Experiencing the new Birth Center
As I start this blog I think I should first introduce myself. I am Jammie Dunker, a 32 year-old, work from home mom of two, with my third on the way. As of Tuesday I will be 33 weeks along and, I must say, with my other two births I was really never excited to have a hospital stay, but with the opening of the new Birth Center I can’t wait to be one of the first moms to experience the beauty of the new facility.
So that said I have to tell you I was lucky enough to get an early tour of the building – and WOW. First off you walk in and the lobby doesn’t even feel like you are walking into a hospital. The expansive windows let in so much light it feels like you are in the lobby of a modern hotel, which I guess in some ways we are. From the front desk you can see the Mommy & Me retail area along with the waiting area on the second floor, which has a cozy fireplace lots of seating and a coffee bar for those anxious husbands that don’t exactly know how to handle their upcoming life change.
As for me I’ll be having my third cesarean so I’ll go to the second floor and be checked in and prepped for surgery, but for those of you who will be laboring the new labor rooms are amazing. Large rooms with lots of light coming in from the windows not that you will be noticing that, but what you may notice is the enormous bathroom that is like a spa. And the jetted tubs to sooth you a little before the big moment comes are just one of the amenities that you will appreciate.
And after the new bundle of joy arrives we will be moved to a room on the third floor to recover and bond. There really isn’t a bad room in the house, so to speak. And all of that are just the superficial luxuries that we will experience – we will also have great care from a wonderful staff, I can attest to because I have delivered at Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) before. And not that any of us want to worry or think about the thought of having our newborns taken to the NICU, but again it is unbelievable – individual rooms for each baby all new equipment and a staff that is prepared for whatever lies around the curve – talk about an added since of security. I am thrilled to be delivering at SMMC and plan to share my experience along the way.
Jammie Dunker is a freelance graphic designer and mom to two - soon to be three! - young boys. Follow her as she shares her experiences with preparing for the arrival of her third child.