What to Know About the New Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a
Congratulations on your pregnancy! We are honored to care for you during the exciting journey into motherhood.
We want you to feel supported and well cared for throughout these special and exciting months. Prenatal care during each pregnancy is individualized; however, prenatal visits usually occur about every four weeks for the first six months, then every two to three weeks for the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy. In the last month, you will visit at least weekly. During these visits, we will perform many tests and screenings, monitor your and your baby’s health, chart your baby’s growth, and guide you on actions for the healthiest pregnancy possible.
We offer you the benefits of an entire team of collaborative, compassionate obstetricians and advanced-practice providers. The physician you select as your primary obstetrician will lead your prenatal care team and monitor your pregnancy. Our other providers and support staff complete your care team and will provide their services and expertise when needed. To familiarize you with your team, some of your prenatal visits will be scheduled with a variety of our providers. While our nurse practitioners or physician assistant may see you for a routine OB visit, only our physicians conduct deliveries. The physician who is on call at the time you go into labor will most likely be the one who delivers you.
We partner with Childbirth Educators of Tallahassee to offer childbirth preparation classes. The classes help prepare you for the labor and delivery process, provides useful tools for labor and will help you decide on your birth plan. Learn more at www.TallyBirthClass.com
North Florida Women’s Care offers Breastfeeding 101 courses for existing patients and one guest. Instructor Libbie Stroud is an LPN and Certified Lactation Counselor. Learn more here or by emailing breastfeeding@nflwc.com
Our A North Florida Women’s Care physician is always on call at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital— ready to care for you if you go into labor or have an emergency—24 hours a day, seven days a week. The obstetrician who is on call will be responsible for your care during labor and delivery. For any pregnancy-related emergencies that occur outside of office hours, please proceed to the TMH Emergency Room (if you are less than 14 weeks gestation) or TMH Women’s Pavilion Obstetrical Triage (if you are more than 14 weeks gestation). A North Florida Women’s Care on-call physician will be there to care for you.
Our physicians are skilled in vaginal, cesarean and high-risk deliveries. We deliver at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, the only hospital in our area with advanced neonatal intensive care facilities. Because of the high-risk nature of vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC), we do not participate in the care of such deliveries. Our physicians rotate on the TMH on-call schedule and are available for your obstetrical needs at all times. The physician who is on call at the time you go into labor will most likely be the one who delivers you.
Your care doesn’t end with the arrival of your new baby. The postpartum period extends for six weeks after delivery and we are still here for you throughout this time. Following your delivery, our providers will make hospital rounds daily to ensure your health and wellbeing. If you have a baby boy and you request a circumcision, this will usually be performed prior to your hospital discharge by our physician on call.
When you are ready to take home your newborn, we make sure you have plenty of knowledge and resources about new baby care, safe medications, breastfeeding and what to expect as your body heals and recovers. You may undergo physical and emotional changes and we like to check on these with an office visit about six weeks post delivery. We will discuss contraceptive options, breastfeeding issues and your emotional well-being. This includes screening for postpartum depression and connecting you with trusted mental wellness professionals, if needed. We will also check to ensure you are healing physically and will address and treat any complications.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a
Doctors’ Memorial Hospital and North Florida Women’s Care