Give to LGH

Family-centered Comfort and Care for New Moms

Lowell General Hospital opened a new Labor and Delivery Unit on the fifth floor of the Dahod building at the main campus on October 29, 2012. The new space features larger, private patient rooms – a comforting space where laboring moms and their families can relax and bond.

"The unit was designed so that new moms will know we have thought of everything to make their birth experience special," says Elizabeth Lydstone, RN, BS, MS-HA, Lowell General Hospital's Director of Maternal Child Health Services. "Interdisciplinary teams from Maternal Child Health, as well as our
obstetricians and care teams were all involved in the planning process. From the technology and equipment to the overall design, we strive to provide a unique and family-centered patient experience."

Karen Fortier, a Dracut junior high school teacher from Lowell, attended an open house for the new unit in preparation of the birth of her second child. Her first child Rebecca was born here two years ago, and she was eager to experience the comfort and amenities available in the new Dahod Building for the birth of her second child in November 2012. Scheduled for a C-section delivery on November 13, she learned the unit contained larger surgical suites so babies delivered by C-section can remain in the same room as mom and her support person to promote family bonding and breastfeeding. When baby Laila arrived, Karen and her husband Jeremie experienced what family-centered really means.

"This time, I was much calmer and more relaxed with Jeremie in the operating suite during delivery and after, and felt like I was part of the entire experience. I could see Jeremie cut the cord and our baby turn pink and cry. With my first delivery, I felt like I really missed out on the bonding experience. Usually, the baby is taken out of the room while physicians complete the surgery. Now I could focus on Jeremie taking care of our baby and taking care of me. It's a bonding experience that words can't describe."

Jeremie echoed her sentiments about the new Labor and Delivery room. "It gave us more quality time, and time to be together as a family during those most treasured of moments – the first minutes of Laila's life."

The privacy and quietness of the rooms made the experience that much more soothing. Both mom and her support person have their own flat-screen TVs equipped with customized programming, soothing patient videos and childbirth education information. Rooms feature larger pull out couches and sleeping areas, as well as spacious bathrooms with individual showers and spa-like décor.

With the area's only Level IIB Special Care Neonatal Nursery and 18 obstetric physicians to welcome your baby, The Birthplace at Lowell General has already earned a reputation as a trusted leader for maternity care. Through our affiliation with Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, we have in-house specialists available around the clock to care for newborns or infants needing more advanced care.

Golf Challenge 2013Mommy BlogCAREERSMagnet 2012