Family Birth Center Visiting Hours and Policies
Our visitor policies prioritize safety, security and comfort to support families as they experience the birth of their newest loved one.
COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions
Last updated: May 22, 2023
Visitor access is limited and outlined below. In some cases, visitor access may not be allowed at all. Limited exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
- Visitor restrictions: Two adult visitors are allowed. All visitors must be healthy and should not have had a COVID-19 diagnosis in the previous 10 days. Any visitors that become symptomatic will be asked to leave and another support person can be identified.
- COVID-19 testing for patients: We offer COVID-19 testing for all patients upon admission. Patients who test positive for COVID-19 are allowed one visitor. One visitor is allowed while COVID-19 test results are pending.
- Masking: Masks are welcomed at the University of Chicago Medicine and may be mandatory in certain spaces within our medical facilities as well as for some patients, visitors and staff. These policies and guidelines are subject to change. In addition, as a patient, you and your family can request that your healthcare providers wear masks during appointments or during your hospital stay. Let our teams know about this request when you check in and you will be given a teal sticker to wear. Visit our masking page for the latest information.
- Entryway health screening: Visitors will be required to undergo a health screening. Anyone with a fever, cough, or flu-like illness will not be allowed to visit patients or accompany them to appointments. Visitors who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous 10 days will not be allowed. No visitors under 18 will be allowed.
- Social distancing: To ensure there is adequate, safe space for the increased foot traffic, visitors for adult and pediatric patients must stay either in patient rooms or the Sky Café on the 7th floor of the Center for Care and Discovery. Otherwise, they must be outside the buildings.
During Labor and Delivery:
There are no visiting hour limitations for adults.
During Postpartum Recovery:
One visitor (usually the support person) may have 24-hour visitation privileges as long as they are 18 years old or older or the parent of the baby. All other visitors may visit between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
These guidelines apply to patients who test negative for COVID-19. Patients who test positive are allowed one visitor.
Triage
- One support person is allowed.
- The designated supporter cannot switch out with others.
Laboring Patients
- Two support people are allowed.
- Designated supporters cannot switch out with others.
- A certified doula is allowed as one of your two support people.
Antepartum and 3N Obstetrics & Newborn
Visiting hours:
9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Two support people are allowed per day.
- Designated supporters cannot switch out with others.
- Visitors will not be allowed to wait in the Family Lounge.
To meet the individualized emotional, psychological, safety and physical needs of each patient, the number and age of visitors and hours of visitation may need to be amended through consensus between the nurse manager, charge nurse and the physician.
Children of the mother and/or siblings of the newborn may visit between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., but must have accompanying supervision from an adult other than the patient the entire time the children are present.
Other children under the age of 16 years are not allowed in the Labor and Delivery or Mother and Baby Care departments.
Visitors between the ages of 16 to 17 years are allowed visitation in the Labor and Delivery and Mother and Baby Care departments.
- They will be asked to state their date of birth when presenting to the department.
- They may visit between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (Exception: when the minor is the father of the baby)
Siblings/Children Visiting 3N Obstetrics & Newborn
- Maximum 4 people at bedside at one time.
- Siblings/children must be asymptomatic to visit.
- Sibling visitation hours are daily from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Flu season alert:
For the safety of our mothers and babies, children under the age of 12 are not allowed visitation during flu season.
To meet the individualized emotional, psychological, safety, and physical needs of each patient, the number and age of visitors and hours of visitation may need to be amended through consensus between the nurse manager, charge nurse and the physician.The mother and one designated support person will have ID bands to match the one placed on the baby at birth. ID bands are connected to a hospital-wide electronic monitoring system. Bands are checked whenever a baby is taken out of a room or brought back in. The baby will keep the band on until mother and baby are discharged at the front desk.
The support person, if present at the birth, will be banded and this will give the support person visitation in the nursery and the ability to retrieve the infant from the nursery for transport to the mother’s room.
Visitors will have to present photo identification (i.e. driver’s license or state ID) for verification. All visitors will be checked against the visitor list and visitor restriction list.
All visitors coming in contact with the newborn will be instructed on performing hand hygiene before and after contact with the infant including after diaper changes.
Yes. For the safety of our patients, we enforce additional visitor restrictions during flu season each fall and winter, including:
- No children under the age of 12 allowed
- No one with flu-like symptoms allowed to visit