Let’s Talk Important Differences in Choosing Where to Deliver Your Baby

One of the most important decisions any expecting mother-to-be can make is where to deliver their baby. There are significant differences in hospital approaches to childbirth, and many women may want to consider the impact on themselves and their baby’s care as they prepare for the special day.

 Andrea Lotosky, Administrative Director of Nursing at Saint Clare’s Health, brings her own experiences as a mother of three and as a nurse to help prepare woman and their partners for childbirth. She explained one fundamental difference hospitals have regarding childbirth - a baby-centered approach versus the family-centered approach.

“The baby-centered approach focuses on breastfeeding. This includes rooming mom and baby together the entire time postpartum and not using supplements, such as formula or pacifiers. With the family-centered approach at Saint Clare’s Health, we let moms choose how they want their experience to be,” said Lotosky. “We have fully functioning nurseries, so moms can take a rest if they need to. We encourage breastfeeding and have lactation consultants available. We also have supplements and pacifiers, if needed. Again, it’s totally the mom’s choice.”

Breastfeeding is not always easy for new mothers, which is  the reason Saint Clare’s Health offers lactation consultants who are ready to help.

“We have nurses that specialize in breastfeeding. It’s their world. They educate moms and their companions, giving them tips and tricks for success,” Lotosky said. “They not only offer moms support in the hospital, but once the moms go home, they remain a resource to call upon, as well as providing additional classes and support groups. The nurses are very important in the success of breastfeeding for new moms.”

The choices of care available at Saint Clare’s Health made going through childbirth progressively easier for Lotosky as she went through her own pregnancies.

“I had my third child in a family-centered situation at Saint Clare’s Health, and it made a world of difference for me,” Lotosky added. “If I needed rest, I got rest. If I didn’t want my baby to leave my side, that’s what happened. There was a lot less pressure.”

Whatever approach a new mother may choose when they have their baby at Saint Clare's Health, they will have a private suite. Lotosky noted that besides the obvious added privacy, having a suite to themselves provides other advantages to new mothers.

“Having a private suite helps eliminate distractions. It allows families to focus on each other during the first precious moments when there is a new edition to the family,” Lotosky said. “For the staff at the hospital, it allows us an opportunity to provide one-on-one support to the mom and her family. We can better educate and assist the mom with postpartum care, and the large private suites at Saint Clare’s create an especially restful environment. We can provide the peace and calm they deserve after labor.” In addition, the partners are more comfortable and have the added rest to support the moms, as well as bond with the newborn.

The nursing care at Saint Clare’s Health helps further ease any burdens on new mothers as they prepare for the challenges of parenthood.

“The nurses in our maternal child health department are very dedicated and have a lot of longevity. Many have their Bachelors, Masters and even their PHDs. They treat every family as if it is their own,” Lotosky said. “We do couplet care here at Saint Clare's, which means we have the same nurse for mom and baby. This continuity of care helps ensure that the mothers are resting and that their families are bonding.”

“Our nurses pride themselves on always being available for the moms. We cater to their needs,” adds Lotosky. In addition, mothers don’t just see their nurse once in the morning and then once at night. Nurses are there throughout the entire stay to assist when needed and requested to check on moms and babies. “It’s a delicate balance that we provide the care throughout the stay, and are certain to provide the rest and private time the new family needs.”

Classes are also available at Saint Claire’s Health to help prepare new mothers for parenting, including classes to help parents soothe crying babies and classes for grandparents and siblings.

“We have a great hybrid classes for what to expect for both childbirth and breastfeeding. Moms and their companions can take an E-learn class at their own pace. Then once they’re done with that, we provide a one-on-one class with a childbirth educator to tailor the class more to their specific questions or concerns,” Lotosky said. “We also just launched a Spanish version of this class, which is exciting for us and good for the community.”

Specialty care is ready for those new mothers who need it.

“We have a fully staffed Newborn Intermediate Care Unit (NICU) Level 2 that is conveniently located in the postpartum section. As a NICU mom, I loved the fact that if at two in the morning I needed to be with my baby, I could walk right out of my room into the NICU and see my baby, then go back and rest,” Lotosky said. “We have a great multidisciplinary team here in our Level 2 NICU, including a very good respiratory team that does an amazing job with our babies.” Saint Clare’s Health also has neonatologist practitioners onsite 24/7.

The overall level of childbirth care available at Saint Clare’s is underscored by the hospital’s commitment to exceptional state-of-the-art care, close to home. The Saint Clare’s Heath staff likes to point out that they are around the corner and ahead of the curve, meaning that they are indeed a local hospital, but have the same advanced technological equipment and benefits as any of the larger hospitals in North Jersey, New York, or Philadelphia. However, even more importantly, it is just as critical to provide patients with the assurance that they are not just anonymous names on a ledger, but treated like family.

“In a community hospital like ours, you get very attentive one-on-one care. You and your baby aren’t just medical record numbers. You’re people. You’re family to us. And that’s how you’re treated,” Lotosky said. “And we have all of the same amenities and technology of all of the larger medical institutions in the area.”

“New moms have to think about how they want their birthing experience to be. They should do their research, then choose the birthing approach they would best thrive in,” Lotosky said. “As a mom, the best advice I can give someone who is about to go through childbirth is that it’s going to be OK. It may seem impossible when you’re going through it, but it’s the most beautiful and amazing thing you'll ever experience. Have grace and patience with yourself. You’re a new mom. You’ve got this.”

To schedule a FREE tour of The Katena Center For Mother and Child at Saint Clare’s Health, or further information about Maternity Care, please visit www.saintclares.com.