​Giving Birth at Columbia

Choosing the right environment to have your baby is one of the most important decisions families make during a pregnancy. At Columbia, we are dedicated to providing a family-centered, friendly experience for mothers, newborns, and their families. 

We enlist the expertise of many specialists who contribute to personalized, coordinated management and a delivery plan for each patient. For pregnancies complicated by a prior cesarean delivery, placenta previa, or accreta, we have an experienced team to evaluate risk and manage delivery in a safe environment. Close collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital ensures that both mother and baby have access to a full range of diagnostic and treatment options.

A Guide to Your Birth Experience

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center is widely recognized as one of the top obstetric programs in the world, delivering more than 4,000 babies every year. Our program provides comprehensive care for both mother and baby — from routine prenatal care to managing the most high-risk pregnancies, births, and postpartum care. Our nationally recognized physicians, nurses, and staff work together to provide patients with coordinated care to meet their individual needs. Watch a guide to your birth experience at Columbia.

Antepartum Unit

Most women will have healthy, normal pregnancies and will not require admission to the hospital prior to delivery. When complications do require closer monitoring in a hospital setting, our Antepartum Unit provides comprehensive medical and nursing care in comfortable and supportive surroundings. With 16 private rooms adjacent to the labor and delivery unit, expectant mothers and their loved ones have the space and privacy they need during a difficult time of pregnancy. Our antepartum health care team includes maternal-fetal medicine specialists, obstetricians, and nurses. Other medical or surgical experts are consulted as needed.

Labor and Delivery Unit

In spacious laboring rooms that offer exceptional views of the New York City skyline, we combine the highest quality medical care with comfort and privacy for the birth of your baby. All birthing suites are single rooms equipped with a multi-position birthing bed as well as state-of-the-art equipment for monitoring and delivering your baby. Your progress will be monitored regularly throughout labor, and your nurses will help you explore which comfort measures work best for you. In-room amenities include a television, telephone, full bathroom with shower, and foldout couch for overnight guests.

The Labor and Delivery Unit provides:

• Specialized medical and nursing staff with high nurse-to-patient staffing levels
• Advanced technology to support labor and delivery. We are equipped to handle any birthing situation.
• 24-hour obstetrical anesthesiology for pain management
• Proximity to a state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Family-centered Postpartum Care

Keeping mother and baby together is a high priority on the Postpartum Unit where families usually stay for two or three days following delivery. During this time, mothers have an opportunity to receive breastfeeding support and to prepare for the arrival home. The unit encourages families to keep their babies bedside, but there are also nurseries on each of the two postpartum floors. We strive to ensure that we do everything we can to facilitate a nurturing experience for families so that they feel prepared to make the transition home.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital is a leading center for the management of critically ill newborn infants. Located just a few floors below our Labor and Delivery Unit, the NICU is widely recognized as one of the finest units of its kind in the nation. Each year, our NICU cares for more than 1,000 infants, including those with low birth weight, premature babies, infants with respiratory distress and congenital abnormalities, or those needing surgery. This state-of-the-art facility incorporates a family-centered approach in which family members are considered a valuable part of the care team and encouraged to participate in important treatment decisions.