At a Glance

• Avg. 1200 births per year
• 6 Labor and Delivery recovery rooms
• 1 C-section room with two recovery areas
• Level II Special Care Nursery
• Rooming in or mother-baby care options
• 13-bed pediatric unit (Pediatric phone number is 770.836.9506)
• Active Childbirth Education Program
• 2 lactation consultants
• Home visit for first time moms through Tanner Home Health

Accommodations

Our labor and delivery suites enable you to experience labor and delivery in the same room with the highest level of comfort possible. Each suite includes state-of-the-art equipment, new home-like furnishings, a full bath and a private waiting room for your family. Rooming in and mother-baby care, options that allow you to spend time with your baby before you leave the hospital, also are available.

Nursery

Carrollton’s Level II Special Care nursery contains the most advanced equipment available for monitoring infants after delivery. In addition to our nursery, Tanner’s maternity centers offer rooming in and mother-baby care, options that allow the mother to spend time with the baby before leaving the hospital.

Lactation Consultants

Lactation consultants promote, protect and support breastfeeding. They provide education to mothers, families, and the community. Lactation consultants also assist mothers and babies in establishing a good breastfeeding relationship. Our lactation consultants possess the most highly respected credentials in their field – the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC).

Lactation consultations are by appointment only. For more information, please call 770.836.9711. As a courtesy to you, lactation consultation fees will be billed to your insurance company. Please check with your provider for more information regarding this service.

Family and Friends

The birth of a baby is a special and exciting experience, and we understand the importance of family and loved ones. Tanner's Maternity Centers are specially designed with comfort in mind for the patient and family. Waiting areas and phones are available in the Maternity Center, and each labor and delivery suite is equipped with a private waiting room if you choose to have family and loved ones near during labor and delivery.

Visiting hours for our maternity patients allow extra time for the immediate family. Siblings may also visit, but an adult must accompany them when visiting the Maternity Center. Visiting hours for those other than the primary support person are from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

If you are feeling ill or have a fever, please refrain from visiting the Maternity Center.

Tour Our Facilities

At Tanner Medical Center, our goal is to make your experience as pleasant and comfortable as possible. If you have any questions about available services, please call 770.836.9711. Our staff is ready to assist you in making life's most delicate moments become the most precious memories.

Prenatal Education

Tanner offers an array of programs and classes, including prenatal and childbirth classes, Infant CPR and "Big Brother/Big Sister" classes for siblings. Our classes are listed on the events calendar online. For more information or to register for a class, call 770.836.9285.

Top Ten Things You Need to Know Before You Have Your Baby

1. You need to choose a pediatrician before your baby is born. You should call and make an appointment by your 32nd week of pregnancy. When you are admitted, inform your Labor & Delivery nurse who your pediatrician is.
2. If this is your first baby, it is recommended that you attend prenatal classes. These classes will help prepare you for the life-altering events ahead of you. Call 770.836.9711 or see the events calendar for more information.
3. You will need a car seat to take your baby home in. Make sure that your car seat fits correctly in your car and that you know how to adjust it. Bring the car seat up to your room the night before you go home and make any necessary adjustments. If you would like more information, call 770.838.8277
4. When you decide that you need to come to the hospital or your physician tells you to come, you will need to come to the second floor. There are two pink telephones, one located on the Dixie Street side of the building and another located on the wall by Labor & Delivery’s back door. When you pick up the pink phone, it will ring to Labor and Delivery and a nurse will guide you to your room. If you need assistance, you may stop by the Emergency Department and someone will assist you to Labor & Delivery.
5. Visiting hours in the hospital are from 11a.m. – until 9:30 p.m. Please advise friends and family that all entrances to the hospital are closed from 9:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. except for the Emergency Department entrance.
6. No visitors under the age of 12 are allowed on the Maternity unit at any time, unless they are siblings of the new baby.
7. The number of visitors in the birthing room is not limited. However, the nursing staff must be able to safely maneuver in the birthing room in order to provide the best care to you and your baby.
8. When you come to the hospital, you can pack two bags – one for labor and one for afterward. During labor, you will need snacks for your coaches, music to relax to, a list of phone numbers to call. Also needed are a robe and slippers, a pillow, your camera (be sure someone other than the new father is in charge of taking pictures and that they are familiar with your camera). You are not allowed to set up tripods in the birthing room. Ask your obstetrician about filming the birth.
9. If you think you are going into labor, do not eat a heavy, fried or spicy meal, as this may cause nausea later.
10. You do not need to bring any paper items to care for yourself or your baby. However, you will need to provide an outfit for your baby to wear home as well as a blanket and hat suitable to the weather.

