A new NARH birthing center features three labor, birthing, and postpartum recovery rooms equipped with special lighting and a home-inspired atmosphere as shown here.
North Adams - The final touches were put into place at the North Adams Regional Hospital's new birthing center today and expectations are that women ready to give birth will be admitted to the state-of-the art, $2 million maternity unit soon after Thanksgiving.
"This is a dream come true, something many of us have waited for and are so proud of," said Billie Allard, NARH Vice-president of Patient Care Services and nurse director of maternal-child health services.
The second floor center is the final component of a $23 million renovation that covered nearly two years and included building a new critical care unit, short stay unit, two new operating rooms, major renovations of the hospital's surgical space and a new emergency department. The birthing center may be the most anticipated of the hospital's projects, said Allard and Director of Community Relations Paul Hopkins.
Private Rooms, Private Baths, Private Birthing Tubs
The center is bright and welcoming and hosts three spacious rooms dedicated to labor, delivery, and immediate postpartum recovery.
Each "birthing room" hosts a private, modern bathroom equipped with a warm-water birthing tub, shower, sink, toilet and gift set that includes a thick terry robe and bath and skin care items.
The birthing rooms also host single beds covered with homey linens, special laser-guided lighting installed in the ceiling that allows light to be directed at specific areas of the body with precision, a print of a window opening to an ocean view that is meant to represent the cervix widening, and a television. A crib, chair, bedside stand and bedside table are included in the rooms.
The center also hosts eight private rooms outfitted with flat-screen television, private bath facilities, and a small dining table. Six of the rooms are limited to private use while two rooms may be used as double occupancy rooms if necessary, Allard said.
Dinner For Two By Candlelight
The dining table has special significance.
"We're going to do the candlelight dinners again," Allard said, and explained that if requested, hospital staff will serve a candlelight dinner for two during the evening before hospital discharge.
"It's a nice thing to do, kind of a treat before bringing the baby home, a last-time before needing a babysitter kind of thing," she said.
Under consideration is adding room service to the center, Allard said. A room service option would allow mothers to order food from the hospital kitchen at any time. Nursing mothers may not be functioning in conjunction with the hospital's normal meal schedule and may benefit from a room service arrangement, Allard said.A "Quiet Time" And New Visitor Policies
The nursery is surrounded by windows for infant viewing, with one side of the room accessible to family and the other side accessible by friends and acquaintances.
The nursery is equipped with an incubator and is able to care for 11 babies at one time, Allard said. The lighting may be bright for medical examinations or other needs and may be dimmed to a soft glow during sleep hours.
A separate room is available for circumcisions. The nursery is surrounded by muted colors and light wood-finished surfaces. All viewing windows are equipped with privacy curtains that can be closed when necessary.
Birthing and postpartum rooms contain medical gas connections, such as oxygen hook-ups, that are cleverly camouflaged by framed prints that can be raised upward to expose the connections and allow use.
The center will impose an afternoon "quiet time" from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Allard said, Visitors will not be allowed on the floor during those hours except under special circumstances, she said.
"We will try to be flexible with this," she said.
During the birth process, visitors to the laboring mothers will be limited, Allard said. Previously, friend and family member entourages accompanied some women in labor and gathered within labor rooms or meandered through the hallways. The presence of such large groups were intrusive to women who had already given birth, Allard said.
"We heard from women that the large crowds were distracting," she said.
Husbands or "significant others" will be among the people welcomed in the birthing rooms, Allard said. There is a separate waiting area for friends and family members, she said.
New Security System
A multi-phase state-of-the art security system is installed at the unit, Hopkins said. The system is equipped with alarms at the unit entrances and another facet of the system allows a building lockdown, Hopkins said.
"It's the type of system that when you're here, you'll know how it works," he said.
Previous security measures relied on the discovery that a baby was missing; the new system is designed to activate if an unauthorized person attempts to leave the floor with an infant, Hopkins said.
Additional renovations include new nurses stations, an operating room for cesarean section deliveries, a small kitchen and an area dedicated to housekeeping supplies.
The birthing center offers a midwife program, a certified lactation consultant who is able to offer home visits as well as hospital consultations, pre-natal childbirth education that includes the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern Berkshire, and massage and Reiki.
During 2005, 320 babies were born at the hospital. That represents a 17 percent increase over 2004.
The entire NARH project added an additional 19,000 square feet to the facility and renovated about 30,000 square feet.
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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