Roper St. Francis Healthcare offers complete maternal and fetal care, from prenatal exams and testing to new mom education and support. With a wide network of hospitals and clinics, you can access these services and our expert care at a location that’s best for you and your growing family.
With our full-service hospitals, OB nurses and expert OB/GYNs, you and your baby’s health are in good hands. Whether you’re an experienced mom or expecting your first child, our caring, highly skilled team will be by your side every step of the way.
We also have hospital-based OB/GYN doctors called laborists. These doctors care for patients who are in labor and are specially trained to treat OB emergencies. Patients also have access to 24/7 obstetric emergency care through our OB Emergency Departments at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital.
Thinking about becoming pregnant?
If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, the experts at Roper St. Francis Healthcare are here to help you take that exciting next step. Our OB team offers preconception consultations to discuss any issues like:
- Endometriosis
- Fertility concerns
- Fibroids
- Medication safety during pregnancy
- Painful or irregular periods
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Prior cancer treatment
- Repeated miscarriages
Our network of physicians can also refer you to the hospital for diagnostic testing, genetic counseling or nutritional education with a certified dietitian. Preconception consultations can connect you with the right resource and give you confidence in family planning.
High-risk maternal-fetal care
The Perinatal Center offers specialty care for high-risk obstetric patients. Our board certified specialists provide care to pregnant women with medical problems such as heart or kidney disease, hypertension or diabetes. In addition, the center treats women at risk for pregnancy-related complications such as preterm labor, twin or triplet pregnancies or any condition that puts a baby at risk.
Our perinatal specialists consult with the patient’s obstetrician to co-manage high-risk pregnancies. Visits may include ultrasonography, assessment, medical management, genetic and nutritional counseling.
Education and support
We believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to childbirth, and the same holds for childbirth education. That’s why we offer in-person and virtual classes that help you to learn at your own pace.
These resources are designed to show you what lies ahead with your newborn. We also provide classes tailored for children, grandparents and other members of your family.
Our classes are open to any expecting mother or family; you don’t need to be a patient or delivering at Roper St. Francis Healthcare to participate.
Maternity care
The most caring and passionate experts will be delivering your baby. Our maternity team takes the time to understand your unique pregnancy and childbirth preferences. Our goal is to give you the positive and safe birth experience you desire.
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital has been named a Baby-Friendly Hospital. This recognition shows that we have the highest standards of care for both mothers and babies.
Labor and delivery
Our spacious childbirth suites are designed for comfort for mom, baby and loved ones. We offer:
- Comfortable reclining sleeper chair for father or support person
- Labor and delivery rooms with amenities to help support labor such as peanut balls, rocking chairs and large showers
- Wireless monitoring of baby during labor allows moms-to-be to walk around or even take a shower
- Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth to encourage bonding
- Gentle C-sections (also called family-centered birth) is a surgical birth that allows mom to have more of a birth experience than a surgical experience by offering transparent drapes to witness the delivery of the baby as well as participate in skin-to-skin contact immediately after delivery in the operating room
- Two dedicated surgical suites for scheduled and emergency cesarean sections
We’ve taken every step to ensure the safest delivery possible. Our childbirth centers are staffed 24/7 with experts specially trained in labor and delivery, including:
- Anesthesiologist offering an array of pain relief options
- 24/7 board certified obstetrical hospitalists available to care for pregnant or laboring moms and those experiencing an obstetrical emergency
- Labor and delivery nurses trained to support moms who choose to have a natural, unmedicated delivery
Nursery
The nurseries at Bon Secours St. Francis and Berkeley hospitals are staffed with caring and skilled professionals to care for all your baby's needs. Each nursery has the most advanced equipment and 24/7 neonatology services available for any unexpected complications that could arise with your newborn.
Obstetrical emergency department
Having a medical emergency while pregnant can be frightening. That’s why we provide fast, expert care through our Obstetrical Emergency Departments at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital. If you think you're in labor, call your physician first. They may direct you to our Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB ED).
When you come to our OB ED, you will see a doctor within 15 minutes of arrival. Once a doctor visits with you, our team of experts will determine whether you need to be admitted, stay for observation or safely return home.
Testing, labs and other requests that come from the OB ED are made a priority, so patients can receive treatment faster. With the OB ED, it takes half the time to admit and discharge emergency patients (roughly 90 minutes) compared to hospitals that do not have a labor and delivery emergency department.
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital was the first hospital in Charleston County to offer an Obstetrical Emergency Department. It includes a separate waiting area, nursing station and three patient rooms.
Post-partum – Mom & baby care
After you have delivered your baby, you will be welcomed to our mother/baby unit, where you will recover from your delivery and begin to get to know your new baby. We encourage skin-to-skin contact (or kangaroo care) to help your baby transition to life outside your womb and increase bonding. Our skilled and knowledgeable staff will support and educate you on caring for yourself and your baby. We offer:
- Rooming-in with your baby so that you will have the ability to learn baby’s cues
- Halo cribs that swing over your bed to keep baby close to you safely
- Lactation consultants to assist with breastfeeding pumps
- Comprehensive newborn education to help you feel confident when you go home
- Self-care education