Roper Hospital
316 Calhoun Street, Charleston
Main Phone#: 724-2000
Labor & Delivery Phone#: 724-2630

Directions from I-26:
Take I-26 East until the interstate ends. Turn left onto Courtenay Street. Turn left onto Calhoun and left to the hospital main entrance.

Parking Information:
The parking garage is a left onto Doughty Street, and a right into the garage lot. The garage is sometimes very full. Fees are $0.75/half hour, $8 daily maximum. However, if you wait until after 10 pm (8 pm on weekends), the booth closes for the night, and re-opens at 7am (8 am weekends). You can get in and out for free! Also, all patients are given 2 yellow passes on admission to give to whomever they chose to allow for parking ticket validation.

Labor and Delivery Location:
They call it 3 Pettit (the wing of the hospital). Find the E elevators (well marked from each entrance); go to the 3rd floor and follow the signs.

AMENITIES
What are the rooms like?
The rooms are designed to be Labor-Delivery-Recovery rooms. All the labor rooms are the same, and are quite big and roomy. In addition to the labor bed, there are rocking chairs and cots in each room. After birth, moms usually recover for a couple of hours in the LDR prior to moving to the postpartum room. The postpartum rooms are just around the corner from the nurse's station, well within walking distance of the LDR's and the nursery. Occasionally, the postpartum beds will be full and moms will just stay in the labor room. Rarely, the labor bed will be needed and mom may be moved to the GYN floor of 3 East. Still on the same floor, but a bit of a walk away from the nursery, and staffed by GYN nurses.
Cafeteria Hours: The Roper Café is open from 10:30 am to 2 am Monday-Friday, 5 pm to 1 am on weekends. It serves burgers, sandwiches, fries, pizza, some salads, etc. The cafeteria hours are 6:30 am to 10:30 am; 11 am to 2:30 pm; and 5 pm to 7 pm.
Vending machines? There are vending machines around the cafeteria on the first floor: take the hallway to the right after the cafeteria exit and it is a few doors down on the right.
Snacks for labor support team? Sugary juice-type drinks and crackers are usually available. It depends on your nurse as to whether or not these can be supplied to anyone but the birthing mother.
Is a microwave available? There is a refrigerator/freezer on the unit where you can store snacks, and microwaves are available. Microwave popcorn is not allowed in the hospital.
TV/VCR Available? There are TVs in every room, and there is one VCR that can be wheeled into a room.
Showers/Tubs/Jacuzzis in Rooms? There are tubs with showers in each room; the tubs are very small.
Is Waterbirth Available? No.
Monitoring by Telemetry Available? No.
Are birth balls provided? Yes; two sizes are available.
Are birthing stools available? No.
Squat bar? Yes. Ask a nurse or your doula to get it well in advance of pushing.
Mirror? Yes.

POLICIES
What may moms eat or drink in labor? Each MD has his/her own orders that state whether mom may have clear liquids (water, juices, Popsicles, ginger ale, etc), ice chips only, or nothing by mouth.
What is the policy about monitoring of low-risk mothers? Intermittent? Continuous?
Again, each MD has individual orders. Most expect continuous external fetal monitoring, but it's good to ask a nurse what the doctor's routine admission orders state. Usually they have standing orders for a 20-minute initial strip, then intermittent monitoring.
Is a fetoscope or hand-held doppler available? There is a Doppler available.
Routine Hep Lock/IV? This is routinely done yet it is not unit policy, so it can be negotiated.
What is the policy about microwaving heat packs? There is no official policy, however it is discouraged by most nurses. An alternative is to use the hot water tap on the coffeepot, poured onto a towel and wrapped in a chux as an "unmicrowaved" hot pack.
Is breastfeeding promoted prior to newborn assessment? There is no routine separation of baby immediately after birth. While breastfeeding is not promoted per se, this immediate postpartum time is opportune for initiation of breastfeeding. Be sure the nursery staff has a copy of your birth plan.
Can all newborn assessments be performed in room with baby's parents? Yes, but you must INSIST on it. They will try to persuade you that your baby can't stay in your room because they have all the other babies to attend to. Anything routine (non-emergency) can be done in the mom's room.
Is there any mandatory separation of mother and baby? Not unless medically indicated. They will try to tell you that every baby needs to be observed in the nursery for a couple of hours. This is NOT hospital policy.
Can baby room-in? Yes.
Is there a lactation consultant on staff? There a night shift nurse who is a LC. She is not employed in that capacity by the hospital, but she does staff a breastfeeding "warm line." If a mom has a question, she can call the number and leave a message, and someone will respond within 24 hours.
Does the facility staff Certified Nurse-Midwives? No.

STATISTICS
Medicated birthing rate for 9/02 - 9/03: Approximately 95-96%
Epidural Rate: 75.4% of vaginal births
Induction/augmentation rate: Unknown.
C-section rate: 31.8%
Induction Rate: 94%
Primary (first-time) c-section rate: 20.6%
Severe vaginal laceration (3rd and 4th degree) rate:
1. With forceps or vacuum use: 11.9%
2. Without instrument use: 3.3%

National C-section Rates 2005:
South Carolina: 32.7%
National: 30.2%