Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for labor and delivery patients

Labor and delivery patients may have two designated support persons/partners with them (generally one support person and one additional visitor). If desired by the patient, a doula is also permitted to be present, if prior arrangements have been made with the hospital and if the doula follows hospital guidelines about personal protective equipment and infection control.

Please contact the University Birthing Suites at  916-703-3030 to begin the preapproval process for doula attendance at births.

As always, these support persons and visitors – like all others throughout our hospital – are only allowed if they DO NOT have symptoms of illness, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath. We can't allow children under 16 at this time.

Support persons and visitors will also need to closely follow any instructions from our staff about topics such as requirements for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or testing, wearing personal protective equipment, and staying in the room versus in public spaces. Please see the next tab for more information. 

In response to rising rates of COVID-19 driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, in 2021 the state of California’s public health department ordered new visitor requirements for hospitals.

Essentially all visitors – including support people to the mother – must now be vaccinated, or else show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within a specific period of time:

• Individuals who are fully vaccinated must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. Our definition of fully vaccinated, and the types of vaccination proof that we accept, are both listed on our main medical center visitor page.
• Individuals who have not been vaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated, must provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken within a specific time frame before the visit. This includes repeat visitors. The types of negative COVID-19 test that we accept, and the time frames for testing, are listed on our main medical center visitor page. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors will be issued an N95 respirator upon entry, and must wear it properly for the duration of their visit. 

Limited exception: For labor and delivery patients, the state of California only allows exemptions for support persons in emergency situations (such as labor). In these situations, support persons who are not able to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test and are initially allowed into the hospital will be given an orange wrist band, and will be required to properly wear a hospital-provided N95 mask at all times while inside the hospital. For subsequent visits following the emergency situation, and as soon as reasonably possible, these visitors must comply with the vaccine verification or negative testing requirement, but not later than within 72 hours. 

At-a-glance summary of our visitor vaccination/testing requirements:

• For emergency situations (such as labor), the support person is temporarily deferred from having to show a proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test in the outpatient obstetrics triage area, and in emergency situations.
• However, the support person will need to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test for entry into the hospital following the emergent situation within 72 hours. 
• For scheduled admissions, the support person will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the hospital.
• A second person accompanying the patient will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the hospital at any time.
• The preapproved doula will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the hospital at any time.
• Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors will be issued an N95 respirator upon entry and must wear it properly for the duration of their visit.
• Visitors and caregivers (including parents or guardians) who are COVID-positive will not be allowed in the inpatient setting.

Our care philosophy at UC Davis Health has always emphasized family and loved ones. However, due to the ongoing community spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and local public health emergencies, we must take extra steps to protect our patients, staff, visitors and the community.

For example, our hospital as a whole is limiting many visitors at this time, in order to protect our hospitalized patients and keep them safe. The decision to restrict visitors in the hospital was difficult, and made only after very careful considerations. 

Our goal is to protect you, your loved ones, other patients in the hospital, and our staff. and we appreciate your understanding.

We have several protocols in place to ensure people have safe deliveries with us during the pandemic. For example, our patients are prescreened for flu-like and coronavirus symptoms before entering the Labor and Delivery unit. All mothers admitted to the Labor and Delivery unit are tested for COVID-19. 

UC Davis Medical Center as a whole also has multiple coronavirus screening and safety protocols, including several that involve our patients and visitors. 

Note: Our maternity services director Debra Wright discusses pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care during the pandemic in this YouTube video, as does perinatal nurse educator and safety specialist Angelique Silva in this YouTube video. 

As always, we can offer our expecting moms the extraordinary expertise of the Sacramento region's only nationally ranked academic health center and Sacramento's No. 1-ranked hospital. In addition to skilled partnership for routine pregnancies, we can provide the highest standard of management for high-risk pregnancies, unique health concerns, complications, and unexpected situations. This expertise, also available on-site around the clock, is a hallmark of our care. We are uniquely prepared for special situations and emergencies.

UC Davis experts are also sharing their expertise nationally and internationally in the care of pregnant mothers and newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While our regular in-person, nurse-guided maternity tours are canceled at this time, our expecting moms can still view a maternity tour online.

We accept many major health insurance plans. To learn more about us or begin your maternity care with us, please give us a call:

If you are in labor or need obstetrical help and you test positive for COVID-19:

• Our medical staff admits you into the unit, and converts your room into a negative pressure room to prevent the spread of the virus. All rooms can be converted to negative pressure rooms
• Our medical staff wears personal protective equipment (PPE).

If you are not in labor and do not need immediate obstetrical help, but are showing flu-like symptoms, our labor and delivery unit will send you to our Emergency Department. 

Coronavirus are a family of viruses that cause illnesses from the common cold to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath and other flu-like symptoms. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which was first discovered in Wuhan, China, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

For more information, please visit our coronavirus information and resources page.