Housecall

Columbus Community Hospital is home to talented caregivers and a wide range of services for you and your family, and the maternal child health department is no exception.

The unit serves moms and families throughout their maternity journeys, features a special care unit for vulnerable newborns and houses a postoperative care wing to support patients recovering from gynecologic procedures.

If you choose to have your baby at CCH, you'll experience labor, delivery and postpartum care all in the same room.

Each private, spacious birthing room features comfortable amenities, such as a refrigerator, a bed
for you, a crib or bassinet on wheels for your baby, a pull-out couch for your support person and a bathroom with a walk-in shower.

Room in with baby

Several years ago, CCH adopted the couplet care model, which means a nurse cares for you and your baby as a pair in the same room throughout the maternity journey.

Before couplet care was introduced, moms were cared for by one nurse while the baby moved to the nursery to be cared for by a different nurse. One of the benefits of couplet care is that "it supports early parent-baby bonding," said Kim Eisenmann, RN, director of maternal child health.

It also gives you time to understand your newborn's feeding cues and other needs, build confidence and ask questions about newborn care.

"You can get to know baby's sleep patterns and whether they're crying because they're hungry or because they need to be changed," Eisenmann said. "It helps you bond with your baby and learn their different cues so you'll be ready when it's time to take your baby home."

The department's goal is that you have the same nurse throughout your stay.

"That continuity helps, because the nurse knows your preferences and how delivery went, and they can anticipate your postpartum needs," Eisenmann said. "It's also rewarding for nurses to deliver your baby, care for you and then discharge you home."

The obstetrics team includes board-certified lactation consultants in our recently expanded lactation support program.

When babies need extra care

The maternal child health department features a special care unit for ill and premature infants born as early as 34 weeks. Because CCH can care for babies with special needs right here in Columbus, parents can stay closer to their babies while the little ones transition from hospital to home.

"We make sure you can be with your baby as much as possible," Eisenmann said.

During their stay in the unit, babies receive special medical care, including services such as oxygen and nutrition support. The nurses work closely with pediatric hospitalists and other providers to deliver exceptional care to these babies.

Nurses and other providers work to ensure that parents feel supported while their babies are in the unit. After a baby is discharged from the unit, the care team provides referrals to other support services as needed.

A welcoming area for patients recovering from surgery

The same highly trained team also provides postsurgical care to you if you've had a C-section, hysterectomy or another gynecologic procedure. Surgical recovery rooms are sectioned off in a quieter wing to promote comfort during recovery. The close collaboration between nursing staff and physicians at CCH enhances the care experience during your recovery journey.

"We work closely with the gynecologic surgeons who perform these procedures," Eisenmann noted. "We know their preferences and maintain good communication with them."

Categories: Maternal child health