How to Choose an OB

When should I start looking for my obstetrician?

If you’ve been seeing a gynecologist for your yearly Pap smear, you may already have an obstetrician. Many gynecologists also deliver babies, hence the designation OB/GYN. If you’re happy with your gynecologist but he’s not currently practicing obstetrics (delivering babies), ask him to recommend another doctor, perhaps a member of his practice. If you don’t come up with any good names on your own, try calling Tanner Health System’s physician referral at 770.214.CARE to get names of board-certified obstetricians in your area or visit tanner.org to find a physician in your ZIP code.

What criteria should I use to choose my obstetrician?

Visit several obstetricians and interview them before making a final decision. Ask each one about his or her policies and make sure you have similar views on labor and delivery. For example, if you know you want to be medicated during labor, you don’t want an obstetrician who’s going to make you feel guilty about your pain management choices. The best answer, of course, is that the obstetrician will respect your wishes going into labor and will consult with you throughout the event. Ask which labor procedures—such as IVs or fetal monitoring—he routinely performs. Also ask under what circumstances he would induce labor, how often and under what circumstances would he give an episiotomy, and when he thinks a Caesarean section is warranted. You can’t predict what your individual case will require, but you’ll get an idea of the caregiver’s outlook from his responses to these questions. Bedside manner counts, too. Is the obstetrician forthcoming with explanations and up to date in his thinking? Does he seem interested in you personally, or does he rarely look up from his charts? You want a healthcare partner, not someone inflexible.

How can I find out how accessible my doctor is to answer questions or deal with emergencies?

First call the office and find out what your doctor’s policy is on this. Some physicians return all calls at a certain time each day, while others reserve a special line for messages or have nurses answer questions and act as a go-between for other information. The main thing is not who answers the calls, but how quickly they’re answered. You might also call the office after hours to find out how long it takes for someone to return your call.

What are the odds that one of his colleagues will deliver my baby?

Many group practices rotate on-call duty, so the likelihood of your regular obstetrician being on call the day you go into labor will be one in however many doctors are in the practice. To minimize difficulties with another physician and increase your comfort level, make a point to meet all the partners in the practice and to communicate your needs and wishes to each of them. If it’s important for you to have your main doctor deliver your baby, you may be happier with a smaller practice. But that doesn’t mean a solo doctor will definitely be there on Labor Day. Nobody can be available all the time.

At which hospital does the obstetrician deliver?

If possible, tour the hospital before making your ultimate decision on a practitioner so you’re familiar and comfortable with its requirements. Tanner Health System provides tours at both hospitals in Carrollton and Villa Rica. Ask about the policies on things like 24-hour rooming in with your baby and postpartum visiting hours. Many women, unfortunately, wait until the third trimester to do this, when they’ve already developed a relationship with their practitioner and when making a change can be a hassle. Ideally, you should be comfortable with the hospital as well as with the practitioner, and both should be within a reasonable driving distance from your home.

What other issues should I consider?

• Is the doctor’s practice convenient to your home and/or work?
• Do you have any chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure, epilepsy or diabetes that may require special care? If so, ask the doctor what experience he has caring for patients like you. Consider whether or not you should be cared for by a perinatologist (a high-risk obstetric specialist).
• What are the doctor’s fees, and how are they covered by your medical insurance plan, if you have one?
• What is the doctor’s attitude about breastfeeding, circumcision, pain relief and the presence of fathers, partners or coaches in labor?

What should I do if I’m not entirely happy with my obstetrician?

Before you move on to someone else, talk to him about your concerns. If the problem cannot be resolved, or if your worries are not addressed, you shouldn’t hesitate to change obstetricians or consider whether a midwife might be a better fit for you. Above all, you need to find a practitioner you’re comfortable with, since childbirth can be as stressful as it is exciting.