Albuquerque, NM — The Natural Birthing Center focuses on a more natural delivery, allowing women who prefer to avoid medications and medical intervention a safe place in which to deliver.
“The goal of the Natural Birthing Center is to provide a comforting atmosphere for new mothers and their families,” said Sheri Milone, CEO of Lovelace Women’s Hospital. “Lovelace Women’s Hospital will be the first hospital in New Mexico to also offer water birthing services.”
Water births may provide many benefits to the mother and infant, such as pain relief and a less traumatic birth experience for the baby. This new service is being introduced to meet the growing demand of mothers, families and providers who seek a more peaceful and natural birth process.
The addition of the Natural Birthing Center complements the continuum of care and birthing services that Lovelace Women’s Hospital offers.
Highlights of the Natural Birthing Center:
* Four private labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum rooms with water birthing tubs.
* The water birthing tubs include a thermal air option with ozone that provides clean, therapeutic effervescence. After passing through an ozone feature, which has sanitation properties 200 times stronger than bleach, the air is heated and bubbled into the pool. The intensity is controlled by the laboring mother and provides both relaxation and pain management, according to Waterbirth Solutions, Inc.
* 18 private patient rooms for postpartum recovery
* Two fireplaces in lobby areas
* Staffed with certified nurse midwives, RNs and OB/GYNs
* Located on the 1st floor of Lovelace Women’s Hospital; 16,000 square feet
* Local architect and builders were used for the project (Fanning Bard Tatum Architects and Enterprise Builders)
Each room will feature:
* Home-like atmosphere with warm finishes and soothing colors
* Wood style flooring
* Flat screen TVs
* Wi-Fi
* In-room sleeping accommodations for a guest
Lovelace Women’s Hospital also offers a traditional birthing option in a 41-bed Mother-Baby Unit, high-risk OB Services with maternal fetal medicine 24/7, an expanded 53-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), 16 labor and delivery rooms, an 8-bed Pediatric Observation Unit supervised 24/7 by pediatricians and lactation services.
