Family Birthing Center
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12pm-8pm
Immediate Family Only

	Tricia Stevens and son Will

In September 2007, Tricia and Garnet Stevens did what many conscientious parents do—they researched and toured hospitals before the birth of their child. They were impressed with Meritus Medical Center’s Family Birthing Center and its focus on family bonding. “I remember passing by the Special Care Nursery, and seeing a dad in a rocking chair, cuddling a very tiny baby who I imagined must have been very sick,” said Tricia Stevens, mother of now two-year-old Will. Trish remembered feeling sad for the parents, never thinking that she and her husband would be sitting in those same rocking chairs just a few months later.

Seven weeks before Will’s due date, Trish’s obstetrician told her she was about to go into labor. She was excited, but understood the reality that her baby was being born too soon. At Meritus Medical Center, Trish received medications to stop her labor, and at the recommendation of the neonatologists, steroids to help her baby’s lungs develop. The balancing act paid off. Will was born on Easter morning and spent only ten days in the Special Care Nursery. “As first-time parents, it was an overwhelming experience, but the staff gave us a picture of how things would go,” said Trish.

For parents, the single greatest experience is childbirth. It is a marvel and a mystery because no woman knows for certain when she is going to deliver, or what will cause her to go into labor. “You have every expectation of a healthy pregnancy,” said Dr. Madhu Nigam, neonatologist and medical director of the Special Care Nursery. But according to Dr. Nigam, a routine pregnancy can become a high-risk pregnancy without notice and for unanticipated reasons, as each pregnancy evolves in a unique manner. “We can’t prevent premature births, as causes of pre-term labor are not fully understood,” added Dr. Nigam.

Kelly Footen, RN

A premature baby’s lungs, liver, stomach, brain, and immune system are not fully developed, and his lack of body fat hinders him from staying warm. Because of these developmental conditions, a host of problems can occur, requiring expert intervention and constant monitoring. “A premature baby can get into trouble quickly,” said Traci Daugherty, RN, and clinical manager of the hospital’s Special Care Nursery. According to Daugherty, having access to in-house neonatal care is reassuring to parents.

At the Special Care Nursery, one of eight board-certified neonatologists provides around-the-clock care to premature newborns. Neonatologists are pediatricians with an additional three years of advanced training in caring for the ill or premature infant. Their job is to resuscitate, stabilize, and treat sick babies.

Neonatologists and neonatal nurses carefully monitor babies throughout their stay until the infants are able to breathe and maintain body temperature without extra support, feed by mouth, and increase their body weight. The multidisciplinary team also includes respiratory therapists, dietitians, pharmacists, lactation consultants, and social workers, all trained in newborn care. The Special Care Nursery is a designated Level II-B nursery, providing highly specialized care to babies born at thirty-two weeks or later, infants who are ill, and those born with complications during delivery. Every year, the team cares for approximately 250 babies.

“We care for these babies in their own community, and in a hospital with great patient outcomes,” said Dr. Nigam. Before Meritus Medical Center had a Special Care Nursery, babies were transported to Baltimore, Rockville, or Washington, DC. “The family unit was fractured,” commented Dr. Nigam. “It was difficult for the family to cope with the drive, and they couldn’t visit their baby as often.”

At the Special Care Nursery, neonatologists and neonatal nurses spend time with the family—moving them from feeling overwhelmed and scared to engaged and confident. “The family is part of the healthcare team,” explained Dr. Nigam. “The more they participate, the more empowered they feel to ask questions.” Although getting a baby strong enough to go home is a long-term process, the Special Care Nursery team stands ready to hold parents’ hands throughout their journey.