It's a boy! It's a girl! Engineers, doctors, lawyers, nurses and more are born each year at Baptist Medical Center South, where state-of-the-art technology, nearly half a century of medical expertise and a warm, nurturing atmosphere combine to ensure a safe, comfortable experience for mother and baby.
Centering Pregnancy Overview
As a commitment to improving healthcare, Baptist Medical Center South is proud to offer Centering Pregnancy as a unique method of providing prenatal care. Prenatal care will be provided by Khai Salaam, MSN, CRNP. Khai received her bachelors of science in nursing from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. She received her masters of nursing, with a postgraduate specialization as a family nurse practitioner from Troy University. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is also a member of Sigma Theta Tau. Khai has more than 15 years of combined obstetrical and pediatric experience.
Centering Pregnancy is a multifaceted model of group care that integrates the three major components of care: health assessment, education and support into a unified program within a group setting. Eight to 12 women with similar due dates meet together, learning care skills, participating in a facilitated discussion, and developing a support network with other group members. Each pregnancy group meets for a total of 10 sessions throughout pregnancy and early postpartum. The practitioner, within the group space, completes standard physical health assessments which includes checking blood pressure, weight, growth and well-being of the baby.
Through this unique model of care, women are empowered to choose health-promoting behaviors such as breastfeeding. The effectiveness of this model for the delivery of prenatal care is evidenced by the optimum outcomes for pregnancies – specifically, increased birth weight and gestational age of mothers that deliver preterm, and the satisfaction expressed by both the women and their providers.
Breastfeeding Classes
Our breastfeeding classes at Baptist South are designed to teach women breastfeeding basics and how to combine breastfeeding with their work schedule or active lifestyle. Breastfeeding Basics, taught by a certified lactation consultant, helps you make an informed decision about breastfeeding. It covers breastfeeding skills and techniques to ensure a successful breastfeeding experience for mother and baby. The lactation consultant offers both inpatient and outpatient support through classes, support groups and individual assistance in the neonatal intensive care unit and mother/baby rooms. Our postpartum unit is equipped with electric breast pumps to assist mothers in learning this technique. To make an appointment for an outpatient consultation: Cher Sealy (334) 286-2829.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (diabetes) that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. Diabetes is often detected in women during their childbearing years and can affect the health of both the mother and her unborn child. Poor control of diabetes in a woman who is pregnant increases the chances for birth defects and other problems for the baby. Proper healthcare before and during pregnancy will help prevent birth defects and other poor outcomes, such as miscarriage or stillbirth. The goals of treatment are to keep blood sugar (glucose) levels within normal limits during the pregnancy, and to make sure that the fetus is healthy. Centering diabetes brings the care component, both the provider’s assessment and the patient’s self-assessment of health data into the group space. Group members are educated on how to monitor their diet, weight, blood pressure, how to perform blood sugar checks and insulin injections if necessary.
Tours
Tours at Baptist Medical Center South are held on weeknights and weekends. To register for a tour, please call (334) 273-4445.
Online Nursery
Congratulations on the birth of your new baby! To remember this miraculous event, Our365™ will be photographing your new family member. The morning after delivery, a photographer will visit you to schedule an appointment and return at the specified time. There is no cost to you to have the photograph taken.
You can see the portraits at the time the photographs are taken from the comfort of your bed. You'll receive a brochure which describes the variety of birth announcements, photo packages and keepsakes.
Also available to share with your friends and family, Our365™ offers a personal, password-protected Web page for your baby. A minimum purchase is required for this service. If you would like the baby dressed in a special outfit and/or use a blanket, just remember to bring this item along for your hospital stay. To learn more visit, www.our365.com.
Our Women and Children Center offers:
- Ten comfortable labor/delivery/recovery (LDR) rooms that allow mothers to deliver and recover in the same room. The unit is also equipped with six high-risk rooms.
- Anesthesia services are available in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- An antepartum (pre-delivery) unit for women who have complications during pregnancy and require hospitalization or prenatal testing.
- A postpartum (post-delivery) unit with 30 homelike, comfortable private rooms and four suites.
- The option to keep your new baby in your room or in our 38-bassinet newborn nursery.
- The Newborn Nurseries and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which provide full-spectrum care for newborns—including acutely ill and pre-term infants.
- A 40-bed NICU.
- A full-time board certified neonatologist and a staff of neonatal nurse practitioners and other neonatal professionals.
- Neonatal clinical PharmD.
- An experienced transport team.
- Child Life specialist. Child Life specialists are professionals who promote the role of parents and other family members as full partners on the healthcare team and promote the philosophy of patient and family-centered care. The Child Life specialist is able to explain complex medical procedures, and they can help manage the emotional stress inherent in children having to receive difficult tests and treatment.
- A 32-private room pediatric department and a close-observation room.
- Board-certified obstetricians and pediatricians.
- Personal experienced nursing care throughout your labor to support you and your family.
Having a baby is indeed a family affair—which is why fathers and relatives are always welcome in the Center. To learn more about the Centering Pregnancy Program at Baptist South, please call (334) 613-7036.
Centering Program Baptist Medical Center South
Parker Pavilion, Suite 404
2065 East South Blvd.
Montgomery, AL 36116
(334) 613-7036