Woman’s Hospital Offers Hurricane Preparedness Tips for New and Expecting Parents
With the start of hurricane season on June 1, Woman’s Hospital offers hurricane preparedness tips for new and expecting parents.
“Hurricane season is an especially stressful time for expectant mothers and families with newborns. We urge parents to create an emergency plan now to reduce stress later,” said Cheri Johnson, chief nursing officer of Woman’s Hospital.
In addition to the standard list of emergency supplies, Woman’s recommends provisions for pregnant women and infants such as:
- Baby supplies including bottles, formula, baby food, diapers, wipes, clothes, and blankets
- Extra bottled water and non-perishable foods such as protein bars, dried fruit and granola
- Maternity items including clothing, prenatal vitamins
- Current over-the-counter and prescription medications
- Emergency birthing supplies including clean towels and sheets, sharp scissors, infant bulb syringe, medical gloves and sanitary pads
- Copies of all prenatal care records, ID’s, immunization records, current list of medications, insurance cards, and physician’s contact information
Should a medical emergency arise or evacuation become necessary, Woman’s recommends pregnant women plan ahead by:
- Discussing their plan with their doctor, including if it’s safe to travel or best to seek shelter at a hospital.
- Determining whether to go to an evacuation shelter, a hotel or to the home of a friend or family member who lives a safe distance away.Mapping your planned destination including alternative routes and preparing for up to four times the normal driving time.
- Identifying contact information and locations of obstetrics physicians and hospitals near planned evacuation destinations.
Read Prenatal Hurricane Preparedness for more tips from Woman’s Hospital and learn more about Louisiana’s emergency preparedness resources at GetAGamePlan.org.
About Woman’s Hospital
Woman’s is a specialty hospital for women and infants located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since opening in 1968, it has welcomed more than 375,000 babies, making it one of the largest delivery services in the country and the largest in Louisiana. Additionally, Woman’s operates a level III-S neonatal intensive care unit; this designation allows them to care for infants who are extremely premature, are critically ill or require surgical intervention. The hospital is also recognized for its expertise in mammography as well as breast and gynecologic cancer care. As a private, nonprofit organization, all funds are reinvested into the hospital to continue Woman’s mission to improve the health of women and infants through the latest technology, a highly qualified staff and critical community programs and services.