included in the packet includes a Birth Certificate worksheet, visiting policies, breast and bottle feeding options and where to get your car seat inspected.
Breastfeeding Education
We have several Breastfeeding Educators and Advocates to offer any help or information you may need prior to delivery and after your baby has arrived.
Prenatal/Birthing Class
Prenatal classes are offered bi-monthly and remain FREE as a part of your Labor and Delivery package. Each family will encouraged to attend a Prenatal Class taught by Certified Birthing and Breastfeeding Educators.
Newborn Hearing Screening
Before discharge to home, a Newborn Hearing Screening is performed to catch early hearing and speech problems.
Car Seats Inspection/Installation
Car seats are required for babies and young children and are a vital tool in reducing traffic injuries and deaths. However, getting them properly installed and adjusted can be complicated.
Before you deliver, please have your car seat inspected by Penni at the Norton County Health Department at 785-877-5745 every Friday from 12:30-3:30 pm. This is to ensure your babies safety and correct installation when it is time to go home with your new baby.
Car seats outdate and install differently in each vehicle. Please call for an appt or for more information.
Period of Purple Crying
The purpose of the Period of Purple Crying is……….KEEPING BABIES SAFE
Shaken Baby Sydrome (SBS) affects tens of thousands of people every year and costs billions of dollars in care. Understanding increased crying in early infancy-and its connections to abuse-can help prevent this tragedy.
The Norton County Hospital, is one of 26 hospitals in Kansas implementing the Period of PURPLE Crying® program. While in the hospital after the birth of their baby, parents watch the program’s 10-minute DVD.
Parents are able to take the DVD home along with an informational booklet to review at a later time and to share with anyone who may be potentialy caring for their baby.
Period of PURPLE Crying® is the phrase used to describe the point in a babys life when they cry more than any
other time. The initiative is a new way to help parents understand this time in their baby’s life is a normal part of every childs development.
PURPLE is an acronym for Peak of crying, Unexpected, Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long-lasting, and Evening crying.
Misunderstanding normal, early infant crying can lead to frustration and escalate to anger. It’s common for parents to feel irritated with seemingly endless bouts of screaming but learning appropriate actions during crying bouts, including comforting and coping techniques, are key components of the program.
When their fifth child, Max, was born Justin and Karen felt confident in their ability to care for him. Dirty diaper? Middle-of-the-night feedings? No match for these seasoned parents. But shortly after they brought Max home from the hospital, he began to cry. And he cried a lot. His crying bouts happened more often and sometimes lasted for hours.
“The crying started almost as soon as we brought him home from the hospital. It would progress throughout the day and would get worse in the evenings and throughout the night,” said Karen. “By evening time, we would be so exhausted from constantly soothing him. We had to hold him and walk and just move around with him all day.”
Like most parents, Justin and Karen felt frustrated, tired and just wanted the crying to end. “Sometimes, it seemed like nothing worked. I thought, ‘I can not do this anymore’.”
But then, they learned about The Period of PURPLE Crying®. “It was reassuring to know that its okay to put the
Baby down for a few minutes to calm down - and that taking a short break doesn’t make you a bad parent.”
Eventually, the crying did end. Now, at six-months-old, Max is thriving, happy baby. Justin and Karen say they are relieved to know they are not alone. They want other parents to know about the Period of PURPLE Crying® so they, too, can make it through the difficult time and not harm their children. “It was a real eye-opener,” added Justin. “Just knowing that a baby can cry that much. Knowing that what we were going through was normal.”
For more information on The Period of Purple Crying program for the education and prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome, visit these links:
www.dontshake.org
www.purplecrying.info
Complimentary Gifts
Complimentary gifts are given to new mothers and infants such as blankets, booties and bonnets. Such items are hand-made and donated by the Norton Quilt Club and other individuals.
An infant CPR kit is also given at discharge for home if the couple has not received one when attending our Prenatal Class.
A free book “Birth to 5 years” is given as a gift to help aid moms with the many questions that arise as they learn becoming new parents.
Web Site Pictures
With written consent, during the hospital stay, a photo may be taken and posted on our Hospital Baby Board at the nurses station, and may be posted on our Baby Faces Website. |
Contact Information
Jennifer Wildeman, RN
Obstetrics Coordinator
jwildeman@ntcohosp.com
102 E. Holme
Norton, KS. 67654
Phone: 785-877-3351
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