Peggy Knight is the director of women ’ s and children ’ s services at SGMC Health .
In the past , the popular image of a hospital birth was a giant nursery window packed with rows of babies , with visitors trying to point out which baby a nurse should hold up to show off . The window still exists , but doesn ’ t get as much use , she said .
Technology has also made expectant moms more mobile in the Birthplace . In the old days , pregnant women were confined to hospital beds when neonatal monitors were worn because of all the attached cables . Nowadays the equipment is all wireless , so the mother-to-be can get up and move around .
The Birthplace Now
Birth of the Birthplace
Renovations to South Georgia Medical Center in 1984 included an entirely new birth facility , replacing earlier “ traditional ” birthing rooms , said Erika Bennett , director of marketing for SGMC .
Previous “ traditional ” hospital birth facilities used three rooms — a labor room , a delivery room and a recovery room — and mothers had to be shuttled between them , said Peggy Knight , director of women ’ s and children ’ s services at SGMC Health .
Now the practice is to keep the mother , and the baby as much as possible , in the same room the entire time .
“ Babies used to be whisked off to the nursery immediately ,” Knight said . “ Now they stay with mom . They can quickly do ‘ skin to skin ,’ breastfeeding , and the family ’ s available . Everybody sees the baby , holds the baby and takes pictures .”
Current facilities include eight birthing rooms , two operating suites , three triage rooms , six OB-emergency department rooms and seven antepartum treatment rooms where prenatal care such as iron supplements can be taken care of .
The staff numbers tend to fluctuate , but there are about 45 nurses , plus surgical scrub techs and patient care techs , said Katie Gordon , nurse manager for labor and delivery and the OB emergency room .
For premature babies , a neonatal intensive care unit is located inside the nursery .
About 2,000 babies a year are born at SGMC ’ s Birthplace , Knight said , averaging 150-180 per month .
While obstetrician gynecologists — OB-GYNs — keep their practices in the community , they come in to the hospital to deliver babies . The Birthplace also has a doctor on hand 24 / 7 in the building for any emergencies or other unexpected situations that come up . Also available 24 / 7 is a neonatologist ( a specialist in babycare ).
Prenatal care , including childbirth classes and breastfeeding classes , are offered at the Birthplace . So is AngelEyes , a video system which allows family members to use smartphones to watch a baby in the NICU .
May 2024 | Valdosta Scene 11