Well Baby Hospitalists

Our well baby nursery team cares for healthy newborns at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Upper East Side (NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center) and Lower Manhattan (NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital) campuses. Both hospitals also have a full neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Complete care of term and near-term newborns from delivery through discharge, including anticipatory parental guidance, is the focus of our nursery team.

More than 5,000 babies are born each year in our well baby nursery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, with healthy newborns being cared for on the seventh floor of the Greenberg Pavilion.  At our Lower Manhattan nursery and birthing center, 3,000 babies are born each year and cared for.

Our well baby nursery care team includes attending pediatricians, pediatric residents, pediatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The nursery team provides:

• Family-oriented care - one nurse is assigned to care for both mother and newborn. Mothers are encouraged to "room-in" with their infants in order to promote bonding, parenting skills and successful breastfeeding. Parents may also have their baby cared for in the nursery at any time.
• Complete physical examination of infants upon admission to the nursery, and again on the day of discharge
• Assessment and management of breastfeeding couplets
• Daily assessment of infants by an attending pediatrician and nursery team
• Management of infants with common problems including weight loss, jaundice and breastfeeding issues
• Performance of mandated New York State screening tests for all infants
• Administration of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-recommended birth dose of the hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine

Breastfeeding and Parenting Support

When possible, breastfeeding is encouraged for all infants. Members of the nursery staff, including post-partum nurses, lactation consultants and pediatricians, are available to assist with breastfeeding skills. Daily breastfeeding classes are led by a certified lactation consultant from Sunday through Friday for all interested mothers. 

Infant care and parenting skills are emphasized throughout your hospital stay. Experienced pediatricians and nursing staff are available 24 hours a day to teach mothers and their partners about caring for themselves and their infants. Each parent also receives a booklet with information about infant and post-partum care upon admission. In addition, daily infant care educational classes for parents are held from Sunday through Friday. 

Newborn Security

Newborn security is of utmost importance to our nursery staff. Mothers, partners and infants are given matching identification bracelets, and security transmitters are attached to infants from their time of admission until their discharge.