DAISY award
Did you experience excellence in nursing care? Nominate your nurse for the DAISY award.
WinnMed offers a specialized birthing experience with the combined expertise of a local team of medical professionals, including family medicine physicians, OB/GYN specialists, general surgeons, a midwife, nurse anesthetists, specially trained obstetric nurses, a lactation consultant and car seat technicians. For high-risk births, families work with their local obstetrical care provider alongside specialists in larger medical facilities equipped to handle possible complications.
Services offered by the OB Department range from childbirth education opportunities, lactation consulting, car seat checks and other health and safety screenings, as well as cultural accommodations.
WinnMed is a milk collection site for the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa.
As a part of WinnMed’s Transforming Tomorrow growth and expansion project, the renovated and remodeled Obstetrics unit features six Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Post-partum (LDRP) suites, where the patient stays in one suite for her entire hospital stay. Each private suite is designed with safety and comfort in mind. Suites include a private bathroom and whirlpool tub, home-like furniture, pass-through supply closets and serenity doors. These features, along with sound-dampening strategies built in throughout the space, work together to provide the patient a restful experience.
Additional features include a family lounge, an infant nursery, an expanded nurses’ station, and as Transforming Tomorrow continues and the surgical renovations are completed, direct access from Obstetrics to Surgery for patients needing a cesarean section.
At WinnMed, we devote extra attention to making sure that the birth of your baby is a personal experience. Those interested in joining any of our classes do not have to be a WinnMed patient. All classes are held in the lower level conference rooms at WinnMed.
Online classes are also offered through Mayo Clinic, if you are more comfortable seeking an online option. Those classes may be viewed at: Mayo Clinic Perinatal Education
Parents learn what to expect during labor and delivery, including: stages of labor, birth plans, labor positions, breathing techniques and relaxation, breast feeding, newborn care and pain control options. Delivering moms will also learn more about epidural anesthesia which is available at WinnMed 24 hours a day, every day.
Participants should dress comfortably.
This class is free for participants.
View our Classes & Events page for upcoming class days/times.
Parents learn about the basics of infant care, bathing, diapering, feeding, burping, car seat information, safety and immunizations.
Participants will be given a copy of Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Baby’s First Year (a $22 value).
This class is free for participants.
View our Classes & Events page for upcoming class days/times.
Producing breast milk is natural, yet the art of latching the baby onto the breast is learned. This class is taught by a certified lactation consultant who provides up to date accurate breastfeeding information for the mother and support persons.
This class is free for participants.
View our Classes & Events page for upcoming class days/times.
Worried about navigating day-to-day pumping, or feeling anxious that your supply may decrease when you return to work? Returning to work does not mean you have to end your breastfeeding journey. This class will teach you strategies to maximize your milk expression, helpful tips for building a freezer stash, and ways to ease the transition for you – and baby.
This class is free for participants.
View our Classes & Events page for upcoming class days/times.
Chances are, you have a lot on your mind as you prepare for your baby’s birth. Let us help you with planning so you can focus on your new arrival.
Iowa law requires you to transport newborns in a vehicle with a properly installed car seat. Please plan ahead for when baby arrives.
Car Seat Rules and Regulations
Helpful Resource: The Ultimate Car Seat Guide
Instructional Videos:
High-back booster seat installation
Six to eight weeks before you due date, call the WinnMed Obstetrics Department to schedule a tour. We will take you through the Labor, Delivery, Recovery, Post-partum (LDRP) suites. Prepare any questions you have and bring them along. We will do our best to answer them to help you plan a calm and enjoyable birthing experience.
Safety of mom and baby are of the utmost importance at WinnMed. We deliver low-risk births, which includes vaginal and cesarean births. If you have had a prior cesarean section (C-section) and want to deliver vaginally for this baby, we will refer you to a medical facility prepared to handle possible complications that may arise. Talk to your provider to determine your risk level and options.
The presence of a support person can make all the difference during labor and delivery. At WinnMed, we encourage you to have one “well” support people along with you. If you plan to birth by yourself, not to worry. Compassionate obstetric nurses will be with you throughout labor and delivery to tend to your every need, make you comfortable and care for you and your baby throughout birth and after. If you have special support needs, talk to your family practice physician or midwife.
Safety and security are a priority at WinnMed, which is why we have enhanced safety measures for our smallest patients and new families.
It is our goal to provide up-to-date information in a fun and relaxing atmosphere and teach techniques that expectant parents can use. Childbirth education classes provide information and techniques for labor and delivery, patterned breathing and relaxation, breastfeeding, cesarean birth, car seat safety, pain management techniques, unexpected outcomes, interventions and care of the family following the birth.
At WinnMed, we have everything you and your baby will need to deliver safely. However, you may be interested in bringing along some personal items to make your experience as comfortable as possible. And remember, your new baby cannot leave the medical center without a car seat.
At WinnMed, birthing is special and personal. When the time comes for your baby’s birth, it may be reassuring for you to know a few things beforehand. What should I do if my water breaks? What if my baby needs extra medical attention? Answers to these questions before-hand can calm your nerves and help you settle in to an enjoyable birth experience when its time for delivery.
