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Having a baby is life changing. It’s a time filled with many important decisions, starting with where you choose to give birth. If you’re like most families, you want the best care for you and your baby.
At Lakewood, we recognize that no two families, and no two births, are alike. You may have a spouse or a partner. You may be a single mother. You may be a surrogate mother. Every family is looking for something different — and at Lakewood, we believe you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.
We provide expert care from the minute you decide to have a baby until well after your child is born. But we don’t stop there. In this beautiful place where babies enter the world, you’ll find something beyond clinical expertise. Here, you’ll find respect for individual choice.
Many expectant parents have trusted us with their care, and it shows. Lakewood welcomes nearly 500 babies into the world annually.
With our individualized approach, you guide your birthing plan your way. From personalized labor and delivery services, to private birthing suites, and deluxe family amenities, our family birthing center combines personalized, expert medical care with all the comforts of home.
Our Approach
Like you, we get to know your baby long before it’s born. That’s why the provider who cares for you is the provider who is there for you when your baby takes its first breath. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
At Lakewood Health System, we take your birth experience personally and are excited and honored to be a part of this major life event.
Personalized healthcare means having someone who understands your health. That’s why YOUR provider, the one you have seen through your entire journey up to this incredible moment, will be right there with you when you’re ready to deliver. In addition to four on-staff OB/GYNs (Drs. Jenny Bunio, Mary Holm, Marie Nelson and Carol Uhlman), the following family medicine physicians also work with expectant parents through the prenatal process, as well as the delivery:
- Alex Harsha, MD
- Ryan Kroll, MD
- Lindsay Leveille, MD
- Adrianne Moen, MD
- Katie Norris, MD
- Alex Sauer, MD
- Kaitlyn Schoeck, MD
We realize each mom-to-be has different desires and needs in terms of how they want to handle pain, the labor process, and the level of involvement and attention from individuals. We cater to your needs and wishes and are pleased to provide a variety of solutions for pain management, and even alternative birthing methods, such as a special tub for water births. We also have a cross-functional team of staff members who will care for your every need, including six certified lactation counselors to provide with breast feeding guidance and direction.
When you deliver your baby at Lakewood Health System, you’re showered with free gifts for you and your baby, including:
- Special dinner
- Relaxing massage
- Case of diapers
- Baby bag with supplies
- Infant car seat upon discharge, if needed
- Complimentary home visit by the expectations team
View our gallery of new babies born at Lakewood Health System!
Birthing Options
Water birth – this is the process of giving birth in a tub of warm water. Some women choose to labor in the water and get out for delivery. Other women decide to stay in the water for the delivery as well. The theory behind water birth is that the baby has been in the amniotic sac for nine months and birthing into a similar environment is gentler for the baby and less stressful for the mother.
Vaginal birth after C-section – (VBAC) is an option an expecting mother and her physician will discuss. Although the mantra used to be “once a Caesarean, always a Caesarean,” advancements in C-section surgical procedures now allow for women with previous C-sections to try a vaginal delivery.
Labor & Delivery
If you have a vaginal delivery, you will stay in your private birthing suite during delivery and recovery. If it is necessary for your doctor to deliver your baby by C-section, you’ll be taken to the operating room for the procedure.
During labor, we’ll help you achieve the comfort level you desire. Some women give birth with mild pain or discomfort, controlled by comfort measures, relaxation and breathing techniques. Others prefer medication to control pain.
Our labor and delivery nurses are trained to assist you with various techniques, such as use of birthing balls, warm showers, massage, position changes and relaxation. If you desire pain medication, such as analgesics or epidurals, our anesthesia provider is available 24 hours a day to meet your needs for pain relief.
Lakewood also offers nitrous oxide as a pain relief option for women in labor. Commonly referred to as ‘laughing gas’, nitrous oxide is considered safe to use during labor and can be beneficial for both pain relief and anxiety relief. It also has a quick onset and quickly exits both the mother’s and baby’s system. While it doesn’t take away all the pain during labor and delivery, it helps the mother relax and feel less tense during contractions. Talk with your provider to see if this option is for you.
Contact us if you have any questions about our OB/GYN department!
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