Postpartum Care

Maternity Visitor Guidelines >>

Welcoming your new baby is an experience unlike any other. At Riverview Health, we want to make sure you're able to cherish every moment. Our caring maternity team will be available through it all to address any concerns and support you, so you can spend the time getting to know your new little one. After the excitement of introducing your new baby to friends and family, we're here to focus on you to ensure you're feeling your best or to help if you think you may be experiencing postpartum depression.

The Golden Hour and Breastfeeding

Riverview Health Maternity encourages a program called the Golden Hour. The Golden Hour provides one hour of quiet skin-to-skin bonding time between mother and baby immediately after birth. During this time, staff members provide privacy and encourage family and visitors to do the same.

Certified lactation consultants at Riverview Health provide guidance and assistance to help establish a healthy breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby. More than 75 percent of new moms at Riverview Health breastfeed, and of those new moms, more than 80 percent exclusively breastfeed without giving their infants any formula while at the hospital.

In effort to further support breastfeeding, Riverview Health is an official Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank (IMMB) drop-off location where screened breast milk donors are able to drop off their donations. Donations are pasteurized through IMMB and help nourish babies whose mothers aren’t able to breastfeed due to medical reasons.

For those experiencing breastfeeding difficulties after going home, the certified lactation consultants are available for outpatient appointments. For more information, call Riverview Health Maternity at 317.776.7200. In addition, we offer a weekly breastfeeding support group.

Cord Blood Donation

Did you know cells collected from umbilical cord blood can be used in children and adults to treat more than 75 life-threatening diseases, including leukemia, anemia and lymphoma? In fact, thousands of Americans affected by such diseases search through donation registries on a daily basis, hoping to find a match.

Riverview Health has partnered with Lifeline Stem Cell to offer public cord blood donation collection services to all new moms. Donating or saving this valuable resource is done with your consent only after the safe delivery of your baby. More importantly, this process poses no risk or pain to you or your baby. Speak with your Riverview Health OB/GYN physician to learn more.

Infant Safe Sleep

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of injury death in infancy. Sleep is a big challenge for families with babies, but following safe sleep recommendations can prevent many SUID fatalities.  

In 2022, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), updated recommendations for reducing the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths up to one year of age. 

A safe sleep environment lowers the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Here are some ways you can help create a safe sleep environment. 

• Put your baby on their back for all naps & at night in their own sleep space with no other people.  
• Use a crib, bassinet or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.  
• Avoid sleep on a couch or armchair or in a seating device, like a swing or car safety seat (except while riding in the car).  
• Never sleep with your baby- This includes twins and other multiples. 
• Instead of bed sharing, room share with your baby - This means keeping your baby's sleep area in the same room where you sleep for at least the first 6 months. 
• Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers and other soft items out of the sleep space. 
• Feed your baby breast milk, if possible - The longer you give your baby breast milk, the more protection it gives. 
• Refrain from smoking during pregnancy and do not allow smoking around your infant. 

Additional resources:  

• Homepage | Safe to Sleep (nih.gov)  
• Safe Sleep (aap.org) 
• How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained - HealthyChildren.org 
• Cribs for Kids – Helping every baby sleep safer