In the last weeks of pregnancy, you may not know when you are truly in labor and should come into the medical center. Don’t worry. If you have any questions, call the WinnMed Obstetrics Department at 563-387-3030. We will contact your health care provider to answer your questions and evaluate your individual situation. You can call us anytime day or night. If you come to the medical center overnight, please use the Emergency Department entrance for easiest access.
Family practice physicians and OB/GYN specialists provide obstetric care at WinnMed, along with a nurse midwife. A physician is paired with the nurse midwife to coordinate your care, and will be available if needed during birth and afterward. In the rare case your health care provider is not available when you are ready to deliver, a Mayo Clinic Health System or Gundersen Health System – Decorah physician is on call and will attend your birth.
If you have a planned or unplanned cesarean section, an OB/GYN specialist or general surgeon performs the cesarean section.
WinnMed supports the type of pain interventions you desire within the parameters of safety. Patients at WinnMed can choose a natural birth, from a variety intravenous (IV) pain management options, and epidural anesthesia. To reduce discomfort naturally, patients can relax in a whirlpool bath or sit on a birthing ball, and are encouraged to walk as comfort allows. If there are special pain management techniques you would like to try, please share them with your health care provider or obstetric nurses. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
When baby or mom shows signs of distress, your physician or midwife may determine a cesarean section is necessary. WinnMed performs cesarean sections in the surgical suite adjacent to the birthing rooms. Cesarean sections are only performed at WinnMed if medically necessary. We do not support elective cesarean sections for first time moms without medical need. If this is not your first baby, the need for a cesarean section will be determined by your provider.
At WinnMed, an OB/GYN specialist or general surgeon will perform your cesarean section. They will care for you as you recover. Your family practice physician or midwife will care for your newborn.
There are times when a birth will need extra medical attention. WinnMed works closely with Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Gundersen Health System in La Crosse to keep you and your baby safe. If complications arise, your family practice physician or midwife will work directly with obstetric specialists to determine the care you need. WinnMed has a neonatal telemedicine unit available for all babies born at WinnMed. This unit connects us to neonatologists in La Crosse who can provide expert eyes and ears to your newborn’s condition.
Directly after delivery your baby will be given to you for the first moments of bonding. We will not rush this first meeting of you and your baby. You can take your time getting to know your newborn.
After your baby’s birth, the time you spend at the medical center is for rest, bonding and healing. Once your newborn is comfortably in your arms, what can you expect?
Following delivery, your length of stay will be determined by your care needs. Your baby can spend all of his time with you in your room or we will bring him to you when it is time to nurse if you are breastfeeding. Just let us know when you want to bond with your baby and when you need to rest.
During your stay at WinnMed, our Obstetric nurses will help you begin your new journey of motherhood. From bathing your baby, to breastfeeding and safe sleeping, you will learn what you need to know to begin caring for your new baby. And please feel comfortable asking questions. Our nurses are here to help you get off to the right start.
Please see current COVID-19 visitor restrictions at WinnMed. You can choose to have your support person stay with you in your room.
WinnMed Nutrition Services offers personalized room service. Choose each of your meals from a full menu.
After 24/7 care, you may be nervous to take your newborn home. We are here to support you during your stay and after you go home.
Before you leave WinnMed with your new baby, we will schedule a follow-up check for your baby in the clinic. This check usually occurs two days after you go home. At the follow-up check, we will weigh your baby, and help you with any breastfeeding issues or other needs you may be facing.
Note: If you are a Gundersen Health System patient, your provider may schedule the first weight check in the Gundersen clinic.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all healthy infants sleep on their backs the first 6 months of life. Studies have shown sleeping on the back reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the sudden unexplained death of a healthy infant. Thousands of babies die each year from SIDS. Typically, a baby dies from SIDS while sleeping. The AAP started recommending that babies sleep on their backs in 1992. Eighty percent of parents now follow this advice and there has been a 40% drop in the rate of SIDS.
At WinnMed, every newborn is swaddled in a sleep sack. The sleep sack is a wearable blanket developed to protect newborns by eliminating the need for loose blankets in the crib, which has been linked to an increased risk for SIDS. Specially trained OB nurses swaddle newborns in the sleep sacks to model correct sleeping practices for new families.
The WinnMed Foundation provides a complementary Sleep sack for each family. Additional sleep sacks are available for purchase in the WinnMed Gift Shop.
Please plan to bring your baby’s car seat into the facility, where an obstetric nurse will make sure it fits your newborn and is properly installed prior to your journey home.
Many women look to breastfeeding as a convenient way to provide valuable nutrients to their baby. Food is always readily available and at the right temperature, whenever baby needs it.
But in the days and weeks after birth, fatigue and other challenges may tempt women to give up breastfeeding if the process isn’t going smoothly.
We offer the following tips to breastfeeding moms who may need a little encouragement:
Lactation consulting services are available to all mothers, whether they delivered their baby at WinnMed or not. For information, call 563-382-2911.
For online resources on breastfeeding, visit http://www.llli.org/
Did you experience excellence in nursing care? Nominate your nurse for the DAISY award.
