The birth of a child may be the most important and meaningful moment in a person’s life. The experience is often a culmination of months of preparation, prenatal care appointments, hope, love and worry. When an expecting mother arrives at the hospital to give birth to her child, she expects individualized attention and that she and her family will be fully taken care of, no matter the situation. 

At UnityPoint Health, we’re taking special steps to give new moms that peace of mind and support. Our professional staff is embracing innovation to enhance and improve the birthing experience for new moms and their families. The labor and delivery team at UnityPoint Health – Methodist is experienced in high-risk pregnancies. This team includes highly-trained neonatologists who specialize in the care of newborns as young as 32 weeks in our Level II Special Care Nursery.

Specialized Services
When Mutiat Mabifa Rosenje learned she was having twins, UnityPoint Health was there to guide her through every step of her exciting journey. A twin pregnancy is considered a high-risk pregnancy, and Rosenje’s obstetrical provider, Dr. Rahmat Na’Allah of UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine – Peoria, developed a personalized plan in partnership with Dr. Steven Ambrose at UnityPoint Clinic – Perinatology. Perinatologists work directly with obstetricians and obstetrical providers to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy.

“I was very grateful I was seeing a specialist,” Rosenje says. “I was getting a lot of ultrasounds and reassurance my babies were okay. It tends to get very stressful, and the convenience of having these specialized services at UnityPoint Health was awesome.” 

Rosenje’s personalized plan also included a group prenatal care program at UnityPoint Health called CenteringPregnancy. Eight to ten women with similar due dates meet in a comfortable group setting to learn about important and timely topics related to pregnancy. The experience allows expecting moms and their care providers to get to know each other on a much deeper and more meaningful level prior to delivery. The groups include women of different ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds who find mutual support in sharing the common experience of pregnancy, birth and family care.

A Nurturing Environment
Along with personalized medical care and emotional support, UnityPoint Heath’s Birthing Center offers a calm and relaxing environment to welcome your new baby into the world. Skilled nursing professionals work closely with physicians and midwives to provide the services and personal attention needed to make you and your baby as comfortable as possible in a private LDR (labor-delivery-recovery) room. These beautiful spaces offer a nurturing environment, with state-of-the-art technology tucked away out of sight until it’s necessary. After delivery, mother and her baby are moved to a quiet, private postpartum room where they can rest and get to know each other with supportive staff close by. PM

To learn more about UnityPoint Health’s Birthing Center and special services for early arrivals, visit unitypoint.org or call (309) 672-4852 to arrange a tour.