Meet Penny June: First Baby Born in Low-intervention Birthing Suite at Willow Creek Women's Hospital
4/12/2019
Low-intervention birthing suites provide new benefits for families
Keely and Brock are parents of Penny June, the first baby born in one of the new low-intervention birthing suites at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital. Penny was born on Friday, April 12, 2019 weighing 7 pounds and 14 ounces. She joined big sister Teagan at home, who already loves her!
“The low-intervention birthing suite was the ideal scenario for our family. We wanted to be able to have the experience of a home birth, but with the comfort of hospital resources,” Keely said. “The staff was so accommodating, and I felt like my wishes were really heard. I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse; she was just what I needed! The large bed made it so my partner and I could share in the experience together and were really able to connect throughout the process. Overall, the whole aesthetic of the room made us feel like we were actually in a home environment (instead of just a hospital room) which made for a really relaxing experience. We felt comfortable setting up our own things, as we had so much space to move around and make it feel like our own. The tub was especially comforting, helping me maintain pain levels during early labor. There was so much freedom and I know we definitely wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way.”
“For me, it was a life-changing experience,” said Penny’s dad Brock. “To be able to have a deeper understanding of her (Keely’s) needs, our family’s needs, of the process… I appreciated the education I got as I was ignorant about how beautiful the process could be. It was exactly as we wanted and being able to share this authentic natural birth experience brought us closer together.”
In addition to using the laboring tub for pain management, Keely also used the TENS unit for back discomfort, aromatherapy, peanut balls and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Penny June was delivered by OB/GYN Dr. Darrin Cunningham, an independent member of the medical staff at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital.
Back