8 SURPRISING BONUSES
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WORDS BY NICOLE SIPE
Maternity hospitals in the Indianapolis area are continuously innovating. Now more than ever, there are lots of benefits to giving birth in a hospital – some big and obvious, like having immediate access to top-notch emergency care, and some small, like free valet parking and baby gear. Here are just some of the bonuses to experiencing a hospital birth.
modern and private birthing suites are available, and also include overnight accommodations for one support person and free Wi-Fi. “We think it’s important for parents to be supported in their labor/delivery and postpartum experience,” says Dr. Amanda Underwood, lead obstetric hospitalist at Riley Children’s Health. “All rooms have accommodations to allow a support person to stay in the room with a patient. We encourage babies to be with their parents 23 hours of the 24 hour day.”
Access to Classes and Special Programs Private Suites Labor, delivery and postpartum are all very private events, and hospitals get it. Most hospitals around Indy offer private rooms — from start to finish. For instance, all maternity rooms at Franciscan Health are private, including triage, antepartum, labor and delivery suites, postpartum rooms and NICU rooms. At The Maternity Tower at Riley at IU Health,
Hospitals make the pregnancy and delivery experience a family affair by offering classes and programs for all members of the family. For instance, at Franciscan hospitals, grandparents can attend a virtual Grand Parenting 101 class, which updates grands on all of the changes since they had a baby. Grands can learn about topics like breastfeeding expectations and the safest way to put their grandchild to sleep. “We are slowly returning back to in person classes and have offered classes virtually, which we will continue, throughout the pandemic,” says Erin Neu, OB nurse navigator for Franciscan Health. “One note concerning virtual classes, our educator is teaching live to participants off campus. All of the classes are interactive and not recorded.” Hospitals also offer sibling classes to help ease the transition of a new baby in the family, as well as classes for dads and partners, which cover topics about birth and the early months of a baby’s life.
Midwife and Doula Services For women with low-risk pregnancies who are looking for a less invasive birthing experience, many hospitals around Indy offer the option of midwife services, as well as support from doulas. This allows women a more holistic birthing experience, with the added advantage and safety net of the hospital environment and protocol.
Breastfeeding Help Gone are the days when new moms are fumbling, frustrated and alone with their breastfeeding journeys. For moms who choose to breastfeed, many hospitals offer lactation consultants who will visit immediately postpartum to help baby establish a latch and help moms figure out the (often confusing, at first) path to breastfeeding. At Franciscan Health, a
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INDYSCHILD.COM I July 2022
