Your Care in The Birth Place
Learn more about our services in the Birth Place at Albany Medical Center
Call The Birth Place at Albany Medical Center at 518-262-3125
Tours & Childbirth Education Classes
The Perinatal Outreach Center offers tours of The Birth Place, and a variety of programs for parents-to-be or parents of newborns.
For more information on tours or classes, please email [email protected] or call 518-262-5162.
Arriving at Albany Medical Center
Parking
Parking in the 40 or 60 New Scotland Ave. garages will provide easy access to The Birth Place. There is free, validated, self-serve parking for patients and paid, self-serve parking for visitors.
Once parked, use the enclosed pedestrian bridge located on the second floor. This offers direct access t the Patient Pavilion (B Building). Once you cross the pedestrian bridge, check in at the security desk and they will direct you.
Navigating Albany Medical Center
From the B Building 2nd floor concourse, where you will check in with security, proceed towards the gift shop to the B Building elevators that will be around the corner on your left.
Take the B Building elevators to the 6th floor. On the 6th floor, proceed down the hallway and take a right turn towards the D building. You will see signs for The Birth Place.
You can check in at The Birth Place reception desk.
Visiting hours in The Birth Place are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Patients in The Birth Place may have two visitors and a doula (if requested) at the bedside
- All visitors must enter through the B Building 2nd floor concourse and check in at the security desk
Hotels:
Hilton Garden Inn is directly across from the Main Hospital Campus
Marriot Townplace
Ronald McDonald House:
Offers a home like setting for families of children hospitalized at Albany Medical Center. Contact them at 518.438.2655
Doulas
The Birth Place is proud to offer support from doulas, as part of your health care team, during your birthing experience. Our goal is to provide additional support for our patients and families.
Postpartum
A few hours after your birth, you will move to our postpartum unit which is located on the same floor.
You will have the support of a postpartum nurse throughout the duration of your stay. Ask them questions! They have a wealth of knowledge about postpartum healing and newborn care.
In The Birth Place, we practice "rooming-in" with your baby, meaning you can keep your baby in the room with you during your stay. We also have a nursery available on the unit, that you can utilize by request.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) are available to support you seven days a week. Ask your health care team if you'd like to be connected with a lactation consultant.
Please visit the Edgepark or Aeroflow websites and input your insurance information.
The website will give you breast pump options based on your insurance, and will tell you if covered at no cost to you, or if you have any cost responsibility. Once you select the pump you want, the company will send your doctor's office paperwork. Once verified, the company will ship the pump directly to your address.
You can also get a hard-copy script for a breast pump and call you insurance company to find a local, participating medical supply store or pharmacy that might carry pumps. Options may be limited, and costs may vary.
Aeroflow also carries belly bands and compression stockings that may be covered by insurance.
The CDC estimates that nearly 3,400 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year due to something called Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). It is important that parents and caregivers always choose a safe sleep environment. Where and how your baby is placed to sleep is vital to infant safety.
The American Academy of Pediatrics developed the ABCs of Safe Sleep, which makes for an easy way to remember the basic guidelines for how to keep your baby safe:
A - ALONE
B - On their BACK
C- In their CRIB
Recommendations for Safe Sleeping:
- Place your baby on their back for every sleep, including naptime and nighttime
- The crib should not have any pillows, bumper pads, loose blankets, or toys
- Use a firm mattress in a safety approved crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard covered by a fitted sheet
- Dress your baby in sleep clothes, like a one-piece sleeper or wearable blanket.
- Never place a crib near a window with blinds, curtain cords, or near baby monitor cords to prevent strangulation
- If your baby uses a pacifier, use one that is not attached to a string for naps
- Share your room, not your bed! Bed sharing increases the risk of suffocation
- Share a room (but not a bed) with your baby for at least the first six months