Spring 2013 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

Jamie Halfast, her newborn son, Kellan, andhusband, Eric.Time Is of the EssenceSkin-to-skin care helps moms and babies bond fasterAre YouPregnant?Call Us!Visit qualityoflife.org/childbirth to learn moreabout skin-to-skinbenefits.First-person account by Leanne PhillipsTen years ago, my daughter Sophiewas born via cesarean section. Likemany women, I was disappointed notto experience a vaginal birth, but mylittle Sophie was not only breech, shewas incomplete breech (one foot down,the other curled up around her head).So my main concern was getting herhere safely, whatever it took.The big moment arrived for Sophieto be born and I couldn’t wait to holdthis beautiful child with the perfectlyround head.To my disappointment, I had to wait90 long minutes before holding thechild I had carried for nine months. Itwas the longest 90 minutes of my life,and I wasn’t appreciating the lessonin patience.Things had improved 2½ years laterin 2005 when my twins arrived atMemorial Hospital and I was able tohold and nurse Luke and Grace inrecovery, and I was thrilled.Beyond ExpectationsFast-forward to 2012. Now, moms whohave C-sections have even more tolook forward to, because MemorialHospital’s Baby-Friendly HospitalInitiative has gone a step furtherwith skin-to-skin care after delivery.One mom in particular recounts herskin-to-skin experience: “I was initiallydisappointed to learn I would havea C-section because I had a verydetailed birth plan for a vaginaldelivery,” says Jamie Halfast of SouthBend. “The words OR and C-sectionwere nowhere to be found on thesepages. I wanted to see my baby assoon as he was delivered, I wantedmy husband to cut the umbilical cord,I wanted pictures, and I wanted tohold him and nurse him right away.And you know what? Because of skinto-skinat Memorial Hospital, I wasable to experience every single one ofthose things.”The doctors lowered the protectivescreen that had been blocking Jamie’sview so she could see baby Kellanimmediately, and her husband wasable to follow him to the warmer andcut his umbilical cord.“As the nurses cleaned him up, theywere describing to me what he lookedlike, and before I knew it, he was onmy chest and nursing,” Halfast says.“It was beyond every expectation I hadand it was beautiful. The Baby-FriendlyHospital Initiative that encouragesskin-to-skin between mother and babyimmediately after delivery allowed meto have the birth experience I had envisioned.I cannot speak highly enoughof these programs and feel blessed Iwas able to deliver my son in a hospitalthat allowed me to have those firstmoments, regardless of the methodin which he entered the world.”Baby to Mom in MinutesThe goal is to have the baby to momwithout any wait, or no more than fiveminutes, because babies regulate theirbody temperatures better with skinto-skincontact, and it promotes themother-baby bond, says Amy Murray,BSN, RNC-OB, patient care managerof Memorial’s Childbirth Unit. Sevenyears ago, Memorial ChildbirthCenter started skin-to-skin care aftervaginal deliveries.“Our goal for 2013 is to promoteskin-to-skin for all moms, regardlessof their mode of delivery,” says PattyDe Stefano, MSN, RNC-OB, directorof the Childbirth Unit. “Our hopeis that as frightening as a C-sectioncan be for some, this little bit ofnormalcy, having your baby on yourchest, will help to alleviate a bit of theanxiety that can go on during a verystressful time.”10 PULSE | Memorial Hospital of South Bend • 574.647.6800