MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first baby born in the new Birthing Center at the new WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital last Thursday, Sept. 29, highlighted the capabilities of the facility in historic fashion, hospital officials said.
On Sept. 26, a pregnant Kristy Pantojas, of Reedsville, fell on her stomach and was rushed to the Emergency Room. Over the next few days both mom and baby were monitored and there were signs of fetal stress discovered.
When doctors decided to induce labor the fetal stress became worse, so at that point the decision was made to deliver the girl named Kendi, via emergency Cesarean section out of an abundance of caution.
“I work in an operating room, and I have never seen one set up so quickly,” Kristy said. “I was so impressed.”
Allison Suttle, M.D., interim chair of the WVU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said the Birthing Center team had thoroughly prepared, but this was the first emergency delivery at WVU Medicine Children’s.
“In August, while gearing up for the move to the new Hospital, the team had a record breaking 231 babies born, surpassing the previous record of 214, and then, in the middle of the move, they safely and successfully managed an emergency delivery,” Dr. Suttle said. “We’ve been saying that the new Hospital is a dream come true, and it is. But the Birthing Center staff is the dream team, and we could not be prouder of them.”
After delivery, Kristy was stabilized, and the entire Birthing Center team, which consists of nurses, peri-operative care assistants, clinical associates, unit clerks, scrub technicians, advance practice providers, midwives, obstetrics resident and attending physicians, and a high-risk obstetrics specialty care nurse, resumed relocating patients from the sixth floor of WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital to the eighth floor of the new hospital.
“I don’t think there is anywhere else in West Virginia that you will find that level of care,” Marvin Pantojas, Kendi’s father, said. “We know just how blessed we are.”
The Pantojas family has a clear comparison since their first child was born in the J. W. Ruby Memorial Hospital Birthing Center in 2015. According to mom and dad, the new birthing experience was a much better experience due to the abundance of windows and natural light in the building.
“That does a lot for the whole mood and mental health aspect of birthing,” Marvin said.
The new spa-like Birthing Center has 17 labor and delivery rooms, including seven with labor tubs; in-unit operating rooms for cesarean deliveries; and large inpatient rooms to allow mothers to stay with their newborns.
For the Pantojas famliy, they were able to spend Sunday night in the room with Kendi, which was not available during their first experience bringing a child into the world.