“Connected” Through Their Care: A Family’s Birth Story at Mercy Health

“We were connected with the staff. They just knew what we needed before we even knew!” said patient Anne, who recently gave birth at the Birth Center at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s.

Although she was already a patient of Mercy Health Physician Partners, when she became pregnant, Anne and husband Calvin researched a couple of local birth centers before deciding to deliver at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, a decision they became more comfortable with as time passed.

“Throughout the entire pregnancy, we continually had super positive interactions with the Mercy Health Downtown OB Office and the birth center,” said Calvin. “From the birthing classes, to the tours of the renovated facility, all these interactions solidified our decision to deliver at Mercy Health.”

Being their first pregnancy, the couple had questions that arose from time to time. “It was great having the 24-hour nurse line that we could call. Everything was new and exciting, but sometimes we had questions,” recalled Calvin.

The most serious question arose one night at midnight when Anne was 38 weeks pregnant. “I didn’t know for sure if my water was breaking, so we called the nurse line, who told us to come to triage in the birth center.”

Upon arrival at the birth center, the couple immediately headed into triage, where they learned she was indeed in labor.

“Everyone was open and honest with us,” said Calvin. “Her water had broken, but she wasn’t dilated at all. The staff told us not to expect to have the baby soon.”

That open and honest communication continued throughout their stay.

“Whenever we had questions, they had answers,” said Calvin. “Everyone was professional and consistent with what they were telling us. We could tell they truly cared too. Nurses we had seen in triage would come by later to check on us to see how we were doing.”

During their 48-hour labor, the couple felt comfortable and at ease with the space and people at the birth center.

“Not only was the space modern and up-to-date, we felt completely pampered by the staff, who were the best thing,” said Anne. “We knew they were going to take care of us.”

Her reassurance with the labor and delivery staff helped her through the long labor.

“In labor, your body is going through so much. Your mind is going through so much. And to have staff like at Mercy Health, we couldn’t have done it without them. Especially my nurse, Lucy, who was there while I was pushing; I couldn’t have done it without her,” said Anne.

Birth Center Nurse Lucy Montanaro and Obstetrician Andola Mathis MD, FACOG, helped Anne and Calvin welcome a healthy, six-pound, one-ounce baby boy, Callum.

“We didn’t know what we were having, so it was a surprise to everyone. We had a lot of fun with the staff to see who could guess baby’s birth date, time, weight and length, whether our baby was a boy or girl,” said Anne.

After Callum arrived, the ongoing support continued for the new family. Nurse Lucy stayed beyond her shift to make sure the new family had answers to their questions and was comfortable.

“It’s so scary. The baby is here, but what do I do now?” wondered thrilled and exhausted new mom Anne.

Breastfeeding was “super important to me,” according to Anne. As a Baby-Friendly® designated hospital, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s is part of a global program created and sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to recognize hospitals that offer optimal levels of care for infant feeding and mother-baby.

To Anne, it seemed like whenever she was trying to get Callum to latch on, or initiate breastfeeding, “Someone, like a nurse or lactation counselor would show up at my hospital room, and ask, ‘Do you need any help? Do you have any questions?’ And they were there to help me whenever I needed them.

“We were so connected with the staff. It’s like they could sense when we needed help before we even knew!”

For an online tour or to schedule your own tour of the Birth Center at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, please visit our website>>