Family-Centered Maternity Care
What is it?
Family-Centered Maternity Care is a type of care that focuses on the needs of mother, baby and family. Mothers and babies are cared for as a “couplet” by the same nurse, in the mother’s room, to encourage parenting skills and promote family bonding.
How does it work?
Family-Centered Maternity Care begins at birth. At delivery, we tailor your experience to meet your specific needs and coach you and the family through the entire birthing experience. Following the delivery, the baby remains with mom and family during those first few precious moments of life while newborn care is provided at the mother’s bedside. During the hospital stay, mother and baby will be cared for by the same nurse, and the baby will remain in the room with the mother.
What are the benefits?
Parents and babies will benefit from Family-Centered Maternity Care because it enables new parents to be more self-assured in their parenting skills. With family bonding as a focus, babies begin learning to sleep during the night and develop routines right from the start. Babies also tend to cry less because they are close to their mothers. Feeding is easier and on the baby’s schedule.
Are both parents included in this type of care?
Both parents or mom and selected birth partner are included in Family-Centered Maternity Care. Parents receive support and education as the nurse demonstrates newborn care at the mother’s bedside. The goal of Family-Centered Maternity Care is to obtain the best possible health outcome for all members of the family, both individually and as a group.
What does “rooming-in” mean?
Through our Family-Centered Maternity Care approach, we encourage families to bond with their babies. Except for brief medical or nursing procedures, we support the growing evidence in research that mom and baby will be healthier by practicing 24-hour rooming-in as long as mom and baby are well. Babies who room-in experience a more homelike environment at night. It is quieter and darker in your room than in the nursery, which may ease the transition to day/night routines when you and baby return home. Your baby also will enjoy being the only baby in the room rather than one of several. During this time, you also will be visited by a professional photographer to see if you would like a picture to be taken of your baby to be posted on our online web nursery (completely optional). The web nursery is a great way for your out-of-town friends and family to see your new bundle of joy.